TPMS = Tire Pressure Monitoring System = Junk

[Tobin S.]

I have a 2010 Honda Civic with just over 27,000 miles on it equipped with this TPMS deal. Basically, there are sensors in all four wheels that alert you on the console panel when one of the tires has low air pressure. Sounds like a pretty good deal and it would be if the damn things lasted longer than a couple of years.

One sensor went bad in my right rear wheel about a month ago. It didn't do any harm aside from me having to take it to the shop to get it repaired, and it was a warranty claim. Yesterday, I was putting air in my tires and the rear left sensor broke when I was trying to air up that tire letting all of the air pressure out of the tire. I've got my little donut tire on there now. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it into the shop tomorrow. It's a good thing my wife is off work tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm not sure when I would have been able to get it fixed.

To add insult to injury, I lost one of the lug nuts when I was changing the tire.

[Broderick]

2. When this was first mandated, suppliers and manufactures lined up at me

They told us how a new tire sales could grow from 400 to 700 with replacement tire pressure monitoring systems, or tire rotations with reprogramming them for the correct tire was going to increase profits. In the process I purchased a 1500 dollar tool for identifying where what when how. The book I got for my technicians was far more valuable to that in my opinion. I still charge the same for a tire rotation and my techs are very careful replacing a tire to make sure not to harm the sensor (albeit we let the customer know there is that risk). These mandates because of the wilderness tire and explorer fiasco have done nothing more than bilk the customer at every turn. I refuse to.

[Moondog]

3. These systems are, at best, irritating.

I switch out cars fairly frequently - I get bored, I guess. Anyway, I have now had several cars with them - the usual German and Japanese suspects.

The only thing that has reduced the irritation level with these systems, particularly with the changes in temperature due to seasonal change, or from driving from warm to cold temperature areas, and back again, is the usage of nitrogen in my tires. And that does not eliminate the issue. It just reduces it. As does keeping an electric pump with built-in digital pressure gauge with an on/off function in the garage. And they seem to need to be replaced every couple of years.

The thing is, I didn't have to do any of that shit before this damned mandate came down from on high. I checked my tire pressure about once a month - because I am a car guy - and I did it with an old fashioned analog tire gauge. Which worked just fine for decades. Until some frickin' idiot decided I needed to be protected from myself. At some expense, I might add. Which fortunately is not a burden to me. Just an ever increasing irritant. Grrr.

These damned tire systems were, IMHO, a bad idea. No doubt some bozo got promoted by pushing them. But I have yet to meet a real person who thought that they were a good idea, or that didn't have issues with the one(s) on their car(s).

[HopeHoops]

4. I've got a great TPMS - it's about the size of a ball point pen and cost about $1.

I've had it for at least 30 years. Works great.