TPMS part of inspection?

[codenamepaul]

Anyone aware that the tire pressure monitoring system is required to be alarm free for your inspection starting this year? What a crock. Low tire pressure is not a safety issue. NO tire pressure is a safety issue, and I would suggest that if you need a hint that this is the case, you probably deserve a rollover to give the appropriate bonk on your head.

Disabling that crap tonite. Forever.

Rant off.

 

[chaser001]

Having the proper tire pressure is a crucial safety issue. Next to the brakes, the tires are the most important safety devices on your car. Incorrect tire pressure will compromise cornering, braking and stability. And in the worst-case scenario, improper tire pressure can lead to tire failure — and a serious accident. Incorrect tire pressure also will affect your comfort, fuel economy and tire life. http://www.cartalk.com/content/service-your-car-13

 

[calsdad]

Anyone aware that the tire pressure monitoring system is not required to be alarm free for your inspection starting this year? What a crock. Low tire pressure is not a safety issue. NO tire pressure is a safety issue, and I would suggest that if you need a hint that this is the case, you probably deserve a rollover to give the appropriate bonk on your head.

Disabling that crap tonite. Forever.

Rant off.

WUT?

 

[HuntMaine]

I had valve was faulty and would go off intermittently, the inspection guy said because it flags an issue I woudnt get a sticker. I went and fixed it, which was disabling it permanently...

 

[SeanT]

WUT?

At least I'm not the only one who thought that

 

[StumpJumper]

While I loathe tpms, low tire pressure is definitely a safety issue

You can thank ford and the rollovers for it (iirc)

 

[Keeper]

Anyone aware that the tire pressure monitoring system is not required to be alarm free for your inspection starting this year? What a crock. Low tire pressure is not a safety issue. NO tire pressure is a safety issue, and I would suggest that if you need a hint that this is the case, you probably deserve a rollover to give the appropriate bonk on your head.

Disabling that crap tonite. Forever.

Rant off.

1) IANAL - Your decisions, your problems.
2) Yes, low tire pressure is a safety issue. No question about it.
3) No, TPMS is not required in MA

http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/source/mass/cmr/cmrtext/540CMR4.pdf
https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=214

Any shop that says they have to fail you if the TPMS light is on, doesn't know what they're talking about. The only two lights that matter in MA that I'm aware of are the MIL and Air Bag lights.

I despise TPMS. Cars can use the existing ABS system for as a sufficient mechanism. TPMS is a major pain for those who swap tires seasonally.

 

[mattyw]

you need a better inspection station

or just stop getting an inspection

 

[Mattyd7]

In the winter, mine shoots an error. But it goes away once temps are in the 50s outside. My inspection sticker is in May so I never had a problem. But I wasn't aware it would be a reason to fail anyways in MA?

What I hate more about TPMS is that the stupid valve stems corrode and then when you need to replace them its $150 for a whole new TPMS versus $1 for a new old style valve stem. I've had 2 of them corrode and break on my wife's car and one on my truck in the past 3 years. That's almost $500 I've spent on VALVE STEMS!!!

 

[boilermaker]

What I hate more about TPMS is that the stupid valve stems corrode and then when you need to replace them its $150 for a whole new TPMS versus $1 for a new old style valve stem.

I believe there are two different systems that a manufacturer can use. Both my wife and I drive Toyotas and both have TPMS. I was told toyota uses an indirect system TPMS. My mother's Nissan just recently had two failures which I believe is a direct TPMS system.

 

[Spanz]

How exactly do you disable the TPMS system?? I was not aware you could.

If you just remove the TMPS sensors in the 4 tires, you would have a constant "low air" warning

 

[Deezul]

Tape over the light hehe

 

[PaulD]

You need to edit your post and remove a few negatives.

Anyway, low tire pressure absolutely is a safety issue. You can talk to Ford and Firestone for confirmation on that.

 

[PaulD]

I believe there are two different systems that a manufacturer can use. Both my wife and I drive Toyotas and both have TPMS. I was told toyota uses an indirect system TPMS. My mother's Nissan just recently had two failures which I believe is a direct TPMS system.

