TPMS and Flat Tires

[ttweed]

If you are just mounting new tires on the existing wheels it is a non-issue.

However, the important question I have now is: can the (undamaged) TPMS sensor be transferred to a NEW tire or not?? My understanding was that when I put new tires on my Leaf (and that day is fast approaching), they will be able to re-mount the TPMS sensor. If not, I'm in for a big $$ surprise

When putting a new set of tires on after a couple of years, your tire dealer will probably recommend a TPMS rebuild kit along with the installation of the new tires. This kit is basically just renewing the outer bits of the TPMS--the rubber sealing grommet, valve stem cap, retaining nut, and core. It cost me $22 to have all 4 wheels done when I replaced my tires recently. The kits are about $3/ea. if you DIY. It is not required, and you can use the old bits, but the rubber seal will deteriorate over time, and offer a possible leak source. It is the same deal as renewing conventional rubber valve stems when replacing your tires--good preventative maintenance.

TT

 

[Duncan]

[It's puzzling why Australian Leafs come w/a spare tire underneath (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9768" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false but US ones don't, not even as an option. If only Nissan would at least offer it as something dealer or port installed... C'mon Nissan! Make it available here!

My guess is that Australian law requires some sort of dedicated spare tire. I would imagine that law is due to Australia having many miles of unpaved roads, with a good chunk of them outside cell phone range. Although Leafs are generally urban-bound, Nissan perhaps felt it was not worth the effort to get an exemption. Or perhaps they (or someone else) tried to get an exemption but were refused.

As far as why it's left off the Leaf in the US and perhaps many other parts of the world, it's due to two reasons: cost and weight. Many new cars have a tire well in the trunk but just give you an inflator and a can of fix-a-flat just like with the Leaf.

actually, it's just cultural, not legislative. A handful of cars have been marketed without spare tyres and they all get slammed by the media and have very poor sales. Even space-saver vs full size spares often receive bad press.

 

[cwerdna]

I just wish the LEAF would display the four pressures rather than just lighting a low pressure light.

I wonder if there are many/any currently sold Nissans where tire pressures are displayed. I wonder about other automakers.

I posted about the early 350Zs (w/the right equipment level) displaying the pressures at http://priuschat.com/threads/does-tire-pressure-monitor-indicate-too-high-pressure.91921/#post-1295550" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the experience of my coworker, at the time.

 

[mwalsh]

I just wish the LEAF would display the four pressures rather than just lighting a low pressure light.

It would at least be helpful if the LEAF would tell you which tire had the problem. I remember when we first started having discussion about the cost of tire rotations that it was expected we'd need to visit the dealer for TPMS reprogramming at a minimum. Obviously that has turned out not to be the case, but I did expect we'd see which tire had an issue based on that discussion.

 

[GerryAZ]

I just wish the LEAF would display the four pressures rather than just lighting a low pressure light.

I wonder if there are many/any currently sold Nissans where tire pressures are displayed. I wonder about other automakers.

I posted about the early 350Zs (w/the right equipment level) displaying the pressures at http://priuschat.com/threads/does-tire-pressure-monitor-indicate-too-high-pressure.91921/#post-1295550" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the experience of my coworker, at the time.

My 2004 Grand Cherokee displays all 4 pressures and they match my most accurate gauge. A strong magnet was included with the vehicle to reprogram the system when tires are rotated--no dealer visit or scan tool required.

Gerry

 

[TomT]

GM vehicles are similar. The data is clearly present so Nissan appears to simply be lazy (or cheap) about coding for the driver to be able to see it...

My 2004 Grand Cherokee displays all 4 pressures and they match my most accurate gauge. A strong magnet was included with the vehicle to reprogram the system when tires are rotated--no dealer visit or scan tool required.

 

[planet4ever]

It would at least be helpful if the LEAF would tell you which tire had the problem. I remember when we first started having discussion about the cost of tire rotations that it was expected we'd need to visit the dealer for TPMS reprogramming at a minimum. Obviously that has turned out not to be the case, but I did expect we'd see which tire had an issue based on that discussion.

The service manual does describe a "Tire Pressure Sensor Id Registration Procedure", and says, "This procedure must be done after replacing or rotating wheels, replacing tire pressure sensor or BCM." And, yes, the procedure does require the Consult tool. It obviously doesn't matter since the car won't tell us which wheel anyway, but it could be a real (wallet and time) pain to comply with if the car was capable of telling you and you didn't want it to lie.

