So, I am looking at picking up a new set of wheels to replace my stock 15" wheels on a 2010 Prius IV. Looking to go to a 16" with all seasons and then putting snow tires on the 15" wheels this winter. The new wheels will likely come from Discount Tire and I see that by default it adds a TPMS rebuild kit which will be used in the transfer of the existing system to the new wheels. Is it imperative that the wheels have this system in place? I'm fine with having them in the primary wheels, but not really crazy about spending a couple hundred bucks on a second set of tpms sensors for snow tires which will only be used a few months out of the year. Thoughts and opinions much appreciated
If you swap out your 15" wheels to the 16" wheels, you can swap out your 15" wheels TPMS to the 16" wheel. If you decide to use a different set of TPMS from Discount Tire and not the original TPMS, you'll have to bring it to the dealer for them to use their TechStream to have it set to the new TPMS sensor since that sensor isn't the original. Every TPMS has a set serial number that is already set to the ECM, so if you use a different TPMS, you'll have to have it set up to that new TPMS so the ECM recognize that new TPMS serial number. I hope that wasn't confusing to you. lol
Ok... So if I do the swap and pull the TPMS from the 15 for the 16", what happens if I don't put anything in the 15" and then mount some snow tires on them. Will the ECM flip out if there are wheels without TPMS installed? Personally, I'm content to worry about my own tire pressure anyway. Lol
If your wheels don't have any TPMS, it will have a tire light pressure. The ECM isn't able to communicate with the TPMS so it's sensing something is wrong, so it throws that light on and will be on until you have the TPMS back on the wheels.
There are tire pressure sensors that can be programmed with any serial number. The obvious numbers to use are the ones on your current set of tires. That way there is no need to reprogram the car for a different set of numbers. A potential problem is that the system could get confused if you store the not-in-use set of wheels within range of the receiver in the car. Moving the current pressure sensors between winter and summer wheels sounds like a terrible idea. Twice a year you'll have to demount all the tires, then remount and rebalance all of them. I'd rather stare at the TPMS warning light all winter than put up with such a make-work idea for Discount Tire.
As stated by previous responders; switch tpm sensors to the new 16" wheels.. Everything is good-to-go..! When you mount the 15" snows just cover the warning light with a small piece of black tape....
I'll likely buy some winter tires and am thinking I'll just skip the TPMS if I can avoid it. The light won't bother me, and I already spent plenty of years with a car with no TPMS and never found myself driving on some dangerously flat tire. Walk around the car when you are pumping gas.....notice the tire looks low....check it when you get home.
Yep, it's a small amber light on the far right of the display. No beeping involved and as stated a piece of black tape cures the the light. Go old school. How did we ever survive before TPMS?
FYI... I have a set of snows and opted not to bother with TPMS when I got them since Les Schwab didn't require them, and the light was pretty easy to ignore all winter. But as of Jan this year Les Schwab company wide cannot install a set of tires on a car with a TPMS system without the wheels having a set. So they told me next season I will have to pay for a set. May just have to start swapping out my own wheels, it was just nice to have it done for free.
My tire store (Belle Tire) told me that federal regs require them to only mount tires / wheels with TPMS on any car that came with TPMS. They initially didn't have the software to reprogram the Prius for a second set of sensors back in the fall of 2011, but they had it by the spring of 2012.
"Nanny State",,, and I'm a bleeding heart, tree hugging, left leaning liberal... But this is probably aimed at the shyster used car dealers.