Wife texted me this morning that the TPMS light was on again. Back passenger tire has seems to have developed a slow leak the last few months and the sensor has gone off twice...both times maybe a pound or 2 below 33.

Tonight I checked the pressure and it was down to 25.....checked out treads and discovered what looks to be a nail or piece of metal between the treads....I filled tire back up to 33 and in the morning she is going to swing by Sullivan Tire to have it patched.

That part seems easy enough as I'm sure they can patch it. Question is with the TPMS system are they going to try to sell her new sensors? Thought I read that manufactures "recommend" that they be replaced with each tire change or service.

Is this a must do? Tires have 37K on them


Thanks for any input


BG

 

no. you do not need to service tpms sensors or need to rebuild them for removal of tires or a patch.

only when you are removing the tpms sensors to transfer to another wheel is when you need to service the tpms sensor.

 

Thank you! Thats the info I was looking for

 

FYI, the "service" the sensor needs at that point? Just a new mounting grommet. Commonly shops charge $10 or more for the "service kit" which may or may not even include a new seating washer for the retainer nut. You can pick up both at exorbitant dealer "cash now" parts dept prices for under $3 a set, and these are Honda parts - not a generic.

For ANYONE who goes to a tire shop that then tells you you need to replace your sensor - If the system was working fine when you arrived, and there was no noise from a broken off sensor bouncing around inside your tire, DO NOT agree to pay for the sensor. They can easily be broken by the shop's tire removal equipment (used without correct TPMS technique), which is the shop's fault and responsibility to pay for repair of. The only reasonable exception to this is if you have used a tire sealant like fix-a-flat or slime, AND said sealant has clogged the TPMS sensor's port.

 

At 37k the tires must be quite worn. A plug could be used instead of a patch and that would avoid any issues with your TPMS. Tire replacement might be a better option.

 

Exactly what I would do. Use them >20 times and never had a fail. Install at your own risk though, because you can mess up (just like the tire shop can mess up when they patch your tire).

Coolest tire patch I ever saw was the one they used on my Honda F4 tire. It's a hybrid plug/patch that installs from the inside obviously.

 

Yeah, they patched it this morning, no issues with sensors. 25 bucks and she was on her way.

Yep we will be looking at new shoes in the next few months..tread is not that bad as almost 75% of those miles are highway commuting miles so our tires seem to last a bit longer than others..trade off is 37K in one year and 2 months!!

 

They still have those plug/patch combos and they are cool. Unfortunately when i had a nail in my rear tire on my R1, I ended up plugging it myself with the cheap sour-straw licorice looking plugs. I needed to get home and used the tire for a few days on city streets before replacing the entire tire.

Back to the OP, sensors do not need to replaced. Tire shops will probably try to sell a maintenance kit for it though.

 

This is what the Walmart garages use. They charge $10 for the patch, but would insist that you replace the TPMS service pack or sign a release.

I don't recommend plugs. Unless you're a construction worker or somebody that routinely needs their tires repaired, it doesn't cost much more to get a good patch put in.