A recent car inspection resulted in my old car passing, but the inspector showed me the cracks in the Goodyear Eagles that were mounted on the rear wheels. The Mr. Tire location only stocked 2 tires for me; both good tires. Knowing that I need 2 new tires forced me to shop Tire Rack for the 2 tires, and 2 new TPMS sensors. Should I buy an extra sensor? My car is 8-years-old, and I had a sensor replaced last year. My driving is mostly city driving.
I’m confused about a few things here.
First, are you saying you got two tires from Mr. Tire and you’re getting two tires from Tire Rack? If so, are they identical tires?
Second, why did you get two new sensors now? Had they failed? Why are you considering getting an extra sensor now?
Just find a good tire shop and get four new tires and new sensors if you want piece of mind. Rotate every 5000 miles and just drive on.
I’m also confused why the need for new sensors. My first vehicle with TPMS was my 05 4runner. My wifes 07 Lexus has it and my 14 highlander also. So far I’ve had to replace a total of ONE TPMS sensor with a combined mileage of over 550k miles.
I did not get the tires at Mr. ire, I only looked at them. Tire Rack is where I want to buy the tires, and TPMS sensors.
This sounds logical, thanks again. Should I buy new sensors, like once a year? I am not used to them yet.
You should buy new sensors when the old sensors break, and not before.
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Okay, that means I can wait a little more on 2 of 'em, but I will get new ones with the new tires. THX
If the tire sensors on the tires that you are replacing still work, they do not need to be replaced. Did the tire shop tell you that you have to replace the sensor when you replace the tire? If so, they are lying to scam you out of money.
So you’re saying that you’re buying only two tires and you’re getting them from Tire Rack. Are they the same tires as the two that you’re keeping on the car? It’s not a good idea to mix different tires, as your car could end up handling poorly in low-traction situations and emergency maneuvers. Actually, it’s also preferred to have matching tread depths on all four tires given a choice.
You still didn’t say why you’re replacing the two sensors.
No, the tire shop only told me to replace the tires, and I trust them. Tire Rack upsells, like many marketers, so when you add a tire, or 2 into your virtual shopping cart, a special for TPMS sensors will appear, making an amateur like me think I should buy sensors too. I only have 1 “odd” tire, but I was assured that this will not result in anything “bad,” and it has been a year of normal driving on city, and highway roads. I think the answer is to wait for the sensors to die before buying new ones. Dang! Why add them to cars? They are more of an annoyance, than a good feature. I’ll just buy the tires from Tire Rack. Thank you to all who answered this question.
goodyear eagles? uhh, low on my choice of preferred tires. are you also saying you willhave (2) 8 yr old tires when all is said and done? why not get 4 new better tires? from a local dealer who will offer local service?
Sensors only need to be replaced when they fail. I sold my 05 4runner a couple hears ago with over 300k miles and still had the original sensors. Not sure who told you these are maintenance items.
You should buy new sensors when the old sensors break, and not before.
…and even THAT is debatable.
TPMS is not a cause to fail inspection in PA. Given that I own a tire gauge, and actually USE it, I’ve told tire stores “not one red cent” will I pay on TPMS replacement.
do you put a piece of tape over the low tire pressure light?
No, I just kinda squint my eyes and tell myself they’re Christmas tree lights…
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I’m personally a fan of being able to hit a button and see all 4 tire pressures on a screen in the gauge cluster. I know not all of them have that functionality, and I agree that the ones which only have an idiot light are of limited utility, but for the cars that do do it right, it’s really nice to have.
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Then you have to find a place that will mount them and if you have them sent to your home you will have to haul them to the place that you choose or a tire rack shop. You are making this way to complicated.
Sensors older than 10 years or so should be replaced along with the tire. The sensor’s batteries will often start to fail about that time, and if the sensor is replaced along with the tire it saves the trouble and expense of having to remove the tire to later replace the sensor. Whether to not replace a sensor at 8 years, its a bit of a gamble, but if you tend to replace tires every 3-4 years there’s a good chance the sensor will last at least until the next tire change. .
I just went through this yesterday with the tire shop. I wondered whether I should replace the sensors or not when getting tires but they said no, just leave them alone unless they go bad. Then just do the one at a time. The batteries seem to last a whole lot longer than predicted.