Aftermarket TPMS's

[327chevy]

Do aftermarket sensors need to be programmed to the vehicle with a special tool? I'm looking at mounting a set of winter tires on steel rims and like the added protection my TPMS's give me with the factory wheels so I figure I'll put a set on the steel ones.

[Blue Bowtie]

Yes, those are available and need NO programming. This type tire pressure monitor is almost fool-proof, never requires calibration or programming, and is far more accurate and reliable than any electronic Wheatstone bridge transducer. Unfortunately, it completely escapes the capacity of morons:

[Blue Bowtie]

And that was not directed at anyone in specific. I'm just continually impressed by the growing reliance upon more complicated systems in order to achieve the simplest tasks. If you walk around and check pressure once a month you might notice other things which should be monitored, like bulged sidewalls, chunks out of the tread, a screw or nail sticking out the carcass, missing wheel weights, etc. FYI, general and commercial aviation does not rely upon sensors. Of course they use them, but also require a preflight walk-around, even checking things like strut pressures, APU fluids, etc. No one waits for a sensor to alert them to a condition. By then, that "condition" has turned to a bona fide "problem."

I have a potential customer in Texas who is insisting upon installing remote vibration (amplitude/frequency) and sound pressure level sensors in his equipment for a SCADA system in a municipal control center. Instead of asking those responsible for operating the equipment to walk around and observe the equipment they want to rely upon sensors. Apparently they never heard about Fukashima or TMI. That way they can sit in their cozy chairs in complete denial as the water drowns them in their control center.

THAT"S what I meant by "morons" in the previous post.

[Tech II]

Blue Bowtie, I have to disagree with you on this one......

The average person, does not check their tires....you are the exception......if I handed my wife your tire pressure tool, whe would have no idea what it was or how to use it.....

TPM systems are akin to power windows...until they came along, no one missed them......same with TPM's.....

The only problem is THEY HAVE TO BE PROGRAMMED! and they are a pain in the ass to reprogram manually when rotating tires....

[Blue Bowtie]

Disagreeing is O.K. Its just an opinion. I'm not right about everything.

Oh, wait - Maybe I was wrong about that...

[Blue Bowtie]

BTW, why does anyone need to rotate tires? Don't they rotate every time you drive the vehicle?

Change the oil? Why? Doesn't it already have oil in it? Ditto the transmission, or any other wear fluid in the vehicle.

Cabin air filter? Does that need to be changed? The info-tainment system didn't tell me that.

People can't even turn on their own headlights any more. That's what it has come down to, and it's going to get even worse.

We've experimented with wipers that turn themselves on because people who should never be allowed to operate a piece of machinery more complicated than a ziploc bag couldn't tell it was raining. In fairness, maybe they couldn't see the rain because the windshield was all obstructed.

We've installed air bags to protect people from themselves because they were too ignorant to use seat belts. Now that seat belts are mandatory everywhere we still have air bags for some unknown reason, despite the irrefutable evidence that a harness restraint is much safer and more effective.

And for some reason we have to tell people to pay attention to the road instead of playing Candy Crush on the celly. Shouldn't that just be a "given?"

Some people expect cars to park themselves. What happens when your VW backs over a 3-year old sitting on the curb? Do we sue VW? And put them in jail? When cars are expected to maintain position in the lane, brake themselves, and prevent stupid people from injuring themselves, we are done.

I already have a transportation solution for people who want all of that. It's called the F'in BUS! Turn in your license, put on your drool bib, and get a bus pass.

[Tech II]

Blue, are you against progress?

Hell, I bet your house doesn't even have 'lectricity, just candles!

Can you imagine someone buying a car today without power windows?

Or without some sort of GPS?

As for TPM, you can thank your federal government for that....

And that bus you take better have air conditioning....

[gmtech1]

Hahahaha...that escalated in a hurry! I'm not gonna hit on all the points, just the TPMS. IMO, the advantage of the TPMS is for the instance that the individual is cruising along either cross country or in town, and the low tire message comes on. Bam, they picked up a nail or screw on the way and now know to have that tire checked. Better then running flat on the highway at 70mph. This happend to my wife just a few days ago, was on her way to work and the message came on. I knew the pressures were ok since I check them regularly, so I knew there was a issue, she traded out for my truck on her way and I found a large screw in the tire. Had she not known and continued on, she would have been stuck with a flat, and me going 45 min out of my way to put the spare on.

[Blue Bowtie]

My apologies to 327. After reading that first response it does seem to be a bit harsh. That was not the intent. Tech II astutely pointed out the details and drawbacks.

BTW, Tech, I am "that guy" who doesn't own or use GPS. I drive all over the country to some of the most remote sites you might imagine on roads which haven't even been named yet. GPS is no better than a good map, and is often worse. If I've ever been lost I cannot recall it, but let's not get "off the beaten path" discussing GPS, since that's a whole chapter all by itself.

As for the rest of my rant, it should be pretty apparent that I have more than a healthy skepticism over reliance upon unproven/unrefined/frivolous technology over plain personal responsibility.

gmtech1 described the way such systems SHOULD be used, instead of the way that I see it being used. 99-44/100ths percent of people won't check tire pressure, won't check fluid levels, won't perform routine maintenance, wouldn't know if/how to change to a spare tire if their very lives depended upon it, etcetera, and yet feel that they are competent operators because they can start a vehicle and make it move. Going back to a previous reference, you won't see a general/commercial aviation operator doing that with his bicycle (because of training) let alone a car or truck, and you sure as Hell wouldn't see a military pilot do that even in his car.

Now excuse me while I go feed the squirrels so that I can continue to power my 1200 baud dial-up connection...

[Blue Bowtie]

327 - you can find aftermarket TPMS sensors that would work just about anywhere, You'll still have to pair them with your vehicle transponder but only once a year. I'm not sure if the sensors will be all that reliable year after year and may have to be serviced (batteries) more frequently if the tire pressure is not maintained in storage.