I'm looking at getting a spare wheel and including it in my tire rotation.

Rather than pay to have the TPMS reprogrammed every time I swap one in/out, I was thinking about getting a programmable TPMS sensor. Does anybody know what happens if two sensors send the same code to the car?

 

you can only have four tpms sensors registered to the control unit at one time so that wont work champ.

 

If two send the same code...

 

what do you mean send the same code? each sensor has a unique sensor id that must be registered via the HDS. the control unit can not make "twin" sensors and can only have 4 registered at one time

 

There are third-party programmable TPMS sensors- essentially it clones one you already have.

For example- buy 4 of them so your snow tire rims have the same codes as your summer rims.

 

never heard of it. i work for the dealership so we basically do things by the rules. but if you know for a fact you can buy aftermarket tpms sensors that you can clone, that what is your question?

 

If you have 5 tires... 4 codes (because one is dupicated/cloned) and you rotate the one tire into the mix during rotation; at one point, two tires with the same code will be on the vehicle at the same time. Because... that tire goes from the garage floor to one corner, then the next, then another, then another before making it's way back to the garage floor.

I think he's wondering what would happen if two tires with the same code were on the vehicle.

and I think the answer is... There's only one way to find out.

~SB

PS. Actually 3 out of the 5 rotations will have two wheels with identical sensors...

 

I think the other alternative is buy a cheap rim and hope never to use it.

 

Stick with the Donut. The amount of time you'll actually need to use the other wheel/tire will be practically 0 (hopefully) so I'd stick with the OEM donut for those emergency situations. (instead of spending any extra money on "if" and when something might ever occur)

~SB

 

On my previous car I may've had one or two flats in 15 years. In this car Tenth Ave destroyed a tire within my first couple of months of ownership...

I occasionally travel long distances for business and can't risk being late- if I'm on the way to, say, DC from NY and get a flat it could be a big problem with just the donut. Especially given how hard it'd be to find a replacement tire even if I can find a tire shop that's open...

 

You could always run one without a sensor. As long as all 4 sensors are with the car you would have no problems with the TPMS.

So is it true you can get 4 more sensors that will work with the car? Without reprogramming at every swap?

I'd love to get back to a summer/winter tire setup without the TPMS light being on.

Especially important the TPMS is happy now that I have a 2011 with vsa.

 

That's a good point... although my idea is- when I'm local to carry the donut, why carry all that extra weight and use up trunk space when I don't need to?

Yes, you can get 4 more sensors that the car will think are the original ones- you have to buy them and have them programmed (either buy the programming thing or have someone who sells them do it for you, once). Google TPMS programming or something similar, there are at least a couple of companies that sell the equipment. One is Orange Electronics but I'm pretty sure there are a few others too.

 

That's the same thing I'm doing. I have a full size spare that I take for long trips, otherwise it's just the donut. I would like to have the spare in the tire rotation, but haven't found a simple (cheap) way around the TPMS issue other than taping over the warning light. Like you, I don't want to be stuck 500 miles from home with a tire damaged beyond repair hunting for a replacement tire. I think some of us are just wired to prefer a real spare tire even though the chances of needing it are slim.

 

Then maybe just skip the rotation part? Then you could run an inexpensive tire on the full size spare and just swap the spares out as needed.

I understand the idea of having 5 evenly worn so if you get a flat you've still got a good set. Sounds like the double sensor is your best bet for that.

Good info there! Thanks. Might have to do that.

 

Don't know if the double sensor will work. they aren't programmable (from what I believe I am understanding) at the vehicle. they have to be programmed for a specific code in advance. along those lines, you'll never know which tire will blow so there is still a 75% chance that you'll replace one of the other tires, not the matching sensor. which takes us back to the original question. can the car run with two identical sensors and not throw up the TPMS light?

~SB

 

I'm wondering how screwed up it'd be to use the steelie from my 87 Integra- 14" if I ever have to drive on it. Might make more sense to get a mismatched 16" alloy for $100, though then I'd have to buy an overpriced tire to fit.

 

If you just need a spare you can go long distance any normal tire with the same diameter will do fine.

You could go quite a ways on the temp spare as well if you put it on the back. You're really not supposed to run those on the front anyway. If you get a flat on the front you're supposed to put one of the back tires on the front and replace that with the temp spare. I wouldn't run a mismatched tire on the front either.