Replacing a flat tire and TPMS

[schamberlin]

My wife's Leaf just got a flat tire. The fix-a-flat can seems to have saved the day for the moment, but how do you replace a tire on this thing?

Do we need to buy a "TPMS compatible tire", or will the pressure sensor work with an appropriately-sized tire? Is it OK to replace just the one tire that went flat, or do we need to replace two or four? What are the more popular options for replacing the stock Ecopia tires?

 

[mwalsh]

Your TPMS sensor is now toast. So you need one new tire and a new sensor. Unless the tires on that end of the car will be too mismatched for tread depth, in which case you'll need two tires and one sensor.

Use of the goop is not recommended by those of us who know how much the sensors cost. It truly is best to just get the car towed to a tire shop and not try to fix it on the side of the road.

Edit: if you end up needing two new tires and get the good old tire back from the tire shop, I would be interested in buying it as a spare for my own car. It would be a good match to my tires with 31k on them.

 

[schamberlin]

Well, poop. Given that the fix-a-flat can is the only solution Nissan gives you, a warning that it would destroy your TPMS sensor would be nice.

Is it viable to not replace the sensor, and just leave that one toasted? None of our previous cars have had TPMS, so I really wouldn't miss it if it didn't work on this car either. Or if not, will any tire repair shop be able to replace the sensor, or do we need a Nissan dealer to do it?

 

[RonDawg]

Is it viable to not replace the sensor, and just leave that one toasted? None of our previous cars have had TPMS, so I really wouldn't miss it if it didn't work on this car either. Or if not, will any tire repair shop be able to replace the sensor, or do we need a Nissan dealer to do it?

If the sensor is not working, the TPMS light will be illuminated. Also, for liability reasons, most tire shops will insist that any faulty TPMS sensors be replaced. Any tire shop could replace them, but when I was at Costco the other week I overheard the manager telling another customer that the TPMS sensor for her particular car could only be bought from Toyota.

 

[ebill3]

What a shame that we are now stuck with these new dangled monitoring systems.

My 2000 Toyota Sienna (that the LEAF replaced) had a much simpler system. Since it had ABS brakes, the computer compared wheel speeds, and if a wheel speed changed because of low inflation, it was reported as a problem.

Simple and did the job.

Sorry to hijack the thread.

I will use the roadside assistance for the LEAF and the Tesla. Shucks, Tesla gives you nothing - no spare, no repair kit.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Has anyone tried using a plug-type repair kit? If the "goop" ruins the sensor, then a plug seems like a much better repair to get you home and to a tire shop.

 

[mwalsh]

Has anyone tried using a plug-type repair kit? If the "goop" ruins the sensor, then a plug seems like a much better repair to get you home and to a tire shop.

Yes. It's what I always do. Well, unless it's a puncture too large to take a plug (which has happened) or a sidewall issue.

 

[planet4ever]

Has anyone tried using a plug-type repair kit? If the "goop" ruins the sensor, then a plug seems like a much better repair to get you home and to a tire shop.

Yes. In fact you may be able to skip the tire shop altogether. After all, if they can repair the tire, their fix will be to plug it.

This thread contains advice that every LEAF owner should read and heed. One line summary: Get yourself an inexpensive plug kit NOW.

Ray

 

[TomT]

The problem is that if all tires go down over time, it won't sense it...

My 2000 Toyota Sienna (that the LEAF replaced) had a much simpler system. Since it had ABS brakes, the computer compared wheel speeds, and if a wheel speed changed because of low inflation, it was reported as a problem.
Simple and did the job.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Has anyone tried using a plug-type repair kit? If the "goop" ruins the sensor, then a plug seems like a much better repair to get you home and to a tire shop.

Yes. It's what I always do. Well, unless it's a puncture too large to take a plug (which has happened) or a sidewall issue.

In those cases I doubt the goop would work, either... If it did, I'd worry about driving on it.

 

[mwalsh]

Yes. In fact you may be able to skip the tire shop altogether. After all, if they can repair the tire, their fix will be to plug it.

This thread contains advice that every LEAF owner should read and heed. One line summary: Get yourself an inexpensive plug kit NOW.

Ray

Well, a tire shop will plug and patch. The idea (supposedly) being that their technique will stop moisture from getting into the steel belts. That may be true, though I don't buy it. I have only plugged for YEARS, and have never had a problem. So that's the way I'll continue. YMMV.

 

[ramonlm]

Well, a tire shop will plug and patch. The idea (supposedly) being that their technique will stop moisture from getting into the steel belts. That may be true, though I don't buy it. I have only plugged for YEARS, and have never had a problem. So that's the way I'll continue. YMMV.

Bad argument from the tire shops as the compressors and any other regular tire inflation device contains and push the humidity from the air. If air is unable to leak, humidity(thicker than air) will also don't leak. Plugs are good enough most times with exceptions like walls, bigger than usual holes, side by side holes, etc... I have been using them for over 30 years without problems.

