NdYAG

I have been struggling with my ES300h handling in the snow since I got it.Occasionally I could not drive on even slight snow covered inclines unless the roads are plowed. I guess having a lighter engine up-front and a heavy traction battery in the back (compared to ES350) may be better for handling but definitely not for traction.

So I wanted to get dedicated snow wheels from the beginning but did not know what to do about the TPMS sensors. It seems that the sensors need to be reprogrammed into the car each time the wheels are swapped. This is big annoyance as other brands can just automatically re-learn new sensors on the go.

Well - I have finally found a solution. Turns out there are many companies that make TPMS sensors that can be cloned to to the same IDs as the original sensors. Swapping the wheels in this case is trivial as the car does not even notice the change. The cloneable sensors are $25 each and the tool to read the existing sensor IDs and program the new sensors is just $52.

So the total is:

• 4 "take down" 17" wheels from Camry SE from ebay , $400, used but essentially in new condition
• 4 Michelin X-Ice XI3 tires, 215/55R17, $500
• 4 Autel MX-Sensors, $100
• Autel MaxiTMPS Pad reader/programmer $52
• 4 tires mounting/balancing at Costco $56.
• 4 Lexus wheel caps from Aliexpress $8

Total out-of-pocket cost is $1,116.

I specifically wanted to get OEM Toyota or Lexus wheels so that they would have the right offset and center bore and work with the same non-conical lug nuts as the original wheels. They have the same strength of the OEM wheels (a rarity within aftermarket ones). Plus if some years down the road one of the wheels gets damaged I would always be able to get a replacement for ~$100 (also a problem for aftermarket rims as they are nearly impossible to find once the production ends).

Here is a pic of one the new wheels (just temporarily installed one to test the fitment and the sensor - to early for snow tires yet) :

MTD1

That is great. I just went thru the same process. Unfortunately I read your post after. I now have to reprogram my sensors each time I change wheels. Seems odd because My truck ( GX470) has 2 tire setting. The dealer was unable to get the vehicle to accept separate TPMS. It would only hold one set at a time. And I paid $106 for my monitors ($6 more). You did well. Thanks for the info.

GES

You live in South Carolina, why do you need snow tires?

MTD1

Happy to say I don't need snow tires! But add A/T tires for hunting season. They aren't much fun in the off season would rather have my Road/Michelins on the rest of the year.

Gypsyking

Hello, I'm in the process of finalizing the purchase of a 2016 ES 350 that has 45,000 kms. (approx. 28,000 miles) on the clock for C$ 30,000/US$ 22,700 (excluding taxes). The car comes with "Touring" package. Can you please advise if this is a good value?

As I live in one of colder states in Canada where the temperature dips to -30F in the winter, I would have to invest in a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires. The initialization of the 2nd set of the TPMS on the winter wheels was bothering me as I plan to swap the wheels/tires twice a year myself.

I have gone through your thread and wanted to thank you for the useful piece of information. I'm planning to order the Autel Maxi TPMS pad and 4 Autel MX-1 sensors. As I cannot find any Camry/Lexus wheels locally, I'm going to order a set of 16" wheels (I plan on downsizing) and a set of 215/60R16 Michelin winter tires from Tirerack.

Can I please request you to elaborate on the TPMS cloning process?

Thanks in advance.

NdYAG

I have finally mounted my new snow wheels yesterday and unfortunately the MX-sensors are not 100% functional. The TPMS light is off but I cannot read the pressures on the LCD. All I get is four sets of dashes "---" next to each corner of the car icon. The dashes mean that the car cannot determine location of each sensor. AFAIK Lexus uses 4 separate antennas at each wheel and determines location by looking at the strongest signal at each antenna. I guess MX-sensor signal has a different strength tham OEM which confuses the TPMS receivers.

The sensors do show up giving proper readout in Carista app - that is why TPMS light is off. If one of the wheels looses pressure the light will likely illuminate (I plan on testing this) - so the main purpose of TPMS is still being fulfilled.

To clone the sensors you need to know the IDs of the existing sensors. You can just hold the MaxiTPMS Pad next to each wheel to read the IDs. Then you just place a new MX-sensor on the pad and program it to the same ID.