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another n00b question. In august of last year, I was driving down to Comic-Con and my front driver's side tire blew out. It was pretty spectacular and I managed to single-handedly cause a huge back up on I-5 that I was a little proud of (happened on a bridge where the shoulder tapered to next to nothing and could barely pull over).

 

Anyway, got 4 new tires because that's what I'd read was the only thing I could do. Thing is I was told by the tire installers that the TPMS on that tire had been ripped off in the blowout. I figured I could replace it later, and just haven't gotten around to it. Now the little orange light on the dash is starting to irritate me, and was wondering if I even need to replace the sensor. I check my tires pretty regularly.

 

Is there any way I can short out the light or reset it so it doesn't come back on?

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Yeah it's pretty much live with the light, or pay about what a new tire costs.

 

$100+ for a new TPMS sensor and $50+ for a dealer to program it.

 

The problem trying aftermarket sensors is you'll probably need the dealer to program it anyway. TPMS is great until it breaks.

 

Joel

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Incorrect on the programming. As has been covered many, many times on this forum, you can often get it done cheap or free at your local tire shop. Discount Tire in particular will do it for free. That's also way too much for a TPMS sensor. $41 on TireRack.

 

Of course it will be a little more than that now that you've already had the tire mounted. It has to come off again to install the sensor.

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Got mine for $35 from Rock Auto (Dorman).

 

 

Who programmed it for you? What did it cost?

 

I guarantee you your average tire shop is going to charge double that for a TPMS sensor and yes.. tire shops include the programming- if they can get them programmed.

 

I tied Dorman and Gorilla brand on my Honda to no avail. Tire shops couldn't get them programmed, tying several thousand dollars worth of hand held TPMS programmers. Dealer only for Honda, thus my gun-shyness. Dealers most certainly won't program them for free.

 

Joel

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The TPMS sensors I bought from Tire Rack were programmed by a local tire dealer for free, although I did buy the tires from the same dealer. I seem to recall they were about $200 shipped for all 4. The TPMS light came on a few miles after installation, and I had to take it back when the Tech was there. After taking it back, the light has not been back on since. I also use an ATEQ Quickset to switch back and forth between summer and winter wheels.
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When i ordered my new set on line through tire rack, the TPMS was an option but it was around $100. I had the tires shipped to a local Pep Boys place for installation and they offered a new TPMS seal for around $100 as well. Just seems a bit pointless given I monitor the pressure myself and have a good idea of when they need refilling
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Who programmed it for you? What did it cost?

 

I guarantee you your average tire shop is going to charge double that for a TPMS sensor and yes.. tire shops include the programming- if they can get them programmed.

 

I tied Dorman and Gorilla brand on my Honda to no avail. Tire shops couldn't get them programmed, tying several thousand dollars worth of hand held TPMS programmers. Dealer only for Honda, thus my gun-shyness. Dealers most certainly won't program them for free.

 

Joel

 

I'm a service manager for Firestone so free for me. We typically don't charge a customer for resets. Literally takes seconds in most vehicles. Customers are happy and become loyal to the business after providing this service to them. Also, my Dorman's reset just like my oem's without a hitch.

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I'm a service manager for Firestone so free for me. We typically don't charge a customer for resets. Literally takes seconds in most vehicles. Customers are happy and become loyal to the business after providing this service to them. Also, my Dorman's reset just like my oem's without a hitch.

 

True to that! I'm a loyal customer to the Firestone by me. When I got new rims, I was charged for the new tpms but not for the resets or anything. I love the lifetime alignment/balance set up, plus I ride on Bridgestones only (brand loyalty). I'm sure there are dead beat ones, though mine isn't.:)

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Do you think I'm lying about Discount Tire programming for free? Call them.

 

Like I clearly said in my above post, I KNOW tire shops will program them for free. Dealer service depts will not. I've been down that road. Depending on what brand of TPMS sensors tire shops carry, the hand-held units they have will not work on all TPMS equipped vehicles.

 

Joel

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True to that! I'm a loyal customer to the Firestone by me. When I got new rims, I was charged for the new tpms but not for the resets or anything. I love the lifetime alignment/balance set up, plus I ride on Bridgestones only (brand loyalty). I'm sure there are dead beat ones, though mine isn't.:)

 

Ahh, very cool man. Good to here they take care of you. Can't beat the lifetime align and balance for sure especially when we are changing out parts left and right on these GT's and I's!

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O.P I hope you get stuck in traffic and have somewhere to go.

 

Replace the sensor you irresponsible idiot. I wonder why your tire blew out? *facepalm*

 

My tire guy charges $40 for a Subaru TPMS sensor.

 

Really, jackass? The TPMS came off after the tire blew out. Perhaps you should read the original post you stupid twat. It was working fine before. I came here before to get answers, not snark. Thankfully everyone else on this thread has been extremely helpful.

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OP, If you've rotated your tires since the replacement set, I hope you didn't forget which one needs the sensor....:lol:

 

Haha no, I remember it was just the front driver's side tire. I keep a monitor on the tire pressure and check it regularly with a mechanical gauge, filling up as needed especially when the temps drop out here.

