Tpms

[marcusdarling]

Hay there,

did a bit of searching and it seems like this could work but just want to ask to make sure.

I have an 07 Mazda3 2.3 and I bought some 08 Mazdaspeed3 OEM 18 rims and slightly used tires. They did not come with the TPMS (tire pressure monitor system) stems installed. The seller told me it came with TPMS but the stems are just regular rubber stems so I am assuming they are not there.

My question is can I take the old ones off my 16" mazda rims and put those on my new 18" mazdaspeed rims? Guy at tire store said you could not or if you could the computer would have to be recalibrated but he didn't seem like the ultimate authority on the matter.

If possible would you guys do it? or is it not worth the hassle and $$ to have the tire store swap them out.

I would like to do it soon as I am going to sell the old rims and just want to make sure to take out the TPMS if I need them.

thanks
-m

 

[joshritger]

I have a separate set of wheels for winter driving and I don't have tpms in those wheels. The only side effect of not having the tpms in the rims is a light will show up on your dash. Also if you are switching the tpms from one set of rims to another you will need a new seal kit for each tpms so they don't leak. That along with the cost of unmounting and remounting the tires may make it not worth it. If I were you, I would save the tpms and just have them installed when you have the tires replaced next. Also look at the stem where it meets the rim, if it is thicker and almost looks like a nut on the outside with the stem coming through it, that probably means that it has tpms.

Good luck,
Josh

 

[marcusdarling]

thanks josh,

yeah I may just have them taken off and put onto my new rims or wait till new new tire time. I did a bit more research, they are rubber stems so they def don't have TPMS. Sucks because the seller told me they did but he wasn't really lying he thought that they did, he just didn't know how it worked I guess.

 

[joshritger]

Well I don't know where he got his information from, any 2008 or newer car should have tpms stock, if he got the wheels off of a 2008 then they should have had the tpms, if he bought them second hand then it is an honest mistake. My guess is that he switched the tpms onto another set of rims and had the tires put back on the rims so he could sell them easier. Oh well, you live and you learn.

 

[marcusdarling]

Well I don't know where he got his information from, any 2008 or newer car should have tpms stock, if he got the wheels off of a 2008 then they should have had the tpms, if he bought them second hand then it is an honest mistake. My guess is that he switched the tpms onto another set of rims and had the tires put back on the rims so he could sell them easier. Oh well, you live and you learn.

yeah that's def what happened. but I think the shop did it and he wasn't really paying attention to his bill (or they didn't charge for the swap service) and perhaps didn't know how it all works and thought that the stock rims had the TPMS built in or something. yeah it sucks because I was kinda thinking about keeping the stock 16's for when we go up to the snow as I already have chains for them. Guess I'll just pull the tpms and have them put into the 18's in the future.

 

[joshritger]

Like I said in my first post, you do not need the tpms, a light just turns on on the dash that tells you that there is an issue with the tpms system, it in no way affects the car. I run all winter without tpms on my steel winter wheels and in spring I put my stock alloys back on with the tpms. The system automatically resets itself after a few miles. You would be fine either swapping the tpms to your new wheels, or leaving them in your old wheels and using them in the winter. Just makes sure you check your tires on a regular basis to make sure they are at the right pressure. The tpms are just an add on to aid the millions of idiots that don't know how to properly maintain a vehicle.

 

[binhsterbinh]

I put a piece of electrical tape over the blinking light and problem solved for my 16" winter wheels. It's not worth the $100+ for the TPMS and another $50-100 to have them installed.