Is a TPMS Stem Service Kit Recommended When Installing New Tires?

If you have the original tpms sensors from 2008, then it's best to replace them. They will all eventually fail one at a time. They normally go about 10-12 years and your set is way over that.

Good new they have come down significantly and the quality has improved a lot. You can get a set from Amazon for $45.99 at the USA Amazon website. I'm sure they have something similar if you search the Canadian site.

ROADFAR 315MHz Programmed Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor TPMS Sensor Fits For Lexus For Scion For Toyota 4pcs 4260706011 4260733011

 

As mentioned, typical battery life for an OE sensor is about 10 years (don't have enough time on aftermarket replacements to get a feel for their battery life). I usually service or replace stems with new tires. The OE is a metal (aluminum) stem, and that almost always has corrosion at the rim hole. If I'm installing an AM sensor I go for a rubber stem type- it usually has less corrosion problems.

Two options for "programming" new sensors. 1st is to have a TPMS tool that can write the IDs from the existing sensors onto the new AM sensors- ie "cloning" the old ones. There are TPMS tools that can "ping"The the existing sensors to read the ID code and pressure data. If a sensor is dead then OE sensors have the ID code on a sticker that you can read when it has been removed from the wheel. (Or you can use a high end scan tool to read the ID codes that are stored in the TPMS ecu).

2nd is for an OE sensor(or AM that already has an ID code). There you need a (high end) TPMS tool or scantool that can connect to your Prius via the OBD2 port and then "write" the new ID codes into the TPMS ecu.

That's the only ways that will work. Clone the existing IDs, or write new IDs. Both require fairly specialized tooling.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

If you buy the OEM sensors (Denso), I believe they require you to link them to your car before they can be activated. The Roadfar ones are identical but you just have to program the sensor codes into your car. Either way, you'll need to record the sensors onto the car's ECU. I've used 3 sets of the Roadfar brand sensors and they've been perfect. Can beat $45.99 for a set of 4

 

Or -- forget the TPMS. While shops aren't allowed to mount wheels onto your car that don't have tpms sensors there is nothing to stop you from having them mount the tires onto your rims and you put them on the vehicle at home. Saved me $200 on my winter tire purchase. Of course, I check my own tire pressure at least once a month -- including spare, which is not covered by TPMS anyway.

Kris

 

^ Yeah, just live with the TPMS light through winter, a lot less grief.

 

Never owned Gen2, but TPMS sensors are recommended to be serviced with a service kit every time the tire gets changed. Assuming it is an OEM TPMS sensor, the service kit consists of grommets, nuts, valve cores, and caps. It is specific to a type of TMPS sensor, so you can not interchange. The photo below is for the TPMS service kit for Gen3 and Gen4 Prius (including PP), but you should make sure that it would fit on your Gen2 TPMS sensor.

That being said, if your sensors are from 2008, it may be a good idea to go ahead and change all four sensors to a new one, either OEM or aftermarket. The battery in those sensors does die after 5-7 years. Yours is definitely overdue.

See this thread for more info: TPMS Service Kit | PriusChat

 

Sounds like a plan.

 

My TPMS are still the original and still work fine -- although I don't care if they work or not. My fobs still have the original batteries and still work fine. A couple of years ago I had a lot of time for reflection and decided to stop worrying about the little stuff -- and mostly ALL of the daily stuff I used to obsess over was little stuff.

As David Lee Roth so famously said:

"There are two rules to living well. The first is, don't sweat the little s***. The second is, it's all little s***. In other words, it's all okay. We may be lost, but we're way ahead of schedule."

Each to their own path -- as long as you make way at the appropriate time.

And, of course, everyone has their own threshold. For me, I like some small challenges -- like figuring out how to get in the Prius when the fob finally dies.

kris

 

Reading posts about TPMS light going on. I have a 2007 Prius Touring. It has reached the 200,000 Mike mark.
The TPMS light came on on a Sunday. Had a gas station check pressure to be on the safe side.
No shops open on Holiday.
Today, I had Les Schwab check and fill all tires, if needed. They said two were “just a little” low. Last year, I had one sensor replaced at Les Schwab. I think it came to $120. including labor. Question: my tires are in good shape. But to be safe, I want to fix the TPMS light (sensors) if needed. What is a generally good price for 3 (maybe 4) sensors and labor?

 

$120 for one sensor? Dang, shops are charging an arm and a leg for this.

On Amazon you can pick up 4 roadfar branded sensors for about $42.00. I would just have them install all 4 at once (better if you're doing this when installing new tires)