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It was pretty spectacular and I managed to single-handedly cause a huge back up on I-5 that I was a little proud of (happened on a bridge where the shoulder tapered to next to nothing and could barely pull over).

 

Really, jackass? The TPMS came off after the tire blew out. Perhaps you should read the original post you stupid twat. It was working fine before. I came here before to get answers, not snark. Thankfully everyone else on this thread has been extremely helpful.

 

LOL @ you getting mad. I hope you are as mad as the people you held up because of your tire blowing out.

 

I bet the shop offered to fix the TPMS for $40 and you were like "Nawww yooo homey don't need dat shiiiaat come on son! $40 damnnnnnnnn yo you trying to rob me."

 

:lol:

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LOL @ you getting mad. I hope you are as mad as the people you held up because of your tire blowing out.

 

I bet the shop offered to fix the TPMS for $40 and you were like "Nawww yooo homey don't need dat shiiiaat come on son! $40 damnnnnnnnn yo you trying to rob me."

 

:lol:

 

yea...right... o.O

 

I'm a service manager for Firestone so free for me. We typically don't charge a customer for resets. Literally takes seconds in most vehicles. Customers are happy and become loyal to the business after providing this service to them. Also, my Dorman's reset just like my oem's without a hitch.

 

I went to a firestone/bridgestone shop after I got back up to LA as those were the tires I was riding around on. I was pretty turned off by the way they treated me in that they didn't really seem to give a shit about what happened to the tire. It wasn't normal wear and tear that caused the tire to blow out, it was clearly a road hazard. Now, I know that's hard to prove and I'm pretty sure it's not the easiest thing to prove, but I would imagine that they would do more than give the tire a glance and say "yea sorry, nothing we can do." Not even so much as picking up the tire and inspecting it. I called Firestone directly, conferenced in the store manager who bold face lied and said he'd done a thorough inspection. It just really pissed me off.

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Why wouldn't you just replace the sensor, I'm confused?

 

I didn't realize I needed one until the guys replacing the tire told me it had ripped off. They were charging me $150 for it at the time and I asked them if it was absolutely necessary to have one. They said no, and I thought at the time screw it I'll just keep an eye on the tires myself anyway. Now having that light is just a nuisance and was trying to figure out a way to either replace the sensor or take out the light on the cheap.

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Some shops are just run by opportunistic jerks, and will try to take advantage of people and rip them off. And charging someone $150 for a TPMS sensor, installation and programming is exactly that when they are already selling you a tire and installation.

 

Chains like Firestone or Midas can be good or bad depending on who is running them. Most of them are good, but there are some particular locations that are best avoided, and it sounds like you happened to discover one of them.

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Replace the sensor you irresponsible idiot. I wonder why your tire blew out? *facepalm*

 

My tire guy charges $40 for a Subaru TPMS sensor.

Are you volunteering to pay his sensor cost and any TPMS relearning fee that might be involved? Will you also cover eight tires worth for me, plus the cost of the training tools so I can do my own seasonal tire swaps and general tire rotations?

 

Where do you get off calling it irresponsible to not fix the TPMS, anyway? OP does his own tire inspection, and older people like me somehow managed to drive around safely for decades without TPMS. We didn't suddenly get stupid just because TPMS came into existence.

 

The biggest reasons we even have it now are run-flat tires and the Ford Explorer/Firestone mess of a few years ago. Do you see either of those situations being applicable here? I certainly don't. Black tape for the win.

 

I'll have to take a picture of what I kept from a tire that got cut down while driving if you think that TPMS is essential. I'd tell you the whole story from puncture to putting the spare on, but I doubt you'd believe me.

 

 

 

 

Norm

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^^Go for it Norm, I want to hear about it.

 

Just want to add that if you are unlucky enough to have a puncture or failure that goes down rapidly, TPMS is not gonna warn you any faster than the steering wheel or the butt gauge. TPMS is primarily for warning idiots who don't pay attention to their tire pressures that a tire is low and therefore placing them and others in danger. Things like losing a tire bead and having instant deflation can happen from low pressure, and this would primarily happen while going around a turn, and I guarantee you that going around a curve on the highway at 70mph is not a place where you want to lose a tire bead.

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I thought I knew how our TPMS worked until... I had to get a wheel repaired. We took the tire off and removed the sensor. I through it in the trunk and put my spare on. Drove home (about 6 miles). Light never came on. ??? Wheel repaired drove back the next day, remounted sensor and tire all good. A few day later it's 28* here. TPMS light comes on. I check each tire and top one off. Lights been out ever since. My assumption was that the light should come on if any of the sensors programmed to the car detect low PSI, but this didn't happen for me. Yet, I know it's working because the light will go on if I drop pressure and start the car... and let it sit. Put air in that tire (random tire) and the light goes off within 1 to 2 min. So not sure why I didn't get my light driving home on the spare that day.

 

I'm willing to go aftermarket on a sensor, but would expect to pay something for programming.. nominal fee, whatever. While I do check my pressure regularly, I think TPMS is a good thing and worth fixing if not working properly.

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