Ray

 

[RonDawg]

[It's puzzling why Australian Leafs come w/a spare tire underneath (http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9768" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false but US ones don't, not even as an option. If only Nissan would at least offer it as something dealer or port installed... C'mon Nissan! Make it available here!

My guess is that Australian law requires some sort of dedicated spare tire. I would imagine that law is due to Australia having many miles of unpaved roads, with a good chunk of them outside cell phone range. Although Leafs are generally urban-bound, Nissan perhaps felt it was not worth the effort to get an exemption. Or perhaps they (or someone else) tried to get an exemption but were refused.

As far as why it's left off the Leaf in the US and perhaps many other parts of the world, it's due to two reasons: cost and weight. Many new cars have a tire well in the trunk but just give you an inflator and a can of fix-a-flat just like with the Leaf.

actually, it's just cultural, not legislative. A handful of cars have been marketed without spare tyres and they all get slammed by the media and have very poor sales. Even space-saver vs full size spares often receive bad press.

Thank you Duncan. Since that post I saw something (not official) that spare tires/tyres are not a requirement in Australia, but that if you do have one, it has to be in acceptable condition.

The lack of spare tires/tyres in some new cars has gotten some press here, but hasn't had nearly the backlash that it has where you are. From another forum where I saw it discussed, it seems like quite a few people were comfortable with simply calling AAA or other form of roadside assistance. With the Leaf's limited range I don't mind the lack of a spare, but for my ICE vehicle I would prefer a compact spare (in America we call it a "donut" spare) over a tire repair kit and inflator, as that is my car for long distance travel.

 

[cwerdna]

GM vehicles are similar. The data is clearly present so Nissan appears to simply be lazy (or cheap) about coding for the driver to be able to see it...

My 2004 Grand Cherokee displays all 4 pressures and they match my most accurate gauge. A strong magnet was included with the vehicle to reprogram the system when tires are rotated--no dealer visit or scan tool required.

Maybe cheapness has to do with it. Problem is, if you display it and it's off, that could mean one or more warranty repairs to fix it == more cost. And, the owner could be using a tire gauge that's inaccurate as a baseline, possibly causing more unneeded warranty visits.

If they just use it only to alert when it's fallen below a certain threshold and sound the horn when it's reached a certain level, the former meets US mandates, means a lower possibility of needing "repairs" and being dinged on quality surveys.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070806133913/http://www.nissannews.com/site_library/corporate/news/2002speeches/085speech-1.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; had some interesting stuff about what can be perceived as "quality" problems.

We ask questions, we evaluate and we analyze on our way to improving the quality of our vehicles – whether actual or perceived quality.

For instance, we’re adding more lumbar support to our Frontier truck seats because customers told us that was a quality problem. We also heard that the lack of a map lights in some Sentra models was a quality problem. Maybe that’s not a real quality issue, but for a consumer who wants a map light, it becomes one. So we’re adding map lights across the board in our entry-level sedan.

 

[pointlomadave]

Last night I got a flat tire from a nail and then drove the car 100 feet off the road. Tried the Nissan air compressor and accompanying fix-a-flat but it appeared the nail went all the way in and the tire would still not hold air.

So I called Nissan Roadside Assistance who told me they would only tow it to the Mossy Nissan dealership in Oceanside, CA (which already frustrated me a bit and seemed strange).

This morning I get a call that the nail hole is irreparable. They also told me that they want $146 for a 205/55 R16 Bridgestone Ecopia tire, $155 for a replacement TPMS sensor and $35 to mount and balance for a total of $345+tax!

Now I can understand that maybe that the tire might be irreparable but neither Costco nor Discount Tire can understand why it would need a new sensor other than the fact that it probably needs to be cleaned of fix-a-flat. To add insult to injury Costco and Discount Tire sell the tires for $113 + $15 M&B and say they can order TPMS sensors for about $50.

Before I go running around town trying to get a new tire put on and fight with dealership, I would love to determine under what scenarios a TPMS sensor typically needs to be replaced. Does this happen often or is the dealership just trying to pad the bill? Does using Nissan's recommended way to fix a flat (the compressor and can) destroy sensors? This whole thing just seems pretty expensive for a nail hole.

Thanks!

This is just more ammo for me to replace the heavy steel wheels on my 2013 Leaf S and order up a set of lightweght alloys and keep the steelies for lease turn in/spares. If I'm going to be charged $150 a tire when I turn in the car, plus potential labor for them to mount/balance them...I might as well just order up/mount up something I like and get to enjoy the looks/benefits of it in the mean time.

