TPMS Question

"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
11/17/2014 at 12:02 • Filed to: None

I'm looking into getting a winter set of wheels and tires. If I don't get TPMS sensors on the new wheels, will that cause any issues with the system other than giving me an annoying light?

DISCUSSION (28)

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:05

It may also give you an annoying beep

Brian Silvestro > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:06

No, just an annoying light and beep when you start up the car. Totally worth not having to spend all that money to get them installed/synced with the car.

TotallyThatStupid > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:07

No. You'll get to look at the light all winter. If you're car makes noises and/or takes over a screen in or on your dashboard (a la my friend's Highlander), you'll have to deal with that annoyance as well.

Alfalfa > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:07

Not in my experience.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:08

I have TPMS and the light is almost alway on in the winter. Everytime the temperature fluctuates 10 degrees the light goes on. TPMS is BY FAR the most useless safety device ever put on cars.

Takuro Spirit > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:09

Depends on the car/type of system.

At the least nothing will happen other than a DING and a light every once and awhile, or it may DING and flash and shit all the time.

Or you may get error messages and DINGS and flashing lights and all kinds of annoying shit.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:13

just the light, though I wonder if theres a fuse you could pull....

Agrajag > Takuro Spirit
11/17/2014 at 12:14

It's a Volkwagen so...

I've had it come on before so I know what alarm I'll get. I was more worried it could fuck it up completely running that way for a few months.

Agrajag > TotallyThatStupid
11/17/2014 at 12:15

Good point. I remember now it does take over the MFD.

Two Drink Minimum > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:22

Just make sure you don't have to get your car inspected while those snow tires are on. You won't pass with a TPMS warning light/missing TPMS sensors.

Sir Halffast > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:24

I can't turn TCS off if the TPMS is lit. So there's that to consider...

HammerheadFistpunch > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:24

what year of VW, metal or rubber valve stems?

HammerheadFistpunch > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/17/2014 at 12:26

depends on the system. Circumferential systems are pretty good and have saved me a few times when we had a slow leak on the bead of one tire on the wife's car. Wheel mounted sensor systems blow goats, however.

n54 & s38 > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:34

So glad we don't need these bulsshit sensors in Canada. They'd be going off constantly in winter.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > HammerheadFistpunch
11/17/2014 at 12:44

it did not know there was more than one type. I have the useless wheel mounted system and it ain't worth shit.

HammerheadFistpunch > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
11/17/2014 at 12:47

The other systems are the way that ALL should be. They measure the revolutions for each wheel (already being done by the abs sensors) and compare it against all the other wheels to look for patterns of over or under circumference (over or under-inflated). no sensors, no calibration, more accurate and less susceptible to temperature fluctuations. The only downside is that they have a high threshold for warning (~10 psi or more) and they can't tell you the exact psi (who cares?)

jariten1781 > Two Drink Minimum
11/17/2014 at 12:51

In VA you'll pass.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > HammerheadFistpunch
11/17/2014 at 12:53

That does seem far superior and what you would wan't. If you had a 10psi variance you would know you had a leak and you would take care of it. With the wheel mounted system it goes off after only 2psi variance. So I normally ignore the light from October to April and visually check once in a while to see if any tires seem low.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 12:56

i've been dealing with this. its a federal law to have them operational if it came with the car. The requirements vary by state. In Masachusetts its not required so I don't think you need to have it functioning in order to get an inspection sticker. They would not mount the tires to my car without the TPMS. I will be taking the tires, mounted and balanced, and put them on myself.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > HammerheadFistpunch
11/17/2014 at 13:11

As someone who has experience with dealing with both on a daily basis, yes. I'd prefer the circumferential system on my father's BMW over the sensors on my mother's Odyssey, every time it gets cold, the dashboard panics and keeps pestering to check pressure, there was only one time that there was an issue with the BMW system, and all it needed was a simple reset on the computer.

Two Drink Minimum > jariten1781
11/17/2014 at 13:28

Well, right you are. Looks like my state is one of a handful that TireRack lists as requiring TPMS to pass inspection. Who knew?

http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/te…

jariten1781 > Two Drink Minimum
11/17/2014 at 13:36

I talked to a guy from VDOT and he told me that adding it to the inspection criteria in lieu of actually checking tire pressure goes on their docket nearly every year but because it's such low priority it never makes it into the regs. Only a matter of time I suppose.

Another one that's going to be annoying is backup cameras. That's also on the low-priority list to be added to the inspection criteria for vehicles that were originally equipped with them. Can't wait for those to start failing.

Agrajag > HammerheadFistpunch
11/17/2014 at 13:48

2009, metal.

HammerheadFistpunch > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 13:51

bummer.

Agrajag > HammerheadFistpunch
11/17/2014 at 13:56

Crap! Why, does that indicate it's the shitty type of sensor you referred to in another reply?

/bitingnailsnervously

HammerheadFistpunch > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 13:58

that's exactly what it does. Sorry. they made the switch in 2012 MY, and its evidenced by the rubber valve stem.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Agrajag
11/17/2014 at 14:13

On my Civic at least, if the tpms light is on, I cant turn off traction control.

dont know if you care or if it applies, but heads up.

Agrajag > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
11/17/2014 at 14:20

Thanks. I'm not sure if my car will do that. Whenever driving in snow I've always turned it off before, but hopefully with proper snow tires I won't have slippage issues to begin with.