10/14/14 5:37 PM

Electrics continue their intrusion into our automotive life. My new Xterra has TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring system) sensors in each wheel. If I buy winter wheels and put winter tires on, I'm supposed to buy 4 new sensors ($300) and then have the vehicle paired to these wheels. ($89). Then in the spring, I'll need to have it paired with the summer wheels.

I think I'll let the TPMS light flash and put some black tape over it.

They even have a "long term storage" switch on it so the electrics don't drain the battery. A friend who goes out west in the winter has cars in both places and he said he can't keep the batteries up.

I wish cars were just machines as was intended.

10/14/14 5:46 PM

I believe these are mandated by gov., to make sure low tire pressures do not cause national oil use to be higher.

When we got the Equinox back from the body shop, I noticed with it being colder overall [7 weeks] the pressure read low.

So I tried to put air in only to realize they inadvertently rotated the tires. Readings followed old locations on the car's readout/screen. Took a minute of WTFs etc.

There is a lean [re-learn] feature via the menu system to remedy this. Apparently the dealer does it when they rotate you tires, or whomever rotates should. Les Schwalbe has a bluetooth device to do it as well we learned.

So you could/should be able to attend that yourself is my point.

10/14/14 6:39 PM

much of that you can do yourself.

My wife had a battery go dead in her remote key fob, it was royal pain in the ass to pair it with the car.

Open the door and close it 4 times, hold your breath. lock unlock 7 times, hold your breath, count to 13 in hebrew and 12 in japanese then push the fob lock button and speak "Hi" into the car microphone twice then leave leaves of burned sage on the garage floor behind and in front of the car. After all this, drive to the dealer and watch the guy do it in 10 seconds and fess up $50.


Not that bad but it took me about 20 minutes to get it right. Mazda did not make it easy for sure.

10/14/14 6:57 PM

LOL, that is pretty fooking funny...

10/14/14 8:47 PM

I really don't want to buy $300 worth of sensors...

Maybe somebody will market a dummy sensor device that puts out the signal for all 4 tires at 32PSI and shuts up the TPMS system.

10/14/14 8:52 PM

Also, letting an old school tire guy with ham fists work on your wheels can be a real problem after he tears a few of them up.

There must be a hack, or will be sooner or later.

10/14/14 9:05 PM

quote:

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Maybe somebody will market a dummy sensor device that puts out the signal for all 4 tires at 32PSI and shuts up the TPMS system.

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10/14/14 9:14 PM

Actually, our car tires to replace with the same Michelin tire it came with is about $900.00. And that in itself is not really a high number. But with AWD if you have even 2/3 the tread life and loose a tire, you have to put on 4.

So I think I will tolerate the incursion into my personal electronic life myself. ;)

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A little Googling:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 USC 30122(b)), which includes a "make inoperative" provision. This provision "prohibits manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or motor vehicle repair businesses from knowingly making inoperative, in whole or in part, any part of a device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle in compliance with an applicable motor vehicle safety standard."

Essentially, this means that a shop can't perform any service that makes the TPMS inoperative, regardless of an owner's request.


AND:

In other words, even though a private individual can legally install wheels lacking sensors without any penalty other than a perpetual TPMS warning light, a public service facility faces up to a $10,000 fine when doing it.

10/14/14 9:24 PM

So if you were to order tire and wheels online and ship to you home specifying a bolt circle diameter that you can make sure works and bolt the wheels on in your garage...

Also be willing to look at the light or use the tape. ;)

Let's hope you don't get chimed to death with an audible warning for the entire winter...

Then there is the matter of having it serviced and the dealer not willing to let it out the door with a service code from the TPMS. And/or being legally about to let it out the door with said code.

Last edited by Sparky on 10/14/14 9:28 PM; edited 1 time in total

10/14/14 9:28 PM

I know. I'll put the 4 summer tires in the back and drive around with them in there all winter.

Its 4 wheel drive(Not all wheel drive) so I need tires that are worn the same too.

10/14/14 9:30 PM

Salvage yard for a newish year wheelset with compatible system in the wheels ?

Maybe get someone to hack an old cell phone to send spoof data for the duration? Wonder if proprietary com protocols MFR./MFR.

10/15/14 4:11 AM

old wheels make sense.

Most of the sensors are in the stem not the rim so it may be easier than you think.