It's time for new tires and my original sensors are now 14 years old with at least one dead battery. For some reason I am balking at $275 for a set of OEM BMW 433mhz items
Has anyone here had luck with the inexpensive jungle site/ebay units? Did they last 6 months? A year? More?
These would be for an R55 Mini cooper S clubman if it matters.
RockAuto shows Schrader sensors for $23/ea. That's the direction I'd go.
obsolete said:RockAuto shows Schrader sensors for $23/ea. That's the direction I'd go.
Wally World tire installed 4 on the sons '07 Sentra for $125. No problem.
Hell, I don't even have good luck with the OEM BMW parts.
I've read the BRZ/FR-S/GR folks have had good with the off label TPMS from Tire Rack. $45/each is much better than $100+
I did Rock Auto several years ago and the batteries lasted 18 months. Dollar per month was more than Discount Tire and if the Discount Tire ones die that fast, they will replace them. I decided that having to spend all the money I saved just to cover labor on a replacement was not a real bargain. I go with a parts and labor warranty or I go without.
In OE land we frequently see problems with generic sensors I suspect this is generally a problem of installation or attempted programing.
I use cheap ones. I put 4 on my Cadillac in March. One died in July after I had a flat tire and used fix s flat to get home. Maybe cheap sensor maybe the side effect of fix a flat. I have access to tire machines so replacement was free which changes the economics a little.
I've had good luck so far. I have a second set of wheels for my ND Miata, but those sensors are $50+ at the dealership. Turns out the NC Miata sensors will sync up with the ND and cheapos are only $40 for a set of 4. It's only been a few months though.
I was planning to code out the sensors, after one died on my 128i this past spring, and revert the system to the (wheel speed based) indirect system it used elsewhere in the world. Turns out it's easier to just think of it as the "You have tires!" light... As long as it's lit, the car still has tires.
I've used the Schrader ones from Tire Rack. Worked fine, lasted years. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the source for the ones BMW would sell you.
NY Nick said:I use cheap ones. I put 4 on my Cadillac in March. One died in July after I had a flat tire and used fix s flat to get home. Maybe cheap sensor maybe the side effect of fix a flat. I have access to tire machines so replacement was free which changes the economics a little.
Oh, that was definitely the Fix-A-Flat. We have customers come in with TPM lights on, you take the tire off, and, particularly the green Goop, will have melted the plastic covering right off the back of the TPM.
In my experience, at a GM dealership, the aftermarket el cheapo TPMs are real hit and miss. I've seen some that work fine, but I've seen others do all sorts of things. They refuse to learn, or they learn and then the first time you cycle the key they drop out, or they learn but always read zero psi, or the randomly drop out going down the road.
In reply to NickD :
For the record I feel shame for using it but I was at the airport, had no spare and needed to get home. I took an Uber to the closest parts store and back. I knew I would be the poor sap that had to R&R the tire so play stupid games win stupid prizes. The can said in big letters "SAFE FOR TPMS SENSORS" but I didn't have a lot of faith!
Cheapest ebay sensors on the 2016 charger installed in early 2020 still going fine, stock sensors were bad after 3 years
I was looking at the Schrader branded sensors on Rockauto. They offer two different units with no information on what would make one the right choice over the other.
Seems like BMW/MINI reacts well to sensor changes. Just a few options on the stalk to reset to the new sensors.
I am likely being stubborn when it comes to the price of OEM. I mean, the batteries lasted a decade the first time around.
TL;DR: I would not recommend buying VDO/Continental TPMS sensors, and I've had poor luck with whatever Tire Rack sells as well.
In 2017, I bought 4 TPMS sensors from Tire Rack for the Focus RS. Tire Rack installed them, as I bought winter tires/wheels/sensors all at once. I don't know what brand they were, but my receipt shows they were not cheap ($36/each). One of them died a year later, and I had the tire shop replace it. Another one died a few months later. I went ahead and bought 4 Motorcraft sensors on eBay to replace them all in 2019, and they've been fine. The originals are also still fine.
My other experience is with a Toyota Tacoma. I bought 4 VDO/Continental TPMS sensors from Rock Auto for $58 total in 2020. I got them installed with my winter tires on a second set of wheels. I then drove around them hoping that the Toyota would magically learn the new sensors like the Focus RS does. It very much does not. So, I bought an expensive TPMS tool so as not to be dependent on other people for TPMS. Only, the stupid VDO sensors go into a "lock" mode if you drive on them without them being activated. Apparently, according to VDO/Continental, the very expensive snap-on TPMS tool will unlock them. I asked a tire shop with this tool to do this, but they were unable to do so. I'm not sure if they did the right thing or not. So now, I have a fancy TPMS tool that isn't fancy enough, TPMS sensors in my Tacoma's winter tires, and a TPMS warning light on all winter. Still. I would not recommend buying VDO/Continental TPMS sensors.
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