I have a major problem. I bought my 2008 Nissan Sentra new, and have replaced one of my sensors 4 times already. I was looking around for a recall, but was told I didn’t qualify for it during a vin check with nissan. I live in PA and I did put a lot of miles on the car, about 55000, so it is a lot of snow and salt in a short amount of time, but surely they should be more robust than this. Anyone have any ideas?
I understand that the sensor in each tire contains a battery that powers a small transmitter. It sends data up to the ecm periodically. The transmitter wakes up when you start driving.
One would imagine that the more one drives, the faster those little batteries die. Not sure what the average lifespan of those things is, though. They could have made those sensors differently, much like the way RFID tags work where it gets power from being in an RF field, but they chose to use batteries - I assume so they can replace them and charge you periodically.
Big Surprise.
If you know your tires are filled properly and you are in the habit of checking it periodically, I’d just put a piece of black electrical tape over the light and be done with it.
If they legitimately have to be changed four times in less than 4 years, TPMS really is just more an annoyance than an aid, imo.
Hi RemcoW thanks for your response. The one thing though. I know the valves are leaking. When the light goes off, the tire is low, but it’s not the tire, its a crack in the valve that I seem to keep developing, tire indiscriminately. One I do know was from a collision with some road debris on a highway (crappy accident, but not typical of my driving, I promise). Any other ideas?
Sorry I misunderstood your problem, assuming it was a false alarm.
That’s horrible.
What does the dealer say, after you bring the car back with the same problem they apparently fixed four times?
If it is a problem with the valve, them swapping it and charging you for it just should not be acceptable.
Have you tried writing the Nissan mothership? I’d take that up with them.
Is it always the exact same wheel, or is it whatever wheel is installed in the same position of the car?
If its always the same exact wheel, I would suspect a manufacturing defect in the wheel that is damaging the valve stem during use.
It its whatever wheel is installed in one position of the car, then chances are you are hitting curbs and potholes more often with that tire. That’s on you to correct.
BC.