Which TPMS to buy?

[Warren]

Have you found that this system works?
I would have thought that it might be open to too many variables such as road or load conditions.
If you have a very heavy load in the boot (trunk) does it tell you that the tyres are flat?
If you have a different brand of tyres on the front to the rear it could be a problem as different brands can and do have a different diameter/circumference even if they are nominally the same size.
I am not trying to be smart, I am very curious to find out if it works.

Macka

Macka, I have only had the car for a couple of weeks so I can't say how well it works. On the Honda Fit forum I could not find many complaints. Honda does recommend that you use the same brand and model tires for all four wheels. They also say that loading the car after calibration could cause the TPS to trigger. Its simple a matter however of recalibrating the system for the new load if it is something that is not short term. The 2016 Fit has a 1.5L engine the same as my 2010 model. New however is direct injection and CVT transmission. The 2016 model gets 5 mpg better average mileage than the 2010 model. I have been averaging 38-41mpg. So far I really like the CVT transmission as compared to the previous 5 speed automatic. Its very smooth.

 

[Macka]

Macka, New however is direct injection and CVT transmission. The 2016 model gets 5 mpg better average mileage than the 2010 model. I have been averaging 38-41mpg. So far I really like the CVT transmission as compared to the previous 5 speed automatic. Its very smooth.

Personally, as a mechanic, I do not like CVTs. They are still being developed and are improving but are often prone to driveability and reliability problems.
Several manufacturers have tried them and had to go back to conventional "geared" autos as the failure rate was too high (BMW/MINI/AUDI/HONDA/NISSAN and others) but they all claim that they now have the problens sorted out.
Nissan and Aisin, their CVT transmission supplier, have had a HUGE dust-up over the failure rate of their transmissions.
I have asked several Auto Trans Rebuilders what they think of them and I could not repeat here what they said.
Another problem here in OZ and I expect over there too is they they are no good for towing.
Some vehicle manufacturers ban towing altogether with CVT whilst others will allow "light duty towing".
Most are only rated up to 500 or 1000kg which is really only a trailer full of sand. You cannot pull a boat, horse float or caravan (mobile home to you guys) without negating your warranty.
For a small car that does light duties they are OK and will give better fuel economy but will not last as long as a conventional auto.
The basic problem is that in a CVT, all of the wear is taken on the belt and two pulleys (most designs!) whereas in a conventional auto the wear is spread over dozens of clutch plates/bands, which once the gear is engaged, there is no slip/wear. On a CVT there is always "slip".
We recently bought a new Honda Civic which was my Wife's choice anyway but I agreed specifically because it was the only Honda still available with a conventional auto.
All others have switched over to a CVT, like most other manufacturers.
Through experience I know that conventional Honda autos should last the life of the car.
As for fuel economy, we drove from Melbourne to Adelaide and return to visit friends and give the new car a run. That is 1500km return and averaged 5.6L/100km or 42 MPG US. I am happy with that. It is not much worse than the NT and a lot more comfortable.
I hope that you are happy with the FIT (I think it is called a JAZZ here) and have a fantastic reliability record too.
It is a great car, my parents have one and they love it.

Macka

 

[seagrass]

Have you found that this system works?
I would have thought that it might be open to too many variables such as road or load conditions.
If you have a very heavy load in the boot (trunk) does it tell you that the tyres are flat?
If you have a different brand of tyres on the front to the rear it could be a problem as different brands can and do have a different diameter/circumference even if they are nominally the same size.
I am not trying to be smart, I am very curious to find out if it works.

Macka

I had a VW Golf with this system and it certainly works. I got a warning light one day and visually checked the tyres and at first glance could not see a problem. I then checked the air pressures to find one of the tyres at around 20psi when the others were at 32psi

Seagarss

 

[karl]

I use a air gage, only cost about $6. It lives in the right faring pocket.

I would like to watch you use that going down the road. I picked up some "hardware" on a ride recently and it would have been nice to see the pressure loss on the rear tire during the trip. The "seems windy today" was actually the rear tire loosing air.

 

[Macka]

I am still looking at which system to buy and have pretty much narrowed it down to one of two.
If anybody has any experience with either unit I would be glad to hear of your experiences with them.
They are:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SPY-Motorcycle-Motorbike-bike-TPMS-Tire-Tyre-Pressure-Monitor-System-Wireless-/201411240617?

and

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151900123265?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I like the idea of the first one as there is no wiring at all and it is vibration/motion activated so should give instant readings.
The second one has a better display but like most systems requires you to get above 20kph to activate the sensors.
Last week I had a rear puncture and was not aware of it until I was moving. As I was the last bike of the group everyone else did not realise that I was not with them for several km. I had to stop at every petrol station to put air in the tyre, as it was a fast leak, until I caught up with them (they had stopped and waited after they realised).

Thanks,
Macka

 

[Frosty]

I am pleased with my TPMS by FOBO.

I just installed new tires and added FOBO sensors on new metal stems. The system is quite clever. Sensors on tire stems send info to your smart phone by Bluetooth. The phone app displays Pressure, temp, date and time. There are alarms for different low pressures and high temps.

I have just one ride to scuff the tires and have not played with the alarms.

https://my-fobo.com/Product/FOBOBIKE

 

[Macka]

I just installed new tires and added FOBO sensors on new metal stems. The system is quite clever. Sensors on tire stems send info to your smart phone by Bluetooth. The phone app displays Pressure, temp, date and time. There are alarms for different low pressures and high temps.

