TPMS Valve Replacement?

[mikebike357]

Shopping for tires and I see that some places want to charge a fee for a TPMS valve rebuild kit. Seems a bit excessive to me and a way to snag an extra $40 out of my pocket. Anyone experience this or know what Subaru's take is on it?

The car only has 32k on it. I'd hope the valves last longer than that.

 

[Pedro]

the only thing I can figure is that they are putting a new valve core in it. you can buy the tool for $1.99 at vatozone. but if it holds air fine I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Matt]

You get a new core, cap , o ring and nut. Basically everything besides the sensor itself. a lot of times corrosion from the salt will eat the sensors and the cores will rot out or the sensors leak. When ever I have to do tires with tpms I just leave the sensor in and work around it.

 

[Pedro]

some of the subies have rubber TPMS stems. so you can't rebuild them.

 

[Matt]

Very true. There's no rebuilding the rubber style.

 

[mikebike357]

Our 08 has the metal stems. I'll just pony up and have it done. With my luck, they'd leak and need to be rebuilt if I tried to re-use them.

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

My TPMS sensor is mounted in the driver's-side door pocket. This single sensor is good old chromed steel, is eminently portable, and has been faithfully monitoring the tire pressures in dozens of different cars since 1980.

no semi-scammy rebuilds needed! Jeesh, if the TPMS sensors need pricey rebuilds every few times the tires get switched, I'd-a spended MEEELIONS of $$$ since 1980....??!!

Not to hack on newer hardware, but exactly how is this "progress"

 

[2point5RS_Dan]

My TPMS sensor is mounted in the driver's-side door pocket. This single sensor is good old chromed steel, is eminently portable, and has been faithfully monitoring the tire pressures in dozens of different cars since 1980.

no semi-scammy rebuilds needed! Jeesh, if the TPMS sensors need pricey rebuilds every few times the tires get switched, I'd-a spended MEEELIONS of $$$ since 1980....??!!

Not to hack on newer hardware, but exactly how is this "progress"

It's part of the dumbing down of the world we live in. Rather than check our own tires, we get an idiot light on our dash. Pull the sensors? Idiot light turns on. Unless I'm mistaken, most places fail if the TPMS is on, just like if the abs light were on. Weeeeee progress!

 

[Pedro]

The aftermarket units are the only decent ones. They will give you the pressure as a number rather than a pass/fail. They are also mounted like a valve stem cap. I find it useful as someone that does 100mi/day. but the factory ones are only good if you have runflats (they are sometimes not very telling when at 0psi)

 

[Nigel Prodrive]

Rented a brand new Mailbu a few weeks ago. It was admittedly kinda fun to watch the TPMS numbers go up and down depending on how much hooligan right-foot and steering antics were being employed.

Woo-hoo, who'd-a thunk it...tire press goes up on outside front wheel after a couple hot laps of howling understeer round the parkin lot??!!

 

[mikebike357]

I really didn't want the TPMS sensors that came with the Outback, but didn't have a choice. I too have always kept a trusty little device in the glovebox to monitor my tire pressure.

Seeing the actual pressure numbers would be WAY more useful than just having the stupid light come on. I don't run sensors in my winter wheels so the light stays on all winter long. So when I ACTUALLY got a flat last May (after swapping the summers back on) I only noticed it when my handling went to pot about 3mi down the road. People have survived for decades w/o TPMS.

 

[katnip]

loved seeing how many people came in here this winter with the light on after they had applied more air and the light was still on and now they have 50 pounds in a sedan tire. [facepalm]

love the traction control light too had a 2011 silverado full sideways before the light came on. progress I say NOT!