TPMS system

Yes, you can run winter wheels without TPMS. I don't see Kentucky being one of state requiring working TPMS for state inspection. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=214& There really is nothing other than small non obstructive TPMS warning light on right side of dash display. I just put a new winter wheel without TPMS on my PRIME. I have aftermarket external TPMS to monitor my tire pressure.

 

If you run tires/wheels without TPMS sensors you would only get the indicator icon lit on the dash board. If the tires with TPMS are stored in close proximity to the car, then the car could recognize the sensors intermittently and the icon light would go away when close to the sensors. A piece of electrical tape over the icon solves the problem.

 

One caveat to TPMS law is that, even though owner of the car is not required by law to maintain functional TPMS, the automobile service providers are required by law to not to “make inoperative” working TPMS. For that reason, you may have hard time finding a tire shop to put winter wheels on your car if you drive in with working TPMS in summer wheels. Some shops will agree to do the job without giving you too much hustle while others may require your written consent or simply refuse the service. To work around this problem, you can order wheels and tires on-line without TPMS and ask the seller to put regular valves and mount tires and balance them. You will have to change the tires on your own, but that is fairly easy to do.

 

I don't have experience with Blizzaks. I have had Michelin Xice Xi3 on my previous Gen3 Prius and now on my Prime, and am very happy with them. On Gen3, almost no mpg hit, and ride was very comfortable and felt very sure footed on snow. If you are going to look for tire and wheel combo, U strongly suggest to keep watching both https://www.tirerack.com and Discount Tire Direct | Tires and Wheels for Sale Online . They sometimes have super deals that will easily beats cost and footwork required to buy wheels and tires separately. With discount price and various rebates, I ended up getting enter set of MB alloy wheels and Michelin tires, regular valves and installation kits (hub ring and rag nuts) for total of under $450 (the price include free mounting and balancing and shipping. All I had to do was to swap the tires once delivered to my house.

 

Today I mounted my gen2 wheels with nokian studded tires and worn out tpms sensors, the light will go on, but if I were buying wheels I'd spend the 20$ per sensor and get them activated, the winters are seeing their second winter and last year I didn't know how easy it was to replace the tpms sensors and activate them.

 

That's what we do: stock wheels still have functional TPMS sensor, but the snow tires on steel rims, just have regular valves, so there's the little TPMS warning on the dash, every winter. In Canada it's completely legal.

In the States, even if you're in a State without an annual inspection that'll fail you for a tpms light, there's also federal regs that professional tire shops are obligated to send you on your way with functional tpms. Possible workarounds:

1. I suspect most will be stickler for the that reg, especially big box like Costco, who won't even air your tires beyond spec, lol. BUT, maybe some smaller tire places, independently owned, will look the other way. Too, I think I recall one ploy, they would call the customer into the shop, he had to turn a wrench or something, that technically let them off the hook. Absurd, but whatever works. Bottom line, phone around, see what the shops say on the subject. Try not to sound like a fed, lol.

2. Bring in loose rims, subsequently put them on the car yourself? Not sure if this gets them off the hook, might. Good ploy with snow tires too, to beat the last minute rush.

 

Don't forget Big Brother is watching and don't tear those white tags from your pillows.

 

I got problems with mine as i got tpms sensors bought in USA but I was told at Toyota shop that in Europe they dont have devices to register tpms from USA

 

Maybe Europe uses different transmitter/ receiver monitor radio frequency??