Some cars derive the information from the ABS sensors and, I assume, accelerometers. If one wheel is rotating more quickly than the other while going straight and it's doing it for a period of time, they assume low pressure. That seems like a lot less of a PITA than the sensors in the valve stems.

My wife drives a Toyota and it has sensors in the valve stems. That said, I can't tell if the system actually works. I know she's had a low tire a couple of times and the system never said a damn thing.

 

[jibbr71]

Rant 1/10

Inaccurate information, and telling me I deserve to roll my vehicle over because I don't subscribe to his inaccurate information

 

[dingbat]

Just got my sticker in May. My TPMS gizmos are on my snowtire wheelset so they weren't even on the car. Exclamation point blazing away on the dash....no problem.

 

[kayak1]

Some cars derive the information from the ABS sensors and, I assume, accelerometers. If one wheel is rotating more quickly than the other while going straight and it's doing it for a period of time, they assume low pressure. That seems like a lot less of a PITA than the sensors in the valve stems.

My wife drives a Toyota and it has sensors in the valve stems. That said, I can't tell if the system actually works. I know she's had a low tire a couple of times and the system never said a damn thing.

My Toyota Tundra has TPMS sensors in the tires and I know that it works. As for swapping tires you can pickup the Toyota software off Epay with a cable for ~$20 that will let you reprogram a number of items including swapping out the TPMS ID's. In the Toyota you can find details on the net as how to disable it, but I rather know about low air pressure early on.

 

[PaulD]

My Toyota Tundra has TPMS sensors in the tires and I know that it works. As for swapping tires you can pickup the Toyota software off Epay with a cable for ~$20 that will let you reprogram a number of items including swapping out the TPMS ID's. In the Toyota you can find details on the net as how to disable it, but I rather know about low air pressure early on.

Any idea if you can reprogram it to display the actual PSI? The hybrid version of my wife's car does that, but not the normal gas version. That's probably about 20 lines of code and I'm willing to bet it's simply shut off in the firmware.

 

[Asaltweapon]

GM lowered the sensor points on my 2500HD after I told them to. If anybody thinks I'm running around with 85 PSI and no load they can buy me new tires. I'm smart enough to fill them up when I need to.

Effin nanny state.

 

[HuntMaine]

How exactly do you disable the TPMS system?? I was not aware you could.

If you just remove the TMPS sensors in the 4 tires, you would have a constant "low air" warning

Took out the small led behind the dash and had the garage remove my air sensors from the tires and out in standard ones. The guy I spoke to originally stated if there was a failure light on they would not pass it. Whether he was full of sht or not im not sure but I can say that light will never shine again

Sent from the blind

 

[jron]

Low tire pressure is not a safety issue.

Your joking right?

if the tire is low enough it can severely affect your steering and braking.

yea, those are not important.... carry on.

 

[mclina]

How did people ever drive safely before TPMS systems? Oh yeah, they just checked their tires. Are we not smart enough to check our tires without a super-expensive on-board monitor?

As long as the inspection checks the tires, screw the TPMS system. I have those lights come on all the time when the tire pressures are all fine, including the spare.

 

[codenamepaul]

Well...I stand corrected. I went to the ma.gov site and it is not listed as a requirement. This was told to me by Monroe at BJ's in Auburn last month when we had new tires put on. Still pisses me off though. 2010 RAV 4 and the thing has been on intermittently since a few months after purchase 3 years ago. First new set of skins and they told me that tire goop was used and crapped the sensor, $80 to replace.

Oh, and if you don't check your tires regularly, you DO deserve a bonk on the head. You are putting money in the state's pocket with your added fuel consumption. DO NOT FEED THE BEAST. Far from a safety issue. Don't drive like an idiot and certainly not in a vehicle with a propensity for rollover.

 

[MisterHappy]

I dislike the things.

Here's the Wikipedia on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_TPMS

The light on my car would not be an issue.....on MsHappy's ....that's another story!

