Winter/summer tires.

From what I understand, you do not NEED the sensors on the winter tires if you are willing to ignore or cover the dash warning light.

If you do put new sensors on the winter tires, then a dealer would have to reprogram the car every time you change the wheels because the Prius only accepts 4 sensors. To keep the same sensors, you would have to remove both sets of tires from their wheels every season to remove and install them... and that just doesn't make sense to me.

$60 for a single unit sounds cheap to me. I though they were a couple of hundred each. Are you sure they are compatible with Toyota?

My plans are to just mount snow tires on separate 15" wheels without the sensors.

 

+1

I have my snowtires mounted and ready to go on steel wheels. I did not mount sensors in these rims. Yes I will have to deal with a warning light. No impact on the car's function other than that. I am waiting for the first snow to put them on though as I know my FE will be impacted.

 

There are two considerations regarding cost in getting a second set of tires equipped for TPMS. First is the obvious that you stated in your question - they cost around $60 each, and you'd need 4 of them.

Second is that fact that as an owner there's no procedure you can follow to 'register' the change from the sensors in the summer wheels to the winter ones (each sensor has an individual ID and the monitor has to be programmed to recognize them). So you have to go to the dealer to have them do that, and they will charge for the service. I did see in another thread about a tool that's supposed to let owners do that, that would shift the recurring cost of having the dealer do it to a one-time cost to buy the tool. I don't know specifically if the tool works with the Prius or not.

The simplest thing to do is not bother with TPMS in the winter wheels and just ignore the light if (when) it comes on. In my experience under just such conditions the light has only come on after an hour or so of driving (I guess the TPMS sensors get read when the car starts in driveway since the wheels with the sensors aren't far away and it takes an hour for it to alert to the missing signal). If it does bother you to see the light you could always get a small square of black electrical tape and cover it up (just remember to remove it when you put the regular wheels back on).

Hope this helps - my experience is with the Gen II system so it may be different in the Gen III (I'll find out this year!).

 

I think the tire pressure sensor with valve retails for a little over $100 each.

I don't think it's worth it. If I got separate winter wheels and tires I'd just skip the tire pressure sensors for the winter. Can't see spending $400 for the tire pressure sensors, then paying to have them installed, then paying the dealer $50+ to register the tire pressure sensors each time you change from the regular wheels to the winter wheels and from the winter wheels to the regular wheels.

 

I drove for almost 40 years without them, I'll live without them for my winter treads. They are on all three of my vehicles now and I think are to be standard equipment on all US cars soon. Hopefully we won't get to a point where the tire dealers are required by law to only install tires on wheels with them.

 

I posted in another thread about a standalone device for reprograming for your TPMS sensors.

If all you want to do is reprogram for your TPMS sensors, there is a $150 device that will do just that:

DIY TPMS Programming - Tool to Program your Own TPMS Sensors - Toyota Scion Honda - Toyota Forums :: Toyota Nation

Revolution Supply Co. - ATEQ TPM Quicket Device

If you do put new sensors in your winter wheels, this would pay for itself in a hurry. However, I'm inclined to go along with others on this thread and just not use any sensors in my winter wheels.

 

A related question:
i have a prius V with 17" wheels and have bought 15" 2008 prius wheels. i have been getting mixed answers about if they will bolt-up without problems. any thoughts?
-i don't have them yet, so i can't try them. was wanting to cancel order if they won't work. i have measured the calipers on both years and can't see any differences.
thanks

 

I just bought a 2010 model and am considering buying winter tires, which incidentally is something I've never bought for any previous vehicles. (We live is Southeastern Ohio in a fairly hilly area). My first question is does the Prius handle worse in snow and ice, than say, a Camry? If the answer is "yes" then where is the best place to find steel wheels for a good price? Thanks for any insight.

 

I've yet to drive my 2010 in snow but my 2005 with skid control and studded snow tires was a great car in the snow... as long as it doesn't get too deep. Without snow tires, because the traction control wouldn't let the wheels spin, it was pretty bad.

 

I started a post on steel wheels early on. Check it out and let me know if you have any other questions. I have my wheels ready to go as soon as it snows (real soon now).

Peter