Tire Shop Says All Sensors Bad.

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TPMS Light started flashing on my 2007 Tacoma (flashes after startup and eventually lights up solid). From research, this is an indication that one or more of the TPMS sensors are bad, or have dead batteries.

This is the first time this has happened.

I went across the street to Discount Tire, and the kid walked out with some sort of scanner that he held near each wheel, including the spare.

He said that the two left tires' sensors are dead, and the other three have "weak batteries".

When I called, I was quoted $60 to replace one sensor. After he told me they all needed replacing, he said he'd "cut me a deal" and do them all for $45/ea.

I said nah, let's not worry about it right now (I let them mount/balance the fiancee's winter tires while I was there).

So, I was just a little skeptical that they'd all fail at once, and wondering if anyone knows if there's any way I can independently verify this. Auto parts stores can't scan for this, can they?
 
At 12 years old it's possible they are all going bad, I have a 2008 and had my first bad one about a year ago. $45 a piece is not bad, I think I paid $35 at wally.
 
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They were installed at the same time, have the same lifespan, and were used in the same conditions. It makes sense for more than one to go at the same time or close
smile.gif


You might as well replace the sensors every time you get new tires. But since you have a 2007, they're not actually required (law only applies to 2008 and up). So you could just pull the bulb and don't worry about eh sensors
45.gif
 
Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
They were installed at the same time, have the same lifespan, and were used in the same conditions. It makes sense for more than one to go at the same time or close
smile.gif


You might as well replace the sensors every time you get new tires. But since you have a 2007, they're not actually required (law only applies to 2008 and up). So you could just pull the bulb and don't worry about eh sensors
45.gif



I need to call NTB, where I bought the tires and had them mounted. They may have replaced them at that time.
 
Kinda odd that two went dead at the same time, the system in these trucks is pretty darn sensitive and would have went off with just one. $60 a sensor is pretty darn cheap; has to be some aftermarket universal mumbo-jumbo. Had one replaced in my 09 due to a leak and even with discount it was $93 at my local shop (was aftermarket as well). The Toyota dealer would be expensive, maybe possibly another local shop that does tires can double check it for you.
 
Considering it would mean removing each wheel. Dismounting/mounting/repairing/balancing 5 tires/wheels.
I think $45 ea is a fair price (if done correctly).
 
The TPMS sensors are widely available for less than $20 each. You could always spend $40 at harbor freight and change your own sensors and then take it to a place for balancing and any programming if needed.
 
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You don't need to remove the tire and rebalance it. You can just break the bead by the sensor and push the tire in while you swap the sensor out.

Also, the tire shop said 2 sensors were bad, not all of them.
 
From what I know TPMS life span is 6-7 years on average but can be as long as 12 years. You are due.
Do them all at once or if due for tire change within 6 months or so - do them then since tires will be off anyway.
You can try TPMS reset by over inflating each tire including spare by 3-4 psi and then deflating all close to 0 and then inflating all to spec. This is free but time consuming.
 
1 or more are bad on my 13 Elantra. I don't really use need them as I regularly use a tire gauge.

Is there any way to get them to leave them out and not replace them when you get new tires?
I really don't want to pay $100-$160 for Tpms sensors on a small car.
 
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I'd replace them all. Including the spare.

I had one heckuva time with my GX470. I purchased Denso TPMS'a off Amazon thinking Denzo-Toyota-Lexus...no problem. Replaced all 5. Tire dealer did the syncing thing and I figure all is well. Two weeks later here come the codes.
I would check the tire pressures and then take my Blue Driver and erase all the codes. I did this too many times to remember.

I go back to the tire dealer a couple of months or so later and he said that had to take his Lexus to Lexus to get them to sync and he had to purchase TPMS's from the Lexus Dealer. My Lexus mechanic told me to bring my car to him, he would bring the "machine" home from work one night and then sync them for me at no charge (I'm a loyal customer).

He then calls me and says his machine won't recognize 2 of the 5 TPMS's. At this point, what do you do?

I ended up getting all 5 TPMS's from Lexus at about double the price of the Denso's off Amazon.

I am so thankful there has now been several months of not hearing my wife say, "That stupid light is on again."

I understand my case may be an extreme situation but from this point on, I am going to Lexus dealer to purchase mine. Hopefully 10-15 years from now.
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
The TPMS sensors are widely available for less than $20 each. You could always spend $40 at harbor freight and change your own sensors and then take it to a place for balancing and any programming if needed.


Yeah this, except you can get "ebay techstream" for $15 and program it too! Make sure you don't get clone-able but rather OE equivalent. Pacific brand are often the makers for Denso, or you can find Denso for pretty cheap too. Also make sure to get the model for steel/ aluminum wheels-- they're different.

Toyota does indeed have a "low battery" flag on the sensor data so the guy was not completely full of it. And if you look at it from his perspective, you'd be mad if you had to come back in two months because the other sensors died, too.
 
Originally Posted by spasm3
1 or more are bad on my 13 Elantra. I don't really use need them as I regularly use a tire gauge.

Is there any way to get them to leave them out and not replace them when you get new tires?
I really don't want to pay $100-$160 for Tpms sensors on a small car.


Yes, there are workarounds for this. Consult the internet.
 
Couple years ago I went to DT to get what I figured my last tire rotation, next visit would be new tires. I told them I was getting the TPMS that would flash for a minute, then go solid for a minute, then would go out. This would happen a couple times a week. I drive a couple hours a work day. So they took some scanner thing out by each tire and did some kind of a reset. Things were fine for a few weeks but then the same TPMS thing came back. Soon after I went in and got new tires (couple days before some good rain hit us for a while) and told them to go ahead and install new sensors.
The guy soon rang me up and said they installed 2 new sensors, sorry didn't have 4 of them and was close to closing so no charge for only being able to do 2 sensors. So it seems they got which one was bad, or 2 that were bad.
I don't know now which 2 are the newer sensors, which 2 are the older that were not replaced. So since 2 of them were not replaced, I was thinking when I get new tires again, either I get 4 new sensors to take care of the 2 older sensors if they have no way to know, unless they have some way to know and get 2 new to replace the 2 that were not replaced previously, or just want and see if the TPMS icon lights up then go from there. I guess I'll wait and see and will discuss when it comes time for new tires it the sensors hold out that long.
 
The mechanic on TVs Motorweek, Pat Goss, Goss's Garage, says when the first one goes, replace them all as they all are the same age and maybe your shop will give you a break replacing them all.
 
Originally Posted by zzyzzx
Originally Posted by spasm3
1 or more are bad on my 13 Elantra. I don't really use need them as I regularly use a tire gauge.

Is there any way to get them to leave them out and not replace them when you get new tires?
I really don't want to pay $100-$160 for Tpms sensors on a small car.


Yes, there are workarounds for this. Consult the internet.



I mean can you get the shops to install regular valve stems and forgo the tpms?

I don't mount tires myself and I don't want to put sensors in a pipe in the trunk. I just want to go without them altogether. I don't care about the light on the dash, I can ignore that.
 
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