TPMS for our trucks that dont have it!

Anyone got some suggestions? I see external options that act as caps on the valve stems. Is this better than internal one on todays TPMS equipped trucks?

What are folks using?

 

Personally I consider the whole technology a nuisance. IIRC it was the EPA's doing that we even have TPMS. I've seen the valve cap ones and I would constantly worry about them getting stolen or lost. The alternative is to buy a unit that can be programmed with normal TPMS sensors and go to a tire installer to get it done.

 

I don't know anyone who has or would bother to retrofit TPMS.

Doesn't mean someone hasn't, just that I don't know them.

Seems like a waste of time and money to me.

 

Not a nuisance if you understand what it is designed for. Never intended to replace an air gauge, but to warn drivers of a sudden tire deflation while driving. I've hit road debris and punctured significant holes in tires twice. Having the warning light come on gave me a few seconds to slow down and get to the shoulder of the road before the tire went completely flat. Without TPMS, I'd have had a tire come apart at 70 mph.

The debacle a few years ago where Firestone tires mounted on Ford Explorers were coming apart at speed causing rollover accidents is what prompted TPMS in wheels. Ford blamed Firestone for defective tires, Firestone blamed drivers for not having properly inflated tires and Ford for building an unstable vehicle.

But no other tires were coming apart. And Explorers were rolling over at a higher rate than other vehicles that had Firestone tires come apart. After Ford redesigned the Explorer to make it more stable and Firestone redesigned their tires both issues went away. But someone thought a warning system to let you know your tires were losing air was a good idea.

And I agree. Sensors typically last about 10 years and cost about $20 each to replace. That isn't a major issue nor expense.

I wasn't aware they were available for older vehicles. If the cost wasn't too bad I'd do it.

 

See, in theory/ideally your story is a great argument for them. I have them in my Golf and any time the chime goes off, I'm just like "oh, they're at that threshold again, I'll fill up when I have a chance". I've never pulled to the side of the road thinking it's an emergency. To me it's a pain - especially on a truck where I'm constantly changing tire pressures to adjust for my load.

I really don't think their intent is to notify you of punctures. Similarly, I tore a hole in a tire on the Golf by hitting a brick. I got home shortly after and checked it out and even heard hissing. TPMS never went off. You'll feel it on the road. The point is to keep your tires in an ideal PSI to maximize fuel economy and tire wear - just another thing I'd have to nitpick on my truck.

 

I posted this looking for others who might have tried some. Personally Im so busy that I can go 6 months without checking air pressure. If the tires look inflated then I go, or maybe dont notice. With gas prices getting onto $4 and probably eventually $5 a gallon is the reason for my inquiry. And when I check I usually find that they need air. I dont adjust my tire pressure ever especially since I dont wheel or have the time too right now.

I guess the question becomes: If youre not one to check often, getting a warning would be nice! This one gets great reviews:

$76 Tymate RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System - M7-3 TPMS Tire Pressure Monitor System(0-87 PSI) with Solar Charger, RV TPMS with 4 sensors & 5 Alarm Modes, LCD Display, Auto Sleep Mode, Easy to Install

https://www.amazon.com/Tymate-Tire-...819e048e062&pd_rd_wg=k2AQQ&pd_rd_i=B085C2HMQP

 

Good points. In theory, I think TPMS is a good idea for most drivers, but in my experience, the bolt-together assemblies just provide more opportunities to tires to lose pressure as the O-rings age. Every time my civic has a slow leak, a sensor needs replacing. In the rust belt, the sensors just fall apart if you try to disassemble them to replace leaky O-rings. I have never found a shop that was willing to "service" the TPMS sensors during winter/spring tire changeovers with new O-rings and anti-seize. Thankfully, the newer replacement assemblies have standard, slip-fit rubber stems like the ones on the Tacoma.

Somewhat ironically, slow pressure loss has been a chronic, recurring nuisance on my TPMS-equipped Honda, and a non-issue on my Tacoma. I check the Tacoma tire pressures whenever I have to top off the Honda tires, which is frequent, and the Tacoma's tires never lose air; they just require seasonal adjustments as the ambient temps fluctuate.

 

OP - @1997tacomav6 has an aftermarket TPMS installed, I remember seeing it in the TFL video they produced with his truck. Start at 12 minutes if the link doesn't work:
https://youtu.be/bi8BJ5L5gLA?t=720

What year is your Civic? I just learned that for the 9th gen Accord Honda switched to indirect TPMS that apparently uses the ABS wheel speed sensors to calculate if a wheel has gotten smaller. Seems like that would eliminate problems with air leaks, but perhaps introduce more false positives. The fact that Honda felt the need to put a button to reset the system doesn't inspire a ton of confidence, although I've only had to reset mine once in 3 years.

 

My Civic is a 2009; 8th gen for the Civics. The early days of sensor replacement were especially annoying, since the replacement sensors would invariably cause a system fault and require a second attempt to properly program. The routine always involved driving away from the shop, waiting for the system fault warning light to illuminate, then driving back to the shop for another round of programming. It got to the point that I would ask the service writer to have a tech ready with the TPMS programmer within about 10-15 minutes of me driving off. Thankfully the process seems to be a bit more transparent these days, as I don't need to come back after getting a sensor replaced for a system fault.

 

https://eezrvproducts.com/shop/ols/products/eeztire-tpms-system-monitor-only-color-eez-rv-tpmsmonc

Thats the one I've been using on my Tundra. Then I bought the same one for the Tacoma. A lot of people with RVs or trailers use this brand. I've tried the cheap Amazon ones $25-$50 two times in the past, ended up throwing them away. They would lose connection to the monitor and you would never be able to resync the sensors again. No option to sync. Rendering one of the sensors useless. I've been using the same unit on my Tundra since 2015...I am too lazy to manually check the tires often, real time TPMS is a must for me on all my vehicles.