This is not a question - just sharing my experience.
Both of my old cars have TPMS, all sensors are functioning, and over 20 years I have gathered some TPMS-related experience with those I would like to share, especially since misconceptions regarding those TPMS sensors are pretty common.
1) Replacement TPMS sensors are expensive.
Well, for most sensor types one can find Chinese equivalents at approximately 25 USD a piece. IMO that is not expensive. Noone forces you into buying the original sensors. I never did, and had many years of flawless experience with 3rd party sensors.
2) TPMS sensor batteries cannot be replaced - you have to replace the whole sensor.
Actually not quite. Those batteries are not easy to replace (since they are often covered with a protective compound), that is true, but there are companies and individuals offering such batteries replacement services. In our area, such servies cost 10-15 USD a sensor, new battery included. In some sensor types, these batteries may be easier to replace, than in others. Unfortunately for me, the sensor types I am using are the hardest in terms of battery replacement, so I do not do it myself, but prefer paying for this service.
Whether or not replacing batteries is worth it, considering how inexpensive new sensors are, is a different story.
P.S. The additional benefit of cheap Chinese replacement sensors is, that their batteries are in many cases much easier to replace, than those of original sensors.
P.P.S. Worth noting: the sensors usually use very specialized batteries, easy to confuse with regular batteries of the same size. However even those specialized batteries are relatively inexpensive and not hard to get.
3) You heed to take the whole wheel apart and have it re-balanced afterwards in order to get your sensors replaced, and this is expensive.
You may, but not necessarily. In most cases you can do the sensor replacement job yourself without any need to disassemble the wheel and to re-balance it afterwards. You just take the wheel off and deflate it; then - just in the sensor area - you push the tire inwards, away from the rim, and this normally gives you enough access room for sensor replacement.
4) You have to pay a lot for sensor programming after installation, since this is only doable using an expensive "dealer-level" scantool.
I cannot tell about all car makes, but not necessarily. There are 3rd party small specialized TPMS-coding devices out there. I ordered mine many years ago, for like 50 USD, use it for both of my cars, and never ever have I paid anyone for TPMS reprogramming - I even have separate TPMS sensor sets in each of my summer and winter wheelsets, and do the programming, or better say re-assigning of my TPMS sensors, 2 times a year on my both cars myself - each time I switch the wheel sets. Only takes one minute.
It is even more: TPMS systems often have a procedure how you can do this assignment even without any programming device. My sensors do have this procedure. So the sensor programming device in my case just adds convenience, not functionality.
5) A pocket pressure gauge is a cheap and adequate replacement for TPMS.
Cheap - yes, adequate - no. Especially if you do highway driving, a TPMS system is an important safety measure. It senses a tire pressure drop earlier than the driver would be able to notice a change in vehicle behavior. So especially when driving at significant speed this extra time to react the TPMS gives to you may be the difference between life and death. For me, my safety is well worth the 100 USD for a sensor set, payable once every 7 years per each car.
6) Some TPMS sensors come with included shiny metal screw-on valve stem caps which should be used with these sensors.
Dont use them. Just throw those beautiful metal caps away and replace them with plastic ones. Those metal caps are notorious for corroding themselves, and spoiling the sensor valve stems as they do. Unscrewing corroded metal caps may end up with real valve stem breakage.
/ All the above is based on my personal experience and may or may not apply to you and your car. When attempting to repeat any procedures described, you will be acting on your own risk. /
Thanks for sharing.
4) You have to pay a lot for sensor programming after installation, since this is only doable using an expensive "dealer-level" scantool.
Not necessarily, I've had many aftermarket wheels/tires over the last 15 year for my muscle cars and always brought to Discount Tire for the relearn. Discount tire has never charged me for this. Recently in my Lexus, I just changed out tpms sensors (did not buy them at DT) and Discount Tire did the swap and was able to learn the new ID's to the car, no charge for the programming. And no trip to dealer.
I use an $8 tool from eBay to program TPMS on my GM vehicle.
Thanks for this twenty minute read on why TPMS are not worth it in the first place. By the way, the word is Busting.
Sorry, that with Busting was a typing error I noticed too late to be able to correct. The site imposes some sort of time limits on when you are allowed to do text corrections to your posts.
P.S. How come it took you longer to read my post, than it took me to type it? I guess I have to apologize here once again - this time for my hard-to-read learnt English 🙁
It's all good.
I corrected it, Doc.
Well, for most sensor types one can find Chinese equivalents at approximately 25 USD a piece.
I would never buy Chinese electronics (I’m not just talking about manufactured, but also designed by them), if I can help it. I, and many others, have had bad experiences with Chinese-designed and manufactured electronics that it’s not worth taking the chance. Jobs I don’t want to do again (and/or pay someone to do again) - it’s best to use quality parts.
Cheap - yes, adequate - no. Especially if you do highway driving, a TPMS system is an important safety measure. It senses a tire pressure drop earlier than the driver would be able to notice a change in vehicle behavior. So especially when driving at significant speed this extra time to react the TPMS gives to you may be the difference between life and death.
I can do without it. I’ve been driving for 26 years and only one vehicle I have owned during that time period had TPMS; all the others have not and I managed just fine. None of my vehicles have the advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) as well. And these are all a fewer less items that will break on me because I don’t have them.
"I would never buy Chinese electronics (I’m not just talking about manufactured, but also designed by them), if I can help it. I, and many others, have had bad experiences with Chinese-designed and manufactured electronics that it’s not worth taking the chance. "
In general, I do share your attitude. China is known for its low-quality products. But every rule has exceptions. In my case, I did find a good seller of good China-made sensors, and since they already proved to be working not worse than original ones do (and since life has proved that their longevity is equal to that of original ones) - why would not I be happy about the ton of money that Ive saved (rhetorical question)? I do not print my money - why would I want to waste it on smth original if I have less costly options? Even Scotty never hesitates to recommend Chinese products if they are OK - like radiators etc. And my case proves that it is realistic to get good Chinese TPMS sensors. Who knows who manufactures the original sensors - chances are they are manufactured by the same Chinese 😉
"I can do without it.... And these are all a fewer less items that will break on me because I don’t have them."
It is a matter of taste. Everyone decides for himself, what he considers a required safety and what not. I know people who think airbags are costly unnecessary fluff. I am familiar with their reasonings and some of them make sense. On the other hand, even a safety belt is an additional device which decreases overall vehicle reliability 🙂 I was not making advertisements for TPMS - I was just sharing my experience, showing that a working TPMS on an old car can be had with much less problems and at a lesser cost than thought by many, and also provided my personal understanding on why this system might still be useful, so that readers can have an alternative opinion - mine - which, although being different from yours or from Scotty´s, also has some reasonings behind it. Which does not mean that I disrespect your opinion - IMO it is OK that opinions differ, and it is always better to have several to choose from 🙂 Best regards!
I appreciate the different perspectives, so thank you for sharing it.
Works every single time.
"There are 3rd party small specialized TPMS-coding devices out there. I ordered mine many years ago, for like 50 USD, use it for both of my cars, and never ever have I paid anyone for TPMS reprogramming - ..."
Your comment makes me wonder if there's a cheaper tool to reprogram keys instead of buying a high end tool. A locksmith may be cheaper but not everyone has a local locksmith.
Look at the x-tool d7. Not super cheap but could almost pay for itself while leaving you with a decent scan tool. I just programmed fobs for myself and my daughter with the d8, super easy and fast.
I don't need a scan tool that can program keyfobs but I could use one to program a transponder type of key.