After seeing the valve caps "disappear" from my Lexus IS for the third time, at $25 or so to replace each set, I decided it was time to go to the local auto parts store and find a less expensive replacement. They were metal and for $4 seemed like a good deal, or so I thought.

Fast forward from last winter...as summer ended and fall approached the temperatures started to drop to the 40s overnight, and my tire pressure light started to go on in the mornings, so I figured it was time to check the tire pressure. However, when I tried to take the caps off, they were stuck. So I grabbed a pair of pliers and tried to loosen the caps... still no luck. Sprayed some WD 40 on the valve stem to see if that would help..no luck. Used my channel locks to see if that might work. Grip was better, but suddenly I heard a snap, and the sound of air rushing out of the valve stem..I had snapped the valve stem. Crap.

Not wanting to try my luck further, I stopped, put on the spare and headed up to my local tire shop. I was planning to buy new tires in the next couple of months so I decided to have them do everything at the same time. I explained my situation and they said they would see if they could get the valve caps off. They warned me that if the valve stem breaks, since it is attached to the TPMS, a new TPMS unit must be installed ($122 per wheel). They called a couple of hours later and said that the new tires were on, but all of the TPMS/valve stems had to be replaced. Also, when you replace the TPMS, the new ones have to be registered with Lexus. You have to take the old TPMS to Lexus and they have to initialize the the new ones. Otherwise the TPMS system is inoperable. Only Lexus can do this. So I took the car to Lexus, and when I called they said the could do it, but hit me with a $150 to initialize the TPMS. I thought this was a bit steep, especially after paying $488 for the new TPMS.

So what did I learn? Don't use cheap metal valve caps which can corrode and fuse onto the valve stems. I now have the Lexus OEM valve caps and if I have to replace them again I will use plastic.

I can't blame Lexus for this, since I was the one who used a non-Lexus part. Hope this helps others avoid the problem I unwittingly caused for myself.

 

Are you kidding me? They charged you to pair the TPMS? I put a new set of tires on and for some reason the car did not see the TPMS sensors, so I went to the dealership, and they rematched them to the car. It took two minutes, and it was free.

 

My F is serviced exclusively by the dealership, and by one technician only.

 

i can't believe lexus do this to you

 

Oh, I can. Dealerships, irrespective of the make they represent, have a nose for when they have a "live one" on the hook. In a sense he did it to himself trying to use the cheap-o valve caps that fused to the the valve stems.

 

Dude!!!! you should have bought this instead!!!


I bought them from ebay, 10dls the set!!!!! they r oem quality!! and u can get a SET of tpms in ebay for $150!!!!

 

Lexus dealerships usualy respect themselves and their customers.

 

I had heard from my local Discount Tire store the last time I put tires on my wife's car, that there is an issue with dissimilar metals with the TPMS valve stems. The stems are aluminum and if you use chrome steel caps, like I wanted to use, there can be an issue with dissimilar metals that causes the valve cap to attach itself to the aluminum TPMS stem. Polished aluminum caps are OK, as are plastic. The dissimilar metals issue apparently happened to the OP.

Lou

 

Though not the dealer I bought the car from, considering that over the past several months, I had new brakes and 60k service which totaled $3k, plus another $4k to have the carpeting and defective a/c drain replaced, (for which Lexus corporate paid half), I think I probably spent a lot more than 99% of their other customers.

We are going back to the dealer next week because my GPS system says that I am somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. It won't hold calibration.

 

Why not just use the plastics ones that come on the car stock, well mine did anyways.

 

The TPMS that you can find on e-bay for that price were used, not new. Certainly this is an option, if you have the time and are willing to wait. I needed the car and the tire dealer could get every thing done the same day.

 

A good friend of mine with a 2008 VW GTI had one of his monitors snap off while filling it with air in Amsterdam, he took it to the dealer and it was replaced for free under warranty. He was a little worried because his car is US spec in Europe, but everything worked out fine. Something like this could also be covered, just play dumb about the caps not being OEM Lexus. Just something to think about.

 

Unless they made a change since the 2006 model, the stock ones are not plastic.

 

Interesting. So it wasn't rust, sounds like more of a chemical reaction between different metals.

 

When dissimilar metals are in contact, especially in moist or salty envionment a process called galvanic corrosion takes place. Look here for a chart showing various metals/alloys and the potential for corrosion if they are in contact. Aluminum is safe with mild steel but not with chrome plating or stainless steel. Gold works well though.