My First Flat! And Other Concerns

I have no Gen 3, but when I hit a flat on my Gen 2 and had to run on the spare, of course the TPMS was always complaining a tire was low. The flat tire (sitting in the back) was flat! I'm not so sure the spare has any TPMS sensor.

 

You should always put the donut (little tiny spare tire) on the rear of the car. I realize it's more work, but it's much safer to have that crappy little tire on the rear than on the front.

The poster above me hit it on the had with regards to TPMS.

DROID RAZR ? 2

 

The TPMS light is on because the tire went flat & is not on the car. Even if the tire has air, if its removed the light will turn on. As for the extra road noise, this is normal with the compact spare.

 

be thankful you have a spare.

 

I wholeheartedly agree. If one of the fronts goes flat, change the spare for a good rear tire and place the good tire on the front. Safer handling is worth the time, and the time really isn't all that much more.

TPMS whining can be ignored.

 

There is no TPMS sensor in the spare.

I'm an "expert" regarding flats. Pearl had five, count them, five in the Nokian WR tyres! Vandalism. Finally figured out a stupid kid on a bicycle would ride into the parking lot while I was meeting with car guys and put nails under the tyres of the cars in the lot he didn't think should be on the road. Moron!

 

Right. The whining would be from the flat tire.

 

More than one TPMS system has been invented. One uses differences in tire rotation speeds to detect low pressure, though it doesn't work when all tires are similarly low.

This system uses a battery powered radio transmitter just inside the valve stem.

 

I think he was just being jealous - his plug-in does not come with a spare. They used that trunk space to hold a bigger battery, and throw in a compressor and a can of fix-a-flat instead.

 

I've had two flats in my 2010 since going into service back in July 09.

Yes, that temporary space saving spare is a noisey little bugger when you have to use it, but I am glad to have it back there. Naturally my first flat happened on the wrong side of the boarder on a Saturday evening. Good luck trying to find a tire repair person at any gas station these days, let alone on a weekend.

I am very interested in purchasing a plug in Prius, but have wondered to myself if a); that can of goop can fix most flats, and b); when you are in a situation requiring it to be used, does it destroy your tpm by filling it with a sealer that cannot be removed?

Again, my sympathies for the OP, I know how it feels.

Roland

 

Well, you are not supposed to be driving over 50MPH on the donut, and you are supposed to get the real tire patched and reinstalled ASAP.
The objective of a roadside wheel swap should be to get out of there as quickly as possible. I personally will not spend extra time on the shoulder of a highway making unnessary swaps, and risk getting hit by a teenager text messaging and driving...

 

Question: how long is that battery life and how do you replace it...remove the stem or take the tire off the rim?

 

I am sure the spare doesn't have the sensor. I just went through the same thing. The AAA guy warned me not to drive more than 25 miles before retightening the bolts. Also, not to drive more than 45mph on the highway. Another thing to note. It took two days to get a tire the correct size, so don't assume you can just drive in and they will have what you need to match the others.

 

I haven't had to deal with this yet, so haven't looked for the real answers. But my impression has been that most drivers will be replacing the tires before the batteries (lithium coin cells?) need replacement. The batteries are sealed inside the sensor, so replacement requires a new sensor assembly. This is inside the wheel rim, so the tire must be removed.

TPMS was mandated with the 2007 model year, so the first big wave of battery replacements has not quite yet arrived.

 

Wow, just imagine when one goes, the remaining 3 are sure to follow. Sounds expensive.