So we had a blow out on the passenger front tire on the 09 Fit and took it to the Discount tire to have a new 185/55 put on. Well just so happens that Dunlop tire is on national back order and will not be avail for a while. The guys at discount tire offered to put on a temp tire that would get me by for a few days til they figure out when and where they can get one from. I said OK <B>

well they broke the TPMS sensor when they took the blown tire off so they replaced it for free with one they had at the store. fine I can live with that. <B>

The next day I called them and they said the DUNLOP could be a week to a month to get but offered what they called Manufactur Recomended Alternative and that size would be 205/50 16. Well I took that option and had them install 4 Kuhmos and the new TPMS Sensor. DONE!<B>

Left the tire shop and drove out***** the tire low pressure light began to flash ( the fat tire with (!) in the middle.) I called Honda America and they said take it to the dealer and have it checked out. and they recomended Honda Carland in Roswell GA (im on Vacation) so i called the dealer and they want like 60-100 dollars to test/communicate the TPMS/Sensors together. i only have 22K on the clock and asked if it was somthing that the warranty would cover Honda Carland said no.<B>

called the discount tire back and they said bring it in the morining and they will try to get it programed again.<B>

so i will take it in tomorrow and let them try but do you guys think Discount put the wrong sensor in? should i have them put the old tires(185/55 back on? and just use anything to drive back to TX?) (those new kuhmos wernt cheap)<B>

is HONDA CARLAND trying to rip me off for checking out the TPMS low pressure light? will Honda care if I dont have stock tires on the car?<B>

why is the LOW Pressure Light blinking(usually if the pressure is low in a tire it just comes on steady and i fill the tire and it goes out? <B>

Its really upsetting because im 800 miles away from my house and I was going to leave yesterday I Have to get back for work.

 

The cost is typical, if a ripoff. It may just need an ID relearn, you may have an incompatible sensor or another broken one. As far as warranty goes, the dealer is correct to approach it from a NON warranty perspective. Unless they find something other than a broken sensor or ID issue warranty would not cover the repair. IMO, likely another sensor was broken in the mount/dismount process.

b

 

should I take the time to argue with Discount to have them pay for the repair if they cant fix it in the moring and i have to take it to HondaCarland?

 

Sorry about the late reply, but yes, I'd ask them to get it right.

 

So the first time they did your tire work (temp tire) the new sensor did not have an issue?

The "low tire" light will blink if there is a problem with the TPMS system. If they broke another sensor, you could hear it rattle around in a tire. Be sure that they're replacing the "service packs" on these sensors every time they remove the tires. Otherwise the nut can lock-up, leading to a broken sensor down the line.

I would take it back to the tire shop and if they don't/can't figure it out tell them that it's going to the dealer and if Honda says it was an "installer error" the tire shop will pick-up the bill.

Of course, I wonder how they broke the sensor in the first place. Honda TPMS systems typically have a replaceable stem that goes through the sensor itself, normally it's that stem that would be broken, but that's a part of the service pack (an $8-15 part).

 

Personally, I've never seen a stem broken by the mount/dismount. I've seen them so corroded they broke removing a metal valve stem cap; I've seen them broken by using a long air chuck at a bad angle and breaking them, but not taking off a tire. You are right, they are separately replaceable but most dealers do not keep the stem, the whole sensor is more profitable and more likely broken due to the plastic body of the sensor, plus they can charge additional labor for the new sensor ID learn.

The tech removing the tire likely heard it break as they removed the tire, either while breaking down the bead or while stretching the bead around the rim edge. In all honesty, they might not have broken it in the first place, it may have been damaged during the blowout. It's not hard to do, the body of the sensor is a kind of resin, very brittle. You can usually find a crack in the body on visual inspection. The only way to check function if another ID learn doesn't do it will be to take it to the dealer to identify which sensor isn't waking up when instructed.

FWIW,

b

 

I'll probably get grilled for suggesting this, but...

Walmart Tire and Lube Expresses have the equipment to check each sensor for signal output without removing the wheels, and they also carry the service packs at $12 a piece which includes the stem... They do not however typically carry Honda sensors themselves.

 

If Discount Tire broke it, well, they need to replace it and reset the TPMS. I had aftermarket wheels installed in my car and I didn't have any problems with them after they re-installed them. I hope they take care of you, I've been dealing with Discount Tire since 1996 w/o a problem, ever.

 

in the end discount tire took good care of me and with no out of pocket expense. with the new sensor i ended up having to drive 50mi and the light went out. at exactly 50 miles regardless of speed. but all is well the Fit has new shoes 205/50/16 and the ride is much better and alot more quiet and the rims look much better with the fatter rubber.

 

oh and thanks to everyone on the board that replied!

 

The manual does not mention a blinking Low Pressure light. I was puzzled as I've only gotten the non-blinking indication when I had low pressure. Just recently after getting 4 new tires, I got the blinking low pressure light after the TPMS system was reset. After much searching I found:
Step 1: Inflate the tire to 44psi
Step 2: Deflate it to 20psi.
Step 3: Reinflate to the recommended pressure.
Step 4: Drive for a few hundred yards.
This process is for a new pressure sensor, but several people in a few blogs swore it worked also when resetting the TPMS system.
I've driven some 50 miles both on highways and byways and the blinking light does not clear. I'll try this procedure over the weekend if it does not clear.
JC

 

You didn't mention what yr / model you have. From my experience, if you are still using the same TPMS sensors that were on the wheels before changing tires, I didn't get a low pressure light [!] unless below 27 psi (16" rims on a '11 Sport AT). If a sensor failed (battery or broken off from the stem which appears to be the transmitting antenna), the "TPMS" light came on. I didn't see anything in my books about a blinking low pressure [!] light but it did mention codes would be stored.

Maybe you could try to see if a local car parts place with a code reader could check, although a Check-Engine-Light is what usually triggers a visit.

If you were good before you changed the tires and now bad, highly likely it was that process but not 100% certain.

 

Another thought: Disconnect the battery for a few minutes to see if it clears any faults. Reconnect, drive, and see if the lights come back on.