Tire pressure (and lack of)

@wavyonwheels Call a few tire shops near you and ask if they can install the monitors and if you are close to needing tires just do the whole thing at one time. Dealers are not really tire shops and their prices usually are higher for tires and batteries.

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I had one replaced not too long ago for $80.

I had a tire once that would lose a little over time. Soap is good but didn’t work on this one. Finally I took the tire off and somehow submerged the thing. About every 10 seconds or so there would be a little air bubble coming from around the valve stem and that was the problem. Sometimes they are so small you have to keep looking at it to see a bubble. Also had a trailer tire that would lose maybe 10 # over the season. Turned out there was a small nail (like a shoe nail) in it and sealed pretty good except for a small leak. Never know but there is always a reason.

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2012 Accord.
Did they remove them the next year??

Admittedly, this was about 4 years ago, but I paid only $45 each (including labor) for replacement TPMS sensors at Costco. If I have time when I’m next in the store, I’ll ask how much they are currently charging.

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Tire sales at a dealership aren’t a big profit center for them so they don’t necessarily invest in the best tire equipment or training for their technicians. It is a growing profit center but still small at present.

I personally find that Costco has the best equipment and best trained techs so I use them. Sam’s club, not so much. Had bad experiences at two of them. Most independents are also good but I have had issues with one of the large chain tire stores, but it is out of business now.

Modern alloy wheels usually do not have the porosity issues that early allow wheel had because of better casting techniques and better pressure testing machines that detect porosity. Porosity is a casting defect, aluminum does not develop porosity over time.

To find what your issue is, you need to go to a tire shop with an experienced staff that will find the source of your leak and fix it. No guessing. If your tires are close to wearing out, that is the tread is at or below 3/32", now would be a good time to replace all of them. This is the best time of the year for new tires because you have the advantage of deep tread for bad weather and cooler temperatures to break the tire in with.

If you need a new sensor, get all four. They typically have a service life of about ten years so you are due anyway, but I’d get them with the next set of tires.

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+1

I can’t comment on Wally World’s slightly upscale venue, but I can tell you that the tire operation at BJ’s is
 not good.

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Well it’s worse. I paid $85 with tax at Goodyear. $65 for the sensor (U-pro hybrid, whatever that is) with the metal stem, $15 labor, and $5 tax. In and out in about 30 minutes though, so what’s $40?

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I will give a call, maybe a good time to get new tires as these are 5 years old although still have lots of thread as I do not drive so much after retirement.

it still does happen on some new vehicles. all though you would think it should not. the 2018/2019 corvettes had that problem on some of their rims. the2020 c8’s are even having trouble with porosity problems with the tranny housing.

The shop I work at can not and does not try to compete with Costco, Discount Tire, etc when it comes to tire work. We also stock TPMS sensors and have the equipment to replace them. Our prices:
$55.00 for the sensor
$24.00 labor to break down the tire, install new sensor, and rebalance.
$44.00 for a programming/relearn event, same price for 1 wheel or all 4.
We rarely replace just 1 sensor, unless it’s a damage repair. Usually we find sensor batteries low. We recommend replace all 4 since they’re all the same age, sometimes we recommend waiting until the tires need replacement because then there’s no additional labor charge to install the sensors.

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Actually I think this might be the same tire that the sensor was replaced on about 5 years ago. Hard to tell with rotating. Since the others are 10 years old I did ask several times about replacing the others but they just recommended waiting. Looks like maybe the OEM last much longer.

I do not think any sensors were ever replaced.

That’s the way that I do it. When I replace my tires, I opt to replace all of the TPMS sensors at the same time, in order to save on extra labor costs a year or so later.

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Yes, for the 2013 Accord

I go to a local place tire place. A whole-in-wall place in one of the old Mill Buildings built during the industrial revolution. This place competes very nicely with Costco and the other chains. Their techs are far superior to the techs at the national chains. Many times I see the owner out there on the floor working.

Many good comments above about rim porosity, bead sealing, etc.
But as far as discount clubs:
Just me, purchased tires at a big box club, lifetime tire rotation included. Take vehicle to tire shop, drop off car for rotation. Wander around store for two hours, go back to the shop, same techs, standing in the same place talking, open bays, my car had not been touched.
My dealership: Competitive pricing, drop off vehicle for both oil change and tire rotation, driven home by dealership shuttle, picked up by dealership when vehicle is ready. Or make appointment, wait there, drink their coffee, eat their donuts, play games on my phone for 30 minutes. All for the same price as an oil change at one of the dreaded quickly lube places. But then, I am lucky to have an honest dealership with no unnecessary upsells or other shenanigans.

We can’t. We are a general automotive repair shop, and a profitable one. If we do tire work, it needs to be as profitable as the Mercedes timing chain job or the Chevy 100K service or the Ranger clutch job. We don’t bother doing tire repairs or snow tire changeovers. By the time I charged enough for it to be profitable here you wouldn’t want to pay the price.

Local vs Chain. I have gotten very good tire deals and service from local tire stores. But, once I bought a good set of tires with the lifetime warranty, but a year later I moved 150 miles away. It was then that I hit something in the road that tore a hole in my tire, not just punctured but put about an inch long slice in the tire. The lifetime warranty was no good for me.

That is definitely a downside to buying from a local store, but even chains have been known to use weasel clauses to avoid satisfying a valid warranty claim. Have you ever heard of anyone who was successful with AAMCO’s “Nationwide” Warranty? I haven’t


Well yesterday I finally got new tires at our local shop.
Continental EXTREMECONTACT DWS 06 PLUS - SIZE: 225/50ZR17
The price was 950 including new cloned sensors. That included 60 for each sensor/valve installed and programmed. The shop tech said the rims were corroded, I am not sure the worst leaker was as the fellow likely did not track which rim came from where and I was not sure he was getting everything I said.
The original valves where metal stemmed and the replacements were rubber which I was told was better as there would be less corrosion. The whole process took a bit over an hour and a half including 10 minutes waiting for a bay.
I have the old sensors and will have fun dissecting them :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Oh Happy Mother’s Day

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