Do TPMS sensors have shelf life?

[qqzj]

I am thinking about buying an Autel TPMS tool from a private party. The deal is TS508 with 10 sensors for around $250. I need the tool to register the 4 wheels with Subaru OEM TPMS sensors (but not the sensors coming with the car). It should work, right?

Now about the sensors. I don't need them in near future. Maybe I need them in 5 years. So my question is whether the sensors can still remain useful by that time? Or, should I forget about the sensors and just go to eBay to buy the tool for around $200? The deal seems to be better with the sensors though.

BTW, I saw some old discussion where a free tool comes with 20 sensors. Is the deal still alive? Thanks a lot!

 

[RTM]

The sensors have batteries of some sort in them, so you can decide if they have a shelf life.

I am on my second set on my truck after 16 years.

 

[KnurledNut]

Yes, they contain a battery and slowly self discharge even at rest.
Check the date of manufacture on the sensors. They may already be aged. Subtract that from their 10+/- year life expectancy and your 5 year shelf span and you're not looking at much useful life.
I would wait and buy them when needed.

 

[4xdog]

I've gotten about 12-14 years out of TPMS batteries. They're not something I'd want to keep in stock for a later day.

 

[ambenz]

I am curious, if you buy new tire and have the tire company mount them, do they change the batteries in the pressure sensor?
I would think they would in order to minimize false low pressure readings after they install their product.

 

[Lucid Moments]

I am curious, if you buy new tire and have the tire company mount them, do they change the batteries in the pressure sensor?
I would think they would in order to minimize false low pressure readings after they install their product.

I don't think the batteries are replaceable. I could be wrong on that though.

 

[Vercingetorix]

I think the Autel TS508 can read the battery level on Autel sensors.

 

[4xdog]

I am curious, if you buy new tire and have the tire company mount them, do they change the batteries in the pressure sensor?
I would think they would in order to minimize false low pressure readings after they install their product.

I don't think the batteries are replaceable. I could be wrong on that though.

The batteries are encapsulated in a silicone potting compound. They're not designed to be replaceable or user serviceable.

 

[Neggy]

10 years is the expected battery life, in use.

Most TPMS sensors shut off when idle for more than a few minutes.

The OEM set in my 2007 Mustang still worked in 2020 (8300 miles on them) when I replaced the wheels and the sensors... which were 100 dollars for a set of 4 in the aftermarket by the OEM manufacturer.

I bet if I unpacked the OEM wheels and spun them the sensors would still work

 

[Wrench97]

10 years is the expected battery life, in use.

Most TPMS sensors shut off when idle for more than a few minutes.

The OEM set in my 2007 Mustang still worked in 2020 (8300 miles on them) when I replaced the wheels and the sensors... which were 100 dollars for a set of 4 in the aftermarket by the OEM manufacturer.

I bet if I unpacked the OEM wheels and spun them the sensors would still work

When they get old they start to die on long trips, left to sit overnight they come back to life and work for another 300 miles......................
I had that issue in the Tbird.

 

[cvairwerks]

Got to watch what frequency sensors you are buying, as there are two and not every vehicle can use both.

 

[WWheeler]

I think the Autel TS508 can read the battery level on Autel sensors.

Yeah but TPMS scan tools battery level readings are notoriously unreliable. Don't just take my word for it.

Eric O. @ South Main Auto: "Never trust the battery status over here where it says OK, just for the record."

 

[39CAMC]

As noted, the sensors shut off after a few minutes and don't turn back on unless there is a pressure change, so they should have a pretty good shelf life.

DaveW

 

[Neggy]

Hopefully, TPMS sensors will go away, with tone rings or speed sensors on every axle, and steering angle sensors that let the computer adjust for different speeds between the tires while turning corners it is a lot easier and cheaper to toss a code or light when one wheel has a disparate speed due to low inflation using software and existing systems.

 

[Wrench97]

Hopefully, TPMS sensors will go away, with tone rings or speed sensors on every axle, and steering angle sensors that let the computer adjust for different speeds between the tires while turning corners it is a lot easier and cheaper to toss a code or light when one wheel has a disparate speed due to low inflation using software and existing systems.

They used that system in the late 90's early 2000's and did away with in favor of sensors.

 

[ex-x-fire]

Yeah, we rotate our stock to use them in some order of age.

 

[GW Butch]

The OEMs seem to be going back to the passives. My 2019 VW Golf R and 2021 Audi both have the TPMS controlled by the wheel speed sensors. I used to make TPMS sensor circuit boards and my impression was they were a big warranty and shop time **** for the OEMs. When the weather turned cold, everyone showed up at the dealership with the lamp on, just needing a few more psi to compensate for the temperature. More trouble than they’re worth.

