Tire pressure sending unit costs

[noseoil]

My 2007 Nissan Frontier has the (now) mandatory pressure sensors in the valve stems. There are internal batteries which expire after "about" 10 years. In my case it was 8 years, not 10. This throws an error code & is annoying

Called the dealership & their replacement cost is $250 per wheel, or $1000 for the vehicle. Checked with my local Discount Tire shop & the out the door price with tax, installed & computer re-set is $216.20. Anyone with this scenario can save some money by shopping around a bit. The parts are about $150.00 online, but I'm willing to pay a little to have them installed properly.

Caveat emptor!

[Archimedes]

That is pretty poor on the dealers part. The parts probably cost the dealer 50 dollars and they pay some guy 20 bucks an hour to pop the tires. It is honestly less than an hour job. So they think $900 dollars is fair profit? It's sad.

[3rdGenRigger]

I bought a pre-2007 truck just to avoid TPMS, stability control, and traction control. All of this garbage that helps the car "Drive itself" only works in certain situations and screws with you more than it helps in others, especially if you actually know how to drive and frequently drive on anything but dry pristine pavement.

[noseoil]

Yes, any vehicle made in 2007 & later has the Federally mandated pressure sensors on each rim and accompanying computer circuit. I bought the Nissan because it has a timing chain, not a belt which needs service every 100K miles. I didn't know anything about these sensors, first vehicle with them, but I'm learning. I have one free oil change left at the dealer's, but I'm thinking it will be my last trip to their "service" department.....

[jackknifeh]

If these things fail or battery dies or whatever, can you just keep driving the car? I mean is it a law requiring you get them fixed? The "federally mandated" is what concerns me. My car tells me when the pressure is incorrect on a tire. I assume this is the same feature you are talking about. But, I don't know anything else about it.

Jack

[jackknifeh]

If these things fail or battery dies or whatever, can you just keep driving the car? I mean is it a law requiring you get them fixed? The "federally mandated" is what concerns me. My car tells me when the pressure is incorrect on a tire. I assume this is the same feature you are talking about. But, I don't know anything else about it.

Jack

PS edit
I got a message on the dash that the pressure was incorrect on the right front tire. From the indications I got I could have kept driving it forever. If I were pulled over for not stopping at a stop sign and the cop sees the message about incorrect pressure on my dash will I go to jail? :eek: :)

[Evil D]

One more reason I'm glad I drive older cars and always will.

[jackknifeh]

One more reason I'm glad I drive older cars and always will.

You used to be able to replace starters and the like with just basic mechanical skill. Now you need to be knowledgable in computer equipment to tell you whats wrong with your car. With the right equipment and someone who knows how to use it you can troubleshoot a problem quickly but you can't do it yourself and it cost many moneys. :mad:

[Evil D]

One more reason I'm glad I drive older cars and always will.

You used to be able to replace starters and the like with just basic mechanical skill. Now you need to be knowledgable in computer equipment to tell you whats wrong with your car. With the right equipment and someone who knows how to use it you can troubleshoot a problem quickly but you can't do it yourself and it cost many moneys. :mad:

Yeah it's all a racket man, just sucking money out of us. I can do anything on my Mustang..literally anything, from pulling the engine to rebuilding it, modifying it, you name it and I don't need a laptop to do it. Granted, there are many advantages to modern engines, like higher mpg and in some cases even higher horsepower, but when it's time to pay for repairs I'm happy I don't own anything newer than an '04.

I came very close to buying a '92 Volvo 240 wagon recently. If I hadn't spent all my refund on the Mustang, I would have. Those things will run for a million miles.

[noseoil]

About the Volvo, they will run as long as you keep putting expensive parts in them from Sweden & Europe. I had two a few years back & am glad I sold them. The one I actually miss is the '87 240 wagon I did a turbo motor replacement in. It was a sleeper with IPD suspension, intercooler & plenty of non-stock parts...

Jack, the car will run fine with the tire light on and there are no problems with doing this. My concern is that if I have a tire going flat (like 2 weeks ago after work), I will not know before it's destroyed by driving under-inflated. There are plenty of people on the Nissan forums who have used a 1/2" piece of electrical tape to solve the problem, just cover the light and keep going. Since I'm planning on keeping the truck & using it to pull a trailer, I'm just going to spend the money.

Stay away from the dealership if there are better alternatives.

[3rdGenRigger]

Yes, any vehicle made in 2007 & later has the Federally mandated pressure sensors on each rim and accompanying computer circuit. I bought the Nissan because it has a timing chain, not a belt which needs service every 100K miles. I didn't know anything about these sensors, first vehicle with them, but I'm learning. I have one free oil change left at the dealer's, but I'm thinking it will be my last trip to their "service" department.....

Not sure about the law where you live, but where I live it's definitely not illegal here to not replace them...you just have an annoying light on the dash. They read off frequently here even if the sensors work due to the rapid temperature changes we get here in the winter when we get chinook winds. The temperature here can rise 30 degrees Celcius (~56 F) in a matter of several hours. Just a couple hundred km South of Calgary (~120 miles) the record temp change is -19C to 22C in one hour (-2.2 F to 71.6 F), which as you can imagine plays havoc with tire pressures and therefore the corresponding sensors.

Put some black electrical tape over the light if it bugs you, or if you really care you could always pull your gauge cluster and remove the LED for that particular light. I'd be tempted if any of my 4 vehicles had a TPMS light because winter messes with them, and I offroad several of them and intentionally lower my tire pressure for more grip off road.

[remnar]

My wife drives a 2012 Nissan Cube that we bought new. The first time that we replaced the tires (not too long ago) we were told that the sensors were not working and needed to be replaced. I can't remember the cost but it was more than I wanted to spend. We're still driving the car with the bad sensors and I'm not worried about it at all. In this car there is no warning light on the dash for this so there is no need for black electrical tape. :D

[3rdGenRigger]

My wife drives a 2012 Nissan Cube that we bought new. The first time that we replaced the tires (not too long ago) we were told that the sensors were not working and needed to be replaced. I can't remember the cost but it was more than I wanted to spend. We're still driving the car with the bad sensors and I'm not worried about it at all. In this car there is no warning light on the dash for this so there is no need for black electrical tape. :D

I call the fix the same name as I do when I cut myself (Which isn't often fortunately...3 times in a decade with my Spydercos and once with my Olfa knife)...a Rigger's Band-Aid.

[spyderg]

I was told they would be about $40 per tire for my 07 Ridgeline by Honda and by local tire shop. Lucked out and haven't needed it done.