Winter Tires and TPMS?

[PAHSTeacher]

'12 and '13 Mazda 5 Tourings.

What does everyone do about winter tires and TPMS? I've always gone with separate rims for winter tires and just swapped in the driveway. Tirerack won't even put the tires on the rims and balance without buying sensors. Though, I can just tell lie to tirerack I have an '06 and get them without sensors and they'll mount and balance for free. I can live with the tire light on. Even if I get them with sensors, can I register the new sensors myself, or will I have to pay a dealer to register the snow tires/ summer tires twice a year?

For anyone with winter tires on separate rims, what do you do?

Also, does anyone know if the electronic stability control can be turned off with no TPMS sensors. I know some vehicles will not let you turn off safety features, such as ABS/Traction/Stability control. Occasionally in winter, it is necessary to turn this off, for example rocking out of a snow drift.

 

[Vasy]

You can get a set of compatible sensors on-line for reasonably cheap and there is a process posted in one of the threads on how to register new sensors with out the tool.
My mom has a GM with TPMS and in the winter she just drives with the lights on.
My 2012 came with-out factory TPMS, so I have no issues turning traction off

 

[PAHSTeacher]

Good to know I should be able to register new sensors without a special tool or paying to do it.

In the US, the sensors are required on newer models. Any US '12 or '13 drivers know if the TPMS nanny handicaps the vehicle in any way when you drive without sensors. Especially can you turn of the VSC?

Tirerack has sensors at $220 a set, but we have 2 Mazda 5's, so we're getting 8 wheels. I'd just as soon not pay $440 in sensors for winter wheels. Good chance the sensor batteries will only last 5 years or so. I was really fine with out sensors to tell me my tire is low. I check them every week the old fashioned way anyway.

Thanks.

 

[Vasy]

Good to know I should be able to register new sensors without a special tool or paying to do it.

In the US, the sensors are required on newer models. Any US '12 or '13 drivers know if the TPMS nanny handicaps the vehicle in any way when you drive without sensors. Especially can you turn of the VSC?

Tirerack has sensors at $220 a set, but we have 2 Mazda 5's, so we're getting 8 wheels. I'd just as soon not pay $440 in sensors for winter wheels. Good chance the sensor batteries will only last 5 years or so. I was really fine with out sensors to tell me my tire is low. I check them every week the old fashioned way anyway.

Thanks.

There could be a better way. Buy 4 season tires.
I had them on my last car and was reasonably happy. We don't really get heavy snow here but 3 days that is snowed last year I did not get stuck at all where others were not so lucky.
I think Hankook and some other brands now make them. Saves on storage, fees, TPMS and other related headaches.

 

[PAHSTeacher]

We get 100 inches of snow a year here.

After a winter on the stock Toyo Proxes A18s... the separate rims and true winter tires are worth every penny. If we lived somewhere with more moderate winter I'd definitely stick with a good pair (edit: Set) of "All Season Tires". I don't always get snow tires here. They're fine 90% of the time, because they do a good job salting and plowing. But that 10% of the time, there is just no substitute. Also, the 5 is a little lower than the cars I'm used to driving, so without snow tires, I got partially stuck several times last winter in the deep stuff. Never completely beached, but enough that I miss winter tires.

Thanks for the advice and quick replay. Enough with this snow talk, time for me to take my daughter to a waterpark.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Silentnoise713]

JMO but the real benefit of a snow tire is the secret sauce in the rubber compound that won't freeze. It's the low temp scenarios that's more important than pure thread depth/design, unless we are talking about hard core stuff. Being a Great Lakes resident, I would assume you know what you need.

Live with the light for a few months. Regarding traction control, I'm not sure but I would assume they are independent b/c (best guest) I would assume the traction control light would also come on to tell you it is off.

 

[microvan]

I'd skip the TPMS valves. Had TireRack install them on a set of winter tires/rims for my wife's car and they are nothing but trouble. During the second winter two had developed corrosion and caused slow leaks. Replaced them at the local tire place for $70/ea if I remember correctly. During the third winter three started leaking, including one that had been replaced the previous winter! Because they were on aftermarket rims, the tire shop could replace them with conventional valves. If the winter tires are on factory rims, however, the shop is required by law (not sure if it's state or federal law) to replace with TPMS valves.

 

[PAHSTeacher]

I did have to like to tirerack about having a "2006" without TPMS sensors. I think they're more trouble than they're worth when it comes to winter wheels.

I went with General Altimax Arctic 205/55/16 at $92/tire and $50 mail in rebate per set of 4.

I went with Sport Edition F7 rims which are 7 inches wide at $90/wheel

Hope we like them in person. We just bought 8 wheels.

Most of the advantage of the winter tires is the "special sauce" that keeps them nice and flexible and the compound helps big time on ice, as does all the extra siping to dig into ice and snow. The flexibility of the tire in cold temperatures further helps the tire to do it's job, cutting into ice and snow and flexing to help dig into snow and also to help it "throw" the snow. Some people feel the special compounds actually make modern studless winter tires outperform studded tires on ice. Other say that's only because today's studs are so small.

I've had studs before. They help. But they are loud. We went with unstudded even though this tire can be studded.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I'm not tire expert, that's just what I gather from reading up on snow tires.

 

[m5pa]

I just run 16 inch steelies ( as opposed to the standard 17" on our 08) and put a piece of electrical tape over the light. You have to be a might more proactive checking tire pressures, but today's tires are so good that it's not an issue.

I've been running Dunlop Graspics and I don't really recommend them. Once they get about half worn, their wet traction really goes downhill. I can spin the 5's tires in the wet no problem (08 doesn't have TCS)

 

[fitzski]

I got my winter wheel TPMS sensors here:
http://oewheelsllc.com/

Installed them on 16" alloys (with Michelin X-Ice2 rubber, and Hunter road-force balanced), followed the TPMS reset procedure when I installed the wheels on the vehicle, and they were recognized right away.

All was well for awhile, but the TPMS light came on late in the winter; I verified tire pressures, followed the reset procedure again, but the light never went out. I didn't pursue and resolve it before going back to the OEM summer wheels, but will see what happens when I reinstall the winters this year.

 

[twintrbo]

I got a set of TPMS sensors from an RX8 for $70 on Ebay. I popped the beads on my winter alloys, mounted the valves and took it to a tire shop to have them rebalanced. No leaks and they worked immediately with no programming. I thought it was a system fault because the light was on but it turned out the shop messed up pressure on one of them. No leaks or issues and OEM solution.

 

[PAHSTeacher]

I put the snow tires on my wife's 2013, and my 2012.


General Altimax Artic Snow tire, 2013 Toyo Proxes (original) 2,000 miles, 2012 Toyo Proxes (original) 29,000 miles. I'm glad to have the snow tires on.

Not the best picture, but you can see the old wheel on the rear, and the new wheel on the front.

One Down.

Ready for winter.

 

[Rally Man]

What's this winter you guys speak of?

 

[PAHSTeacher]

High today was 38.
Winter hasn't started yet.
We get about 100 inches a year.
I went without snows last year. But I'd be crazy to run the original tires this season. I'm down to 2-3 32nds.

 

[Rally Man]

I'm looking at a wonderful 80 weather for this week.

 

[twintrbo]

Perhaps, but PAHS is enjoying 4 more HP than you due to weather (wiggle)

I'm looking at a wonderful 80 weather for this week.