Wireless Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

[Pete Dumbleton]

Want to know at all times what your tow vehicle and trailer tire pressures are? Even your spare tires?

Pressure

For those who like to drive fast, here's a system that will give both Pressure and Temperature, so you can see when the combination of speed and road temperatures is making your tires too hot.

There are more of these systems out there; just do a Google search.

[Byron Kinnaman]

The trucking industry has been trying to come up with something reliabel for years. Before I purchased anything like this I'd want to know what the truckers have to say about it. Stop at a truck stop and start asking questions. I've seen them advertised at a couple of the big truck shows, but I don't know if they are really used.

[Roger H]

I had a more primitive but similar system installed on the Airstream motorhome I had for three years. It really was worth the effort. It worked well.

Roger

[RonMayo]

My 2004 Jeep Liberty came with the tire pressure reading system. It reads four tires on the overhead console. At first I thought it was kind of silly. Now it is one of the features I use most.

[Pete Dumbleton]

A number of automobile manfs are now putting tire pressure monitoring systems on their new models, as well as some of the Bulgemobile RVs.

Problem with the in-tire system is getting the monitors inside the tires and changing the batteries -- Problem with the valve stem systems is having the monitors lost or stolen...

I'd like a system that had a temperature sensor near the hub to detect overheating!

[Byron Kinnaman]

A number of automobile manfs are now putting tire pressure monitoring systems on their new models, as well as some of the Bulgemobile RVs.

Problem with the in-tire system is getting the monitors inside the tires and changing the batteries -- Problem with the valve stem systems is having the monitors lost or stolen...

I'd like a system that had a temperature sensor near the hub to detect overheating!

You're right about some of the problems. Over the last 10 years or so there's been several schemes tried. We (the company I work for) looked into trying to build something 8 or 9 years ago. As far as I know nobody has over come the major problems you described. This one has the theft issue.

From the prices listed I would say they're not in wide use yet.

[KamperBob]

I forget which forum but I remember reading posts about this system - same brand IIRC. From what I recall the failures that were reported were valve stems failures. It seems the standard rubber valve stem may not handle the stresses of the heavier sensor cap. So they recommended switching to metal valve stems.

HTH
-Bob

[Gina D.]

I've got the same option in my Liberty.

Don't work fer beans.

[Roger H]

Don't work fer beans.

Ok, Gina... here you go.





Why doesn't it work for beans? Will it work for anything else?

Roger

[Andrew Gibbens]

Why doesn't it work for beans? Will it work for anything else?

Seems perfectly obvious why not, at least to me - there's no air pressure inside the beans.

There is air pressure in me after the beans, but that's not the topic under discussion, right?

Andrew

[Frederick L. Simson]

The newer Honda Odyssey (Touring) comes with: SBRP235-710R 460A 104T Michelin® PAX® Run Flat Tires.
These have to be monitored remotely from the instrument panel. Because they are $$Run Flat$$ tires, you do not get a spare.

I find this feature a solution in search of a problem, just like electrically operated doors.

[Brian B-P]

Although the product which started this thread is a pressure-monitoring system, many of the "low tire pressure warning" systems in cars do not actually measure pressure. My Sienna, for instance, just watches the speeds of all tires (as measured for ABS) and alarms if there is a sustained difference, suggesting that one tire is running lower (in pressure, and thus actually smaller rolling radius) than the others. If all four tires leaked down together, there would be no alarm.

I assume that Toyota provided this feature to meet the monitoring requirements which accompany the use of run-flat tires instead of a spare (like Honda) although it is installed in all versions, even those (like mine) which have a spare and normal tires.

The speed-monitoring system could be applied to a trailer, but since it is very unlikely an RV trailer would have wheel speed sensors for any other reason, it doesn't seem like a practical approach for tire monitoring.

[Byron Kinnaman]

As with many things you can go with hi-tech or low-tech. The trouble with many hi-tech systems they're prone to failure. Therefore with any hi-tech system there needs to be a low-tech back up. The greater the problems created by a failure of the hi-tech system the greater the need to have a low-tech back-up system.
Tire pressure is one of those that a hi-tech failure could result in some nasty things happening. Your hand and a tire pressure gauge are the best indicators of tire pressure loss (low-tech). It seems to me that there are some things where the hi-tech solution is not a good idea even though hi-tech solutions seem to always sell. I don't think tire pressure monitoring via hi-tech has matured enough to rely on it.

[CD Smith]

As with many things you can go with hi-tech or low-tech. The trouble with many hi-tech systems they're prone to failure. Therefore with any hi-tech system there needs to be a low-tech back up. The greater the problems created by a failure of the hi-tech system the greater the need to have a low-tech back-up system.
Tire pressure is one of those that a hi-tech failure could result in some nasty things happening. Your hand and a tire pressure gauge are the best indicators of tire pressure loss (low-tech). It seems to me that there are some things where the hi-tech solution is not a good idea even though hi-tech solutions seem to always sell. I don't think tire pressure monitoring via hi-tech has matured enough to rely on it.

I have been relying on the Hi-tech version since 2001 when I purchased my Cadilac Deville and then my Escalade in 2004. The system works great as an indication when one or two tires lose some air. But as pointed out earlier, if all four tires lose air equally it will not be indicated.

[Roger H]

You have to remember that a monitoring system is NOT a substitute for maintenance! They're designed to tell you when one tire suddenly begins to lose pressure when you're rolling so you can take appropriate action before it's a serious problem... They're not designed to let you know when you need to add air routinely. If you maintain your vehicle the way you're supposed to, the system should never activate unless you're experiencing a rapid and significant loss of air pressure in one tire.

Roger