 

[HenryAZ]

I've been living with the TPMS warning light for about 4 years now. I've come to kind of like it. It looks right at home on my dash.

I've been legally licensed and driving since 1960, and never have had a flat except for one blowout. I learned how to eyeball check my tires and keep them properly inflated, long before TPMS came into use. I have caught low pressured tires at times, investigated, and found a nail or screw embedded. Straight to Big O for plugging.

Now if I could just find (or bribe) a Big O tech to replace the damn things with regular valves...

 

[exmaxima1]

I've been living with the TPMS warning light for about 4 years now. I've come to kind of like it. It looks right at home on my dash.

I've been legally licensed and driving since 1960, and never have had a flat except for one blowout. I learned how to eyeball check my tires and keep them properly inflated, long before TPMS came into use. I have caught low pressured tires at times, investigated, and found a nail or screw embedded. Straight to Big O for plugging.

Now if I could just find (or bribe) a Big O tech to replace the damn things with regular valves...

I'm not sure why it would make a difference. Many people have dedicated snow tires w/o sensors and the light still remains on when using those tires. AFAIK you need to replace the sensors for the light to go off. BTW, I've found that Walmart is the cheapest place to get new sensors---I paid less than $30 each (with programming) last year for my '08 and '09 cars.

 

[ambenz]

10 years is the expected battery life, in use....
The OEM set in my 2007 Mustang still worked in 2020 (8300 miles on them) when I replaced the wheels and the sensors... which were 100 dollars for a set of 4 in the aftermarket by the OEM manufacturer.
I bet if I unpacked the OEM wheels and spun them the sensors would still work.

Heck, I have 15 years and 99,650 on my sensors so I should expect a failure soon.
Good to know if I get a low sensor light, it maybe a battery failure or it may not talk at all and I will never know its dead until I get a blowout.

 

[02camaro86]

i had 200k on 15yr old GM sensors. just replaced them this year.

i wouldnt bother with the tool, unless you have the means to change the sensors yourself i just dont see the point.

 

[qqzj]

i had 200k on 15yr old GM sensors. just replaced them this year.

i wouldnt bother with the tool, unless you have the means to change the sensors yourself i just dont see the point.

I did change the sensors myself once. Before I bought new tires and had them installed, I asked around in the forums about the life of these TPMS sensors. Everyone told me that they will last 5 more years no problem. However, the sensors died the next week after the tire change. Can you believe how pissed I was?

I asked around and every store (Costco & Discount Tire included) wanted to charge crazy amount of money to install the sensors. So I just use floor jack, ratchet tie down and air compressors to changed the sensor myself. That was quite a workout. But I needed it anyway.

This time is different. I got two sets of wheels all with functioning OEM sensors. I swap the wheels from time to time. So this TPMS light gets really annoying.

 

[honcho]

Anything with a battery has a shelf life. 10 years seems to be the planned life of tpms sensors and it tracks pretty well with my experience. Recently, 2012 Honda Fit showing TPMS fault in cold weather. Tire pressures fine but when the temp creeped up the fault disappeared. Similar experience with 2007 Lexus a few years back.

Now if I could just find (or bribe) a Big O tech to replace the damn things with regular valves...

I'm sure you could find a tire place that would break the bead and take out the TPMS sensors and replace with a regular valve, you don't have to even demount the tire. I read somewhere about someone who took off his sensors and made a PVC pipe container that he puts the sensors in and pressurizes with compressed air via an installed schrader valve. He keeps the pressurized container of sensors under the back seat of his truck. Personally, I'd rather not have TPMS as a mandatory thing but for lots of folks who don't pay attention to their cars, it's probably a good thing.

 

[Wrench97]

You can change the sensors to regular valve stems but the light will remain on so why bother?

 

[RTM]

You can change the sensors to regular valve stems but the light will remain on so why bother?

Shhh, don’t spoil the surprise for him.

 

[HenryAZ]

Shhh, don’t spoil the surprise for him.

I know the light will stay on, I like it actually. My cluster wouldn't be the same without it.

The last time I had a plug done, it was taking a while so I asked the tech what was up. He was looking up a new sensor for my Tacoma because the one in the plugged tire crumbled (the part inside the wheel) and he was going to replace it. I told him not to bother since the valve part was good, and because I was used to the light. That experience led me to believe that the TPMS sensors themselves are more complex and possibly more prone to damage than just regular valves.

 

[Luciferi]

I have a ts508 but have not worked on a Subaru. The new oem sensors need ids already programmed into them, the ts508 cannot do that. You should be able to read the new oem sensors ids and then connect to obd port to write to the car. You also should be able to type in the new oem sensor ids instead of reading them.

