S2000toIS350

Here are a few points to help you avoid what I have been through on this.

When buying a second set of wheels, if you choose to go with pressure sensors, make sure your receive the seven digit serial numbers for all four sensors.

When speaking with your service advisor, be sure to tell them you want the second set of wheels set as 2nd set on the car's display.

Okay that sounded simple, but here is my real world story.

I buy my full set of wheels, sensors and tires from a dealer and have them shipped to me.

From the owner's manual info I just figured I needed to bring the car to a local dealer to initiate them.

I put the wheels on at home, brought them to a local dealer (by that time I had driven over 20 miles so the check system light went on).

The tech at the local dealer tells me they need the serial numbers.

I get a hold of the dealer who sold me the wheels and in a few days I have a set of serial numbers.

I bring the car back to the local dealer, give them the serial numbers and they go to work.

Not so fast, as the tech tells me one serial number is missing a digit.

I call the dealer who sold me the wheels and they do not have the digit.

Now the car will have to go in again and the tech will have to break down the wheels until they find the sensor with the missing digit.

Before I can get back to the local dealer who has made two honest tries at this, the seat belt fails.

It's Sunday and only one local dealer has service open (have not been to them for services before).

I bring the car in, they give me an ES loaner and 11 days later I have my car back with a new seatbelt and the sensors initiated.

Sounds good but not quite.

On the way home after driving 20 miles the check system light comes on.

I left a message for the service advisor and he called the next morning.

I went out to the car and the new wheels had been set as main (whay they would do that is a mystery when I told them these are the second set plus they are G Spiders with snow tires).

I run throught he screens on the car changing back and forth from main to 2nd etc. and the check system light will not go out.

The service advisor is OK with me going to another dealer near my house (I had not been there yet) to have it looked at.

These folks find one of my sensors is broken and they want over $300 to make things right.

I get back on the phone with the other service advisor and he tells me to come back to them.

I let him know how happy I was was that I paid him to intiiate the sensors, his guy broke mine and sent me on my merry way,.

They had his service manager hash it out with the dealership I was at.

While waiting for this to be resolved I hear the Nextel call in the hall where the previous dealer telling these folks to call it a warrantee thing. The guy near me was repeating it was "broken".

A few minutes later, the service advisor at the dealer I was at, let me know it would be done at no charge.

Almost there.

I picked up the car form the tech and he told me they set the wheels to main.

I asked why he would do that and he replied that he was not instructed to set them as 2nd.

That being said I am not sure if they erased the serial numbers for my summer wheels.

That will be a mystery until this spring.

I have not gone 20 miles since the new initiatiion yet so wish me luck about the system not throughing a code this time.

There is a happy ending financially.

I had been working with Lexus customer service and they have offered a very reasonable $$ solution for my heartburn. I will disclose the details after I receive confirmation this coming week.

So one more time, get the full seven digit serial numbers for all four sensors and make sure your service advisor understands you want the wheels set as 2nd.

knox_sport

Sorry for asking a newb question...

So if I get a second set of wheels, I've got do something with the tire pressure sensors? Help?!

S2000toIS350

Yes, you need to take the car to the dealer.

The wheels with the new sensors have to be on the car.

The tech will plug the car in to the computer and key in the serial numbers for all the sensors, then initiate the sensors to the car.

dkaplan435

You could always do what I did, and that is to purchase the extra set of tires from the dealer, and have them installed on the existing wheels (and using the existing TPMS).

I paid a premium by buying the tires from the dealer, but I avoided the headache of TPMS and they are storing my summer tires until the winter is over. Then they'll mount my summer tires again, and store the winter tires until needed.

Cheers,

Dave

shox

Aftermarket wheels come with sensors? I'm so lost in this, I have no idea how to put aftermarket wheels on a car that has tire pressure sensors.

S2000toIS350

Just think of the sensors as substitute valve stems.

When you purchase eplacement wheels, you can go without the sensors and use the $3 stems.

With that set of wheels on the car you will have to live with the check system warning lit up all the time.

If you go with the sensors they cost about $100 each.

You will also have to find out if the sensors will fit into the wheel you like.

I believe one of our members mentioned that some two piece wheels may not accept the sensor.

SilverBolt

I am going through a similar scenario with my 2006 Toyota Tacoma. Bought a second set of wheels, tires, and sensors. I had insight to need the serial numbers so I did copy down those and the location each one went to. My problem now is the dealer can't access the system on the truck to activate the new sensors. One other thing to watch the reader on the vehicle has a pretty strong signal. My old wheels with sensors are stored about 10 feet from where I park in the garage. As long as I pak in the garage at night the light resets. If I drive for 30-45 minutes it comes back on. On the Tacoma it is a stand alone system and does not interface with the ECU. My plan is to located the wiring diagram and disable the system. I check my tires weekly and intend to continue doing so.

dennis250

Weird. My MINI came with runflats and has a tire pressure monitor system. I just went and bought aftermarket wheels like normal. Driving to work one day the sensor went off. Low and behold my rear tire was flat from a nail. So the sytem still worked.
I guess MINI has a different kind of system?

lexusondubs

iTrader: (9)

so what was the outcome did you go the 20 miles yet ?? are they initiated properly ?? good luck

kensteele

This is sorta what I did. Use my existing. However, my tires and wheels are in my garage.

BradmanOH

I also had quite an adventure with my tire pressue sensors. (My post got moved to the tire forum)

The main thing to get is the serial numbers off the sensors. Then you have to get the Lexus dealer to program the car to listen to the sensors and program the new tires as 2nd.

I had one of my sensors broken (probably from the numerous mount/dismounts) and it was about $175 to replace it at the Lexus dealer. Finally it looks like everything is working OK.

Bradman

Bichon

Didn't the tire shop assume responsibility for the sensor if they broke it?

dkaplan435

Best of luck getting any tireshop to admit anything, from breaking your sensor to scratching (or worse) your wheels.

Dave

Audball

You are correct - the MINI does not use sensors inside the wheels, and instead uses rotational speed difference measurements to alert you that there may be a pressure problem. (I own an '02 Mini Cooper S with aftermarket wheels, tires, and tons of other goodies, BTW).

shox

So you can use the stock sensor stems on aftermarket wheels? Or do you NEED to buy new sensor stems? And does tire brand and size affect the sensors at all?