 

[Billsail]

Got a sticker in late April with a low tire pressure indicator light blazing away on the dash. My inspection station, usually very strict, said, "don't worry about it. If there is a "new" requirement to have it operational, I suspect it is another bone thrown to the shops. BS!!!

 

[calsdad]

1) IANAL - Your decisions, your problems.
2) Yes, low tire pressure is a safety issue. No question about it.
3) No, TPMS is not required in MA

http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/source/mass/cmr/cmrtext/540CMR4.pdf
https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=214

Any shop that says they have to fail you if the TPMS light is on, doesn't know what they're talking about. The only two lights that matter in MA that I'm aware of are the MIL and Air Bag lights.

I despise TPMS. Cars can use the existing ABS system for as a sufficient mechanism. TPMS is a major pain for those who swap tires seasonally.

Again - WUT?

I swap my tires every year - I've got one set of rims with snows and another set with the summer tires. The system finds and adjusts itself every time I swap them over - it just takes a few minutes of driving for the car to find the newly swapped in tires. I honestly don't think it's that much of an issue.

 

[PaulD]

Again - WUT?

I swap my tires every year - I've got one set of rims with snows and another set with the summer tires. The system finds and adjusts itself every time I swap them over - it just takes a few minutes of driving for the car to find the newly swapped in tires. I honestly don't think it's that much of an issue.

Not all brands do that.

 

[calsdad]

In the winter, mine shoots an error. But it goes away once temps are in the 50s outside. My inspection sticker is in May so I never had a problem. But I wasn't aware it would be a reason to fail anyways in MA?

What I hate more about TPMS is that the stupid valve stems corrode and then when you need to replace them its $150 for a whole new TPMS versus $1 for a new old style valve stem. I've had 2 of them corrode and break on my wife's car and one on my truck in the past 3 years. That's almost $500 I've spent on VALVE STEMS!!!

That's because the pressures in the tires are varying - it's not a problem with the TPMS system - the system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do.

 

[calsdad]

Not all brands do that.

Sounds like some cars have crappy systems. Places like Consumer Reports ought to start doing ratings on stuff like that. I only have one car (an Acura) - that has TPMS - and while I admit that the light coming on on the dash sort of pisses me off sometimes - the only times it does it (on my car at least) - is usually the first really cold day leading into winter. And that is because the system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do - which is tell me that the pressures are actually low. I've got a good pressure gauge - and I've found that the TPMS system is pretty much right on the nuts as far as what the pressures in the tires are.

TPMS systems serve a real purpose - I wish the wifes piece-o-crap VW Passat had one in it - it would have saved me from bitching her out about driving on a completely flat tires. That damn car loses air in 3 out of the 4 tires at such a rate that I have to fill them up at least once or twice a week. We put new tires on, put new valves in - and it still does it. The last time we were ready to put new tires on - I read on one of the VW forums that the inside of the rims should be epoxy coated because the rims themselves got porous and leaked - the mechanic I took it to to swap the tires - said that was BS - I was in a rush - so I said screw it and just had him swap the tires. Reminded him to clean the beads REALLY well to try and get rid of the leaks - but guess what a-hole mechanic - the damn things STILL leak.

Looks like the forum guys were probably correct.

Since I've gotten sick of swapping tires on that thing - now I just fill the tires up.

But a TPMS system bitching at the wife to fill up her tires every time the pressure was low - would save me the aggravation of having to do it.

I still don't agree that the government should be mandating these things though. I think - if they work well - they're a good to have - but enough is enough with the mandated safety crap.

 

[Billsail]

I have an issue with the failure rate. Some of these are failing after two years! At $150-$200 per tire, it's crazy money to pay for something that used to be monitored with a kick, or a thump.(or a gauge) Another nanny state intrusion into our freedom. (freedom to travel, unmolested!)


Edit: I was told by my mechanic, even overfilling by a couple pounds, or more, will cause the light to activate. They are VERY sensitive.