 

[Ingineer]

Carry a $8 plug kit. ($8 delivered no less!) The Nissan compressor can be used without the "goo" and will re-inflate the tire just fine after it's plugged. You can plug a tire on the side of the road in mere minutes, no need for a lug wrench or jack.

A plug will not work if you have sidewall or heavy damage, such as a big slice, but It's worked on every flat I've had in my entire driving experience. (except that time when I was was 17 and hit a curb, but I'll chalk that up to being a teenager.)

The key is to IMMEDIATELY STOP DRIVING the minute the tire deflates. The TPMS should give you a warning light when this happens. If you "try to make it" you'll destroy the tire, and possibly your TPMS when the tire demounts itself from the bead.

-Phil

 

[dgpcolorado]

Carry a $8 plug kit. ($8 delivered no less!) The Nissan compressor can be used without the "goo" and will re-inflate the tire just fine after it's plugged. You can plug a tire on the side of the road in mere minutes, no need for a lug wrench or jack...

Some pliers to pull the nail or other object may also be helpful. If it is flush with the tread it might be difficult to get out otherwise.

 

[TomT]

Yep, and a small towel to kneel on and nitral gloves completes my kit...

Carry a $8 plug kit. ($8 delivered no less!) The Nissan compressor can be used without the "goo" and will re-inflate the tire just fine after it's plugged. You can plug a tire on the side of the road in mere minutes, no need for a lug wrench or jack...

Some pliers to pull the nail or other object may also be helpful. If it is flush with the tread it might be difficult to get out otherwise.

 

[Ingineer]

Some pliers to pull the nail or other object may also be helpful. If it is flush with the tread it might be difficult to get out otherwise.

Good point! I quickly forget that the bulk of the population doesn't carry a Leatherman! =)

I never leave the house without mine.

-Phil

 

[dgpcolorado]

Some pliers to pull the nail or other object may also be helpful. If it is flush with the tread it might be difficult to get out otherwise.

Good point! I quickly forget that the bulk of the population doesn't carry a Leatherman! =)

I never leave the house without mine.

-Phil

I just turned 10,000 miles this morning and no flats thus far, despite the rough roads I often drive. (I think the drastic reduction in house construction here means fewer nails and screws on the roads.) But I've been carrying a plug kit and pliers, as suggested here at MNL, since I got the car because I know a flat will happen someday. Arranging a tow out in the boondocks is not a very attractive option; I'd rather fix it, if possible, and be on my way.

 

[RonDawg]

The key is to IMMEDIATELY STOP DRIVING the minute the tire deflates. The TPMS should give you a warning light when this happens. If you "try to make it" you'll destroy the tire, and possibly your TPMS when the tire demounts itself from the bead.

I'd like to add that the desire to save your TPMS and tire should be weighed against the hazard of stopping in a particular place. Sometimes it is better to drive further (at a much slower speed) to a safer place to stop, and risk destroying the tire and TPMS, than to stop on a narrow freeway shoulder and risk being struck by a car going 70+ MPH because the driver got distracted.

When I learned to drive 30+ years ago, my father told me he'd rather I ruin a tire and rim than risk changing a tire on the freeway. Imagine the increases in driver distraction since then.

 

[Ingineer]

Good point!

 

[mark1313]

Im glad I had a spare tire in the Leaf...Yesterday I heard a loud sound while driving the Leaf.. A sharp rock I guess kicked up and hit the wheel-well and punctured the inner side wall and caused a flat tire,the tire is ruined Discount tire wanted $190 for a tire Oh well at least its new ...The Leaf has 26k miles on the tires but they look like they have gone 40k...

 

[LeftieBiker]

I've ordered a Dynaplug kit, a new kind of plug kit that eliminates the reamer and uses a better-designed plug instead.

 

[UBUYGAS]

$190!?, the 17" Michelin's on my 2013 SL are $131 at the dealer but I bought an extended warranty that covers the wheels and tires for 5 years for $750. I've used one tire so far. So I need to use up another $619 to break even in the next 4.6 years.

Here's a Thread that shows how I added a Spare Tire to my LEAF without losing any Trunk Space: http://tinyurl.com/mhbds49" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Im glad I had a spare tire in the Leaf...Yesterday I heard a loud sound while driving the Leaf.. A sharp rock I guess kicked up and hit the wheel-well and punctured the inner side wall and caused a flat tire,the tire is ruined Discount tire wanted $190 for a tire Oh well at least its new ...The Leaf has 26k miles on the tires but they look like they have gone 40k...