 

[qqzj]

I have a ts508 but have not worked on a Subaru. The new oem sensors need ids already programmed into them, the ts508 cannot do that. You should be able to read the new oem sensors ids and then connect to obd port to write to the car. You also should be able to type in the new oem sensor ids instead of reading them.

Thanks for the info. The new OEM sensors come with a set of tires and wheels I bought from a brand new car. So they should have already have their own IDs.

I don't understand why I need to type the new OEM sensor Ids. I thought the process is to first scan the new OEM sensor IDs off each wheel, then the tool can remember those IDs. Then I connect the tool to my car and it will be updated. So the need to write them down is puzzling. I don't want to go thru the trouble to open up the tires and physically read the IDs from the sensors.

 

[Wrench97]

If the tool has the capability to retain and write the sensor ID's you don't.
Just make sure you are swapping the same MHZ sensors.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Hopefully, TPMS sensors will go away, with tone rings or speed sensors on every axle, and steering angle sensors that let the computer adjust for different speeds between the tires while turning corners it is a lot easier and cheaper to toss a code or light when one wheel has a disparate speed due to low inflation using software and existing systems.

Not nearly as accurate as the direct type with sensors in each wheel

 

[techkelly]

Heck, I have 15 years and 99,650 on my sensors so I should expect a failure soon.
Good to know if I get a low sensor light, it maybe a battery failure or it may not talk at all and I will never know its dead until I get a blowout.

If the battery goes dead the light will come on.

 

[techkelly]

Not nearly as accurate as the direct type with sensors in each wheel

The passive systems work until you have somebody that has 15 psi in each tire, seen that more then once. Or Honda's system were
it's easier to push the reset button than actually check the tire pressure.

 

[ex-x-fire]

If the battery goes dead the light will come on.

The light will flash when it's anything other than a low tire. Some cars have a TPMS fault light that will come on.

 

[nicks78camaro]

The passive systems work until you have somebody that has 15 psi in each tire, seen that more then once. Or Honda's system were
it's easier to push the reset button than actually check the tire pressure.

Bingo. That exact scenario happened to my sister's Matrix with indirect TPMS.

All the tires were around 13-15psi, and she said "what? But the light never came on??"

 

[Bubba Fett]

TPMS is far more trouble than its worth. New cars should come with a good tire gauge, with instructions printed on the back. I can think of few things that are easier to check.

 

[Handyandy23]

The OEMs seem to be going back to the passives. My 2019 VW Golf R and 2021 Audi both have the TPMS controlled by the wheel speed sensors. I used to make TPMS sensor circuit boards and my impression was they were a big warranty and shop time **** for the OEMs. When the weather turned cold, everyone showed up at the dealership with the lamp on, just needing a few more psi to compensate for the temperature. More trouble than they’re worth.

Those are both the same OEM (VAG) and I believe VAG always used a "passive" TPMS system, so they never used the sensors in the wheels. Pretty most domestic OEMs still use the sensors.

The passive systems are a lot easier for the user to deal with because you can swap winter sets or aftermarket wheels without having anything to reprogram.

 

[engineer2]

I had Costco install new TPMS sensors in our older Civic when I got new tires. They were 13 years old, but no "TPMS" light. They had no problem installing the set I brought to them. Extra $12 for o-ring seals. Pretty cheap, around $120 for a set of 4 from an online Honda dealer. 2 of the old ones were so corroded they got destroyed taking them out. The coin cell battery still had some voltage left.

It is not possible for them to be completely shut off. They will draw a minute amount of power while asleep and wake up at certain intervals to check the pressure and more frequently while in motion.

 

[exmaxima1]

My BMW was passive (indirect) as well as my son's Mazda6. Both cars are over 5 years old. I'm not sure if any new cars are going back to passive systems.

 

[WurthUSA]

I am thinking about buying an Autel TPMS tool from a private party. The deal is TS508 with 10 sensors for around $250. I need the tool to register the 4 wheels with Subaru OEM TPMS sensors (but not the sensors coming with the car). It should work, right?

Now about the sensors. I don't need them in near future. Maybe I need them in 5 years. So my question is whether the sensors can still remain useful by that time? Or, should I forget about the sensors and just go to eBay to buy the tool for around $200? The deal seems to be better with the sensors though.

BTW, I saw some old discussion where a free tool comes with 20 sensors. Is the deal still alive? Thanks a lot!

We have a deal at www.wurthusa.com for 20 sensors and the FREE Programming for $625 or $655 depending on if you choose the Rubber Snap or Metal Clamp Sensors. (Art No. TPMSTOOL1 & TPMSTOOL2) All sensors are Dual Frequency 315/433 MHZ which means they cover 95% of all foreign and domestic TPMS applications. They're also automotive battery grade (meets most severe weather conditions) with 1 year warranty against manufacturer defect.