 

[jdcbomb]

My 2018 LEAF TPMS sensors appear to be nearing end of life...are there inexpensive 3rd party or OEM options out there? I plan to have Discount Tire replace them when I replace the tires. Definitely not planning on going through Nissan due to the very high cost through the dealer ($500+ after labor).

I see these here: https://a.co/d/aDXugAs

I've noticed that the tire warning light comes on a lot when any TPMS sensor is about to die...and when it does die, the warning light goes away and one tire will simply show no psi reading then. Summer heat 95F+ appears to hasten the end of life of old TPMS sensors.

 

[Drew21]

The problem is that if all tires go down over time, it won't sense it...

We've been dealing with that for a century by checking the tire pressure periodically. It's easy, it's cheap ($5-10 for your very own gauge), and anyone driving a car should be doing it regardless of whether they have TPMS or not.

I'll note that based on the number of newer cars I see on the road with low/flat tires, TPMS is not enough for most people. Recently I saw the TPMS come on for the first time in our Leaf. I asked the wife, who normally drives the car, if she noticed the light come on and she said "Oh yeah, it was on the other day but I forgot to say anything to you..."

 

[cornbinder89]

Bad argument from the tire shops as the compressors and any other regular tire inflation device contains and push the humidity from the air. If air is unable to leak, humidity(thicker than air) will also don't leak. Plugs are good enough most times with exceptions like walls, bigger than usual holes, side by side holes, etc... I have been using them for over 30 years without problems.

It likely doesn't matter for car tire, they are used one tread life and discarded. Truck tires it does. I used to run 3 tread lives and sometime 4.
Tubeless tires have an inner liner that take the place of a tube and seals the air chamber from the body rubber.
Repair the liner and sealing the puncture prevents rust damage to the cords, which cause a "buzz-out" when the tire is buffed down for recapping.
Rust is larger than steel, so it forces apart the rubber/steel cord bond. It can allow air to bubble in the tire casing and eventually cause a "blow-out".
Good commercial shops have an air drier on the compressor, just as most trucks do on their air brake system, and for the same reason. You don't want water in your air tools or in tires.
Lately there has been a push for inflating tires with dry nitrogen, and all kinds of "benefits" are claimed, I don't buy most of the claims.
TPM is mandated by law, it isn't that mfg or consumers demanded it. It is a partial result of Ford and FIrestone pointing fingers at each other for the Explorer's tendency to roll over.
My Leaf is the 1st car I ever had with TPM's and expect that all it is going to do is drive up maintenance costs.

 

[ramonlm]

It likely doesn't matter for car tire, they are used one tread life and discarded. Truck tires it does. I used to run 3 tread lives and sometime 4.
Tubeless tires have an inner liner that take the place of a tube and seals the air chamber from the body rubber.
Repair the liner and sealing the puncture prevents rust damage to the cords, which cause a "buzz-out" when the tire is buffed down for recapping.
Rust is larger than steel, so it forces apart the rubber/steel cord bond. It can allow air to bubble in the tire casing and eventually cause a "blow-out".
Good commercial shops have an air drier on the compressor, just as most trucks do on their air brake system, and for the same reason. You don't want water in your air tools or in tires.
Lately there has been a push for inflating tires with dry nitrogen, and all kinds of "benefits" are claimed, I don't buy most of the claims.
TPM is mandated by law, it isn't that mfg or consumers demanded it. It is a partial result of Ford and FIrestone pointing fingers at each other for the Explorer's tendency to roll over.
My Leaf is the 1st car I ever had with TPM's and expect that all it is going to do is drive up maintenance costs.

Great points, highly appreciated the response.
While this are mostly not for car tires as you stated.

About Nitrogen in tires, "The air in Earth’s atmosphere is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen" https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2491/10-interesting-things-about-air/
With that, the difference is minimal from regular air.
Nitrogen is supposed to be less prone to corrode and could have some small benefits in some matters; but here in Florida we get punctures way too often and I don't see the cost merit at least for my use.

Best regards

 

[frontrangeleaf]

Hmmm. Every tubeless tire is compatible with TPMS - there are 2 kinds, "active" with an internal sensor on the tire, and "passive" which just uses the ABS sensor to determine when one tire is rolling faster than the others, and therefore going down. The latter doesn't support reporting pressures back to the driver, so that's the rationale behind the active type.

No question that the extra sensors cost a bit more. Personally, I don't need to see a number on the dash, so I'd prefer to just have the passive type myself.

On the other hand, the sensors are good for some years, at least in our climate, so the additional expense over and above what we pay for tires anyway is fairly minor. I recently had ours replaced when they failed under warranty. Purchased from Discount Tire (aka America's Tire elsewhere).

You only need to replace the tire that went flat if it's damaged beyond repair - fix-a-flat doesn't cause immediate damage to that extent. I've used it for years on all of our cars - just get over to a repair shop and have the flat fixed same day.

To my way of thinking, repairing with a plug is way more effort any time I'm within reasonable distance to a tire shop. Might be different if I'm well away in a rural area though.

YMMV