Tire pressure monitoring on NC's

[Billy Blaze]

This one, i didnt't consider...and almost forgot the NC came with on GT's

It appears that the Tire pressure monitoring system is NOT interchangable when it's time for new tires, and new sensors cost 200.+ for a new set of tires.
am I understanding that correctly?

I dont really care to have it as I check my tires regularly but it seems that the dash light will come on and someone suggested on the pointy board to put a piece of black electrical tape over the light and go on down the road.

suits me fine, just wondered if anyone had heard of this.

it seems like real bad engineering.

[Miatamoto]

The tire pressure monitors are integrated into the valve stems. They have nothing to do with the tires.

[Titus]

TPMS is required to be included on all cars 2008 and newer. This means that aftermarket wheel/tire vendors are already getting used to dealing with this issue. You can move the ones on the current wheels over to new wheels, or you can buy new sensors from Mazda or many aftermarket vendors. The Tirerack is selling them now. They are a little pricey still, but I suspect the prices will start coming down. Another option is to watch for a set of used sensors. I think they show up on Ebay from time to time.

[altiain]

If the TPMS system in the NC is the same as that on the RX-8 (can't see why it wouldn't be), then the TPMS sensor is embedded in the valve stem. Changing tires won't have the slightest impact on the sensor, and you can reuse the sensors to your heart's content.

I recently installed the second set of street tires I've bought for my RX-8 since I got it. I'm still using the original TPMS sensors that came with the car, and they still work fine.

If you choose to get aftermarket wheels and you want to retain the TPMS, then you have to choose a wheel that will fit the TPMS sensors. Not all wheels will allow this.

[Billy Blaze]

cool, i have no intention of replacing the wheels.
so that's great news....i hate lights on the intrument panel.
I didnt know that the government has regulated that all 08 and newer cars have them installed....but it makes since that they make yet another reason to not pass inspection.

[Titus]

I didnt know that the government has regulated that all 08 and newer cars have them installed....but it makes since that they make yet another reason to not pass inspection.

Nope... TPMS is a federal requirement, inspections are state (some states have none). I believe the requirement ties to fuel savings and safety.

[Majik]

So does this system just provide a warning in case the pressures drop too low, or can you monitor the pressure as you drive.

[altiain]

It's just an idiot light. If the tire pressure drops below ~24psi in any one tire, it sets off a light on the dash. It doesn't have a very high sample rate, either, since I can drive several miles during an autocross day on wheels that don't even have sensors and not set the light off.

[Majik]

It's just an idiot light. If the tire pressure drops below ~24psi in any one tire, it sets off a light on the dash. It doesn't have a very high sample rate, either, since I can drive several miles during an autocross day on wheels that don't even have sensors and not set the light off.

Thats what I figured. Real time telemetry seems a bit much for now.

[Billy Blaze]

there was a guy on the pointy board that said his tires had been changed to tires without use of the TPMS and were off for 12 days before the light came on...lol, real sensitive huh

[icepenguin66]

TPMS sensors are either the valve stem type (the good ones) or the band style. Either way they will work with new tires and can be installed on new wheels unless the wheel has an odd lip or something that prohibits the valve stem type sensors from being installed.

[icepenguin66]

It's just an idiot light. If the tire pressure drops below ~24psi in any one tire, it sets off a light on the dash. It doesn't have a very high sample rate, either, since I can drive several miles during an autocross day on wheels that don't even have sensors and not set the light off.

Actually, most of the new TPMS sensors are soooo sensitive that just the change in air temperature from being cold over night will set the damn things off. Thus annoying the hell out of me at the tire shop cause a dozen idiots pull up thinking they have a flat tire!

From what I've seen, being under inflated 2psi will set a lot of them off.

[rpmchris]

I had my sensors removed from the OEM wheels and remounted on the new Enkei RPF1s a year ago - no problems, and they DO let you know if your pressure is lower than about 20 psi (suggested pressure is 29).

Although, when I mounted my new autocross wheels/tires and drove it a little (5 miles or so), the light never came on...

[Kestrel]

TPMS is required to be included on all cars 2008 and newer...

Can you just remove these stupid things? Will your new car pass inspection without them?

It's like run-flat tires: something I do not want on my car. Unfortunately many new cars -- like... oh, let's say... the BMW 135i -- comes with both. So I'd want to run the tread off the OEM tires, then replace the whole thing with normal tires and no TPMS. Heck, I've got AAA if I need help with a flat tire

[Miatamoto]

LOL, the Lexus boys came up with an interesting way of dealing with the sensors.

http://clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328044

[CosmosMpower]

I had my sensors removed from the OEM wheels and remounted on the new Enkei RPF1s a year ago - no problems, and they DO let you know if your pressure is lower than about 20 psi (suggested pressure is 29).

Although, when I mounted my new autocross wheels/tires and drove it a little (5 miles or so), the light never came on...

If the NC is like the RX-8 it won't do anything for about 10-15 miles. When I switched to my track wheels/tires I got about halfway to Ft. Worth then the dumb thing would start blinking since that set has no TPMS.

[altiain]

Can you just remove these stupid things? Will your new car pass inspection without them?

It's like run-flat tires: something I do not want on my car. Unfortunately many new cars -- like... oh, let's say... the BMW 135i -- comes with both. So I'd want to run the tread off the OEM tires, then replace the whole thing with normal tires and no TPMS. Heck, I've got AAA if I need help with a flat tire

You can, but why bother? Unlike run-flat tires, TPMS doesn't actually negatively affect the driving chracteristics of the car, nor does it cost more come time for tire replacement. Honestly, I wouldn't have paid extra for the feature, but it can come in handy.

The last time I went to AJ for an alignment, he bled my tires down to 32 psi before aligning the car. It was about 60 degrees that day, and I didn’t think anything about it at the time.

The following night I was leaving a restaurant, it was about 30 degrees outside, and the TPMS light came on. It occurred to me at that point that AJ had set the hot pressures at 32 psi, since I had driven 25 miles to his shop and put the car right on the rack. Therefore, the tires were underinflated when cold, and the colder temperatures exacerbated the problem. Without TPMS, the car would have gone another week with the tires severely underinflated (which – aside from being dangerous – decreases fuel economy and increases tire wear) before I caught it during my weekly pressure check.

[altiain]

Will your new car pass inspection without them?

BTW, your car will pass inspection without them installed. When I bought my RX-8, the PO had removed the TPMS sensors from the stock wheels. I had to have the car inspected shortly after bringing it to Texas, and it passed with the TPMS light on in the dash and the sensors sitting on my workbench at home.

[icepenguin66]

LOL, the Lexus boys came up with an interesting way of dealing with the sensors.

http://clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328044

Cool, but some car's TPMS sensors are set to the wheel location...meaning you have to reset the sensors when you rotate or it will set off a code due to the LF sensor now being someplace other than the LF location!

[Billy Blaze]

BTW, your car will pass inspection without them installed. When I bought my RX-8, the PO had removed the TPMS sensors from the stock wheels. I had to have the car inspected shortly after bringing it to Texas, and it passed with the TPMS light on in the dash and the sensors sitting on my workbench at home.

Thats what I was concerned about.