2008 Nissan Frontier - TPMS Replacement Question

[TWG1572]

I had new tires installed Thursday on my 2008 Nissan Frontier. I received a voice mail while in a meeting - which pretty much consisted of "we are having issues getting the tires on your truck, please call us ASAP." I called back 30 minutes later, and I was told that they had a hard time getting my tire off because the valve stem was corroded and they couldn't deflate it. But it was fixed now and ready. I'm not sure how much I buy this, since I had just checked the air on my tires and adjusted inflations. But anyway.

I get there to pick it up and am informed I have a new TMPS installed on that tire. They said that all Nissans have this corroding valve problem. I raised the point that I really would have liked to have been told they were installing a TPMS before they did, and they pretty much immediately knocked about 30% off the price I was charged for the TPMS. I didn't really have a reason to argue that I didn't need one, so I took the discount and went my way.

I get on the onramp to the highway, and I've got TPMS lights beginning to flash. In 120K miles of owning this truck, I've never had them go off unless we had a quick temperature change from warm to really cold in the fall. I pulled off, checked inflations and each tire was 3psi over spec. Now I'm not sure if my gauge is 100% accurate, but they definitely weren't low.

I get home and take a look at the wheels more closely and notice that the valve is now completely different than my others. The part that looks like a nut on the old valve is gone. I just have a black valvestem sticking out. I do know that my valvestems have been replaced every tire change up to this, so I'm thinking something is odd.

Old Valvestem




NEW Valvestem

I looked on Courtesy Nissan's website to try and find a good IPL for my truck to see what was there OEM. It's not a clear picture, and I can't tell if the nut like piece is part of the valvestem assembly or not.

So I really have a couple questions...

1) Given the valvestem/TPMS replacement - am I missing anything on my valvestem now? Specifically the silver nut looking piece. Or is the new one just a different assembly for a different TPMS style?

2) With my TPMS lights going off now - is the diagnosis of the issue something tire places consider part of getting the install right, or should I expect to pay an additional fee? My assumption is that this should be part of the install, but if not I'd like to know before walking back in.

I'd appreciate any thoughts. As I typed this I realized that I may be asking a question that has no real answers. I'd just really like to be as informed as I can be before I walk in the door. If my TPMS light wasn't going off, I would never have gotten into this level of examination/detail. But here I am. I'll take any and all thoughts...

 

[Sawdusted]

there are rubber valve stems made for TPMS systems without the nut there. The old one is the metal stem style. Just different style. Should work fine too.

I would not pay more for the diagnosis. They should not charge you more either.

 

[MedicRxDoc]

GM had issues with the dissimilar metals reacting together and fusing themselves together making removal without breaking impossible. The problem stem looks like the old with the "upgraded" one looking like your new one, plain rubber.

Looks like Nissan is having a similar issue with the metal ones.

 

[Merkava_4]

This is what it's supposed to look like. Sells for $2.73 at NAPA.

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Catalo...0447_0432822947

They need to be assembled with anti-seize is all they need.

 

[Garak]

Yes, the Nissan/Infiniti system is terrible for corrosion. I'm still hot under the collar over that.

Nonetheless, was the TPMS properly reset? The Nissan/Infiniti system is a little difficult. For the G at least, it can be done at home with some ingenuity and patience.

Here is the G37 method, for example. It appears some of the information came from the FSM, while the rest (i.e. dealing with it without the Nissan proprietary scan system) was ingenuity.

 

[TWG1572]

Thanks guys! I appreciate it. I always like to walk into shops knowing as much as I can about what's going on so I can have a bit of an informed discussion. Looks like the replacement parts are appropriate, so that removes a concern in my mind.

I called them and they said to swing by Monday AM and they would try resetting the TPMS. Fingers crossed that's all it's going to take.

Garak - I'll probably let them take a spin at resetting it first. But I did bookmark your site - the process sure looks simple enough.

 

[CBR.worm]

I have found the same info as Garak. I recently replaced my G35 TPMS sensors - at about 130k the batteries started dying so I replaced them all with new Schrader brand sensors that looked like the OE ones, they have the metal stem and nut for better or worse. The process was strange, but I followed it and it worked.