TPMS "reconditioning" when replacing tires
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Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
FWIW, VDO recommends replacing the nut, grommet, and stem (everything except the sensor itself) with every tire service. Probably not really necessary but can't blame 'em for trying !
I actually believe this is a good idea. Leaving them alone for too long has led to some nasty galvanic action for me on several vehicles.
I have had slow leaks on my tires and one was worse than the others so I took the car to Discount Tire to see what they could find. They do a leak test - nothing. They dismount the tire and check the wheel for damage, corrosion, etc and also "rebuild" the sensor as they can be a source of leaks as well (ironic !!). When they tried to disassemble the sensor (the stem, nut, o-ring), they broke it because it was seized in place. Some will dispute that I'm sure.... So yesterday I took (3) more sensors to them to install. I got to watch them have to beat the sensors out with a hammer because they had corroded so badly and were seized to the wheel.
I asked them how to avoid that and they recommend "reconditioning" the sensors every time you dismount a tire. For most people, that's once every 4-6 years when tires are replaced. If a tire is dismounted in between then, well, that's almost always going to be the exception... I even asked if I should have it done every year, every 2 years, and that's when he told me the 4-6 timeframe is sufficient. He also said that in training, they encounter counterparts from the south who never run into this problem.
Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
FWIW, VDO recommends replacing the nut, grommet, and stem (everything except the sensor itself) with every tire service. Probably not really necessary but can't blame 'em for trying !
I actually believe this is a good idea. Leaving them alone for too long has led to some nasty galvanic action for me on several vehicles.
I have had slow leaks on my tires and one was worse than the others so I took the car to Discount Tire to see what they could find. They do a leak test - nothing. They dismount the tire and check the wheel for damage, corrosion, etc and also "rebuild" the sensor as they can be a source of leaks as well (ironic !!). When they tried to disassemble the sensor (the stem, nut, o-ring), they broke it because it was seized in place. Some will dispute that I'm sure.... So yesterday I took (3) more sensors to them to install. I got to watch them have to beat the sensors out with a hammer because they had corroded so badly and were seized to the wheel.
I asked them how to avoid that and they recommend "reconditioning" the sensors every time you dismount a tire. For most people, that's once every 4-6 years when tires are replaced. If a tire is dismounted in between then, well, that's almost always going to be the exception... I even asked if I should have it done every year, every 2 years, and that's when he told me the 4-6 timeframe is sufficient. He also said that in training, they encounter counterparts from the south who never run into this problem.
Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
FWIW, VDO recommends replacing the nut, grommet, and stem (everything except the sensor itself) with every tire service. Probably not really necessary but can't blame 'em for trying !
I actually believe this is a good idea. Leaving them alone for too long has led to some nasty galvanic action for me on several vehicles.
I have had slow leaks on my tires and one was worse than the others so I took the car to Discount Tire to see what they could find. They do a leak test - nothing. They dismount the tire and check the wheel for damage, corrosion, etc and also "rebuild" the sensor as they can be a source of leaks as well (ironic !!). When they tried to disassemble the sensor (the stem, nut, o-ring), they broke it because it was seized in place. Some will dispute that I'm sure.... So yesterday I took (3) more sensors to them to install. I got to watch them have to beat the sensors out with a hammer because they had corroded so badly and were seized to the wheel.
I asked them how to avoid that and they recommend "reconditioning" the sensors every time you dismount a tire. For most people, that's once every 4-6 years when tires are replaced. If a tire is dismounted in between then, well, that's almost always going to be the exception... I even asked if I should have it done every year, every 2 years, and that's when he told me the 4-6 timeframe is sufficient. He also said that in training, they encounter counterparts from the south who never run into this problem.
I can absolutely see that happening. It's an issue outside the scope of what an average driver thinks about and can create it's own issues depending on where you live. People can disable their TPMS but just be aware you may also be disabling your ability to see what's going on potentially further than if you just have a leak. I had a huge rusted nail that went into my inner sidewall that was in the process of creating a big problem just before I left on a road trip. If the TPMS was disabled, I would've been blind because the tire took air and was only 5-7 pounds down initially but was about to fail in short order.
Originally Posted By: gizzsdad
Originally Posted By: hallstevenson
FWIW, VDO recommends replacing the nut, grommet, and stem (everything except the sensor itself) with every tire service. Probably not really necessary but can't blame 'em for trying !
I actually believe this is a good idea. Leaving them alone for too long has led to some nasty galvanic action for me on several vehicles.
I have had slow leaks on my tires and one was worse than the others so I took the car to Discount Tire to see what they could find. They do a leak test - nothing. They dismount the tire and check the wheel for damage, corrosion, etc and also "rebuild" the sensor as they can be a source of leaks as well (ironic !!). When they tried to disassemble the sensor (the stem, nut, o-ring), they broke it because it was seized in place. Some will dispute that I'm sure.... So yesterday I took (3) more sensors to them to install. I got to watch them have to beat the sensors out with a hammer because they had corroded so badly and were seized to the wheel.
I asked them how to avoid that and they recommend "reconditioning" the sensors every time you dismount a tire. For most people, that's once every 4-6 years when tires are replaced. If a tire is dismounted in between then, well, that's almost always going to be the exception... I even asked if I should have it done every year, every 2 years, and that's when he told me the 4-6 timeframe is sufficient. He also said that in training, they encounter counterparts from the south who never run into this problem.
I can absolutely see that happening. It's an issue outside the scope of what an average driver thinks about and can create it's own issues depending on where you live. People can disable their TPMS but just be aware you may also be disabling your ability to see what's going on potentially further than if you just have a leak. I had a huge rusted nail that went into my inner sidewall that was in the process of creating a big problem just before I left on a road trip. If the TPMS was disabled, I would've been blind because the tire took air and was only 5-7 pounds down initially but was about to fail in short order.
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