I have just one ride to scuff the tires and have not played with the alarms.

https://my-fobo.com/Product/FOBOBIKE

Thanks for the prompt reply Frosty.
In Oz it is forbidden to use or even touch a Mobile (Cell) phone whilst driving.
I am looking for a stand-alone system.

Macka

 

[Frosty]

Thanks for the prompt reply Frosty.
In Oz it is forbidden to use or even touch a Mobile (Cell) phone whilst driving.
I am looking for a stand-alone system.

Macka

Macka

I wanted this TPMS because I am old and lazy. Instead taking a knee with a tire gage, I pull out my phone. It gives me tire pressure and temp. I don't think looking at the phone while riding is practical or smart. You can select different audible alarms that come through your smart phone.
My smart phone is in left fairing pocket on the 12v system. My helmet connects to phone by a Sena com system. The alarms come from the phone to the helmet (haven't tried yet).
As far as distractions, a audible alarm in your helmet vs looking at a screen/display. Pick your poison.
The downside is you need a phone/device that is fairly new (Bluetooth 4.0) and not advisable to track actual tire pressures while riding. The advantage is no other device the power or mount.

Is it illegal to use the phone function incorporated in new cars? In Washington state it is illegal to have a cell phone in your hand while driving, but you can use a "hands free".

 

[Macka]

Yes, it is legal to use "hands-free" provided that you are not a provisional (new) driver.
Under NO circumstances are you permitted to TOUCH the phone whilst the key is in the ignition, even when turned off!
Therefore, you cannot select music, access GPS functions or anything else.
You are permitted to have it securely mounted on the dash so that you can observe GPS functions, but you cannot touch it to select a different function.
Most people here just throw the phone in the console when they get into the car but, technically, even that is illegal. It must be secured or out of reach.
If you were pulled over on suspicion of touching the phone it is much easier to argue your case if it is secured in a visible position or locked in the glovebox.
If you have a dedicated GPS, without inbuilt phone for example, you are permitted, but advised against, touching the GPS to select phone functions via BlueTooth.
It is an anomoly in the Law that frustrates most people, but it is there!

After my flat tyre last week I have decided that it is time to stop just considering a TPMS and do it. The Treasurer here at home agrees that it is a good safety idea too as I am often many miles away from help and out of phone service areas.
I am strongly leaning towards the SPY system as they told me via email response that their unit is Vibration Activated (both sesnors and display) so it gives instant live readings as soon as the bike is moved ie: just sitting on it will wake it up. You therefore do not have to reach 20kph to find out that you have a deflating tyre. The downside seems to be that sensor battery life is reduced to 1-2 years but I can live with that. The Display is rechargeable via USB and is giood for up to 15 days between charges. I think you could hook up a USB cable and have it powered whilst riding but that would prevent it being waterproof in use.
As I have not yet purchased one, this is only my understanding of the details as supplied to me.

Macka

 

[Frosty]

Macka

"Under NO circumstances are you permitted to TOUCH the phone whilst the key is in the ignition, even when turned off!"

GREAT IDEA! I would endorse that!

Steelmate looks like a good idea and a great price. I like the small receiver/display. Let us know how it works. The FOBO transmits periodically (8 secs?) all of the time which is attractive for start of day and stops, but reduces battery life (They claim 2 years). The Steelmate seems to be motion activated but I like the idea of checking pressure while riding.

FOBO claims that their sensors (10 gram) are fine on rubber stems ... provided ... rubber tire stems are changed every two years or tire change whichever is first. I installed metal stems.

 

[Macka]

I have made my decision on which TPMS I want and it should arrive tomorrow.
I hesitated for a long time as I could not find one with all of the features that I wanted and still did not!
The first one that I liked has a reputation for sensor failures and poor back-up by the supplier.
I chose the one below mainly because it can be swapped from bike to bike in just a couple of minutes, is completely waterproof and it offers data updates every 6 seconds.

http://www.sidewinder.com.au/page160a.html

I have also fitted these valves so that I don't have to remove the sensors to top up the air. They are expensive here in Oz but a great idea.

http://www.fobotyre.com.au/tyre-t-valve

I really wanted one that would give me the pressure before I ride but only found one. It had internal sensors which I did not want and was not waterproof.

I will post a user opinion when I have used it for a while.

Macka

 

[Cameron]

I had my local bike shop install a Doran 360M on the inside of the wheels in March 2015. Around Thanksgiving, I began to get no readings for either tire -- the dreaded three dashes would appear and the red light would flash after about 15 minutes of riding. I'm contacting the manufacturer to see what I might need to do and figured to have the local shop take care of it when they replace both tires early next month. Not too happy with the lack of knowledge of tire pressure - short of using a TP gauge - during my daily commute. Just wanted to put it out there.

Cameron

 

[Phil Tarman]

I've got the Doran TPMS with external sensors. I bought it from another Forum member and had the same symptoms you're having after it had been on the bike for maybe six months. Doran replaced the sensors for free (the first time) since it had only been six months since I'd registered it.

 

[Macka]

I have had the SideWinder system on for several months now and find it fantastic.
It responds quickly when turned on, has performed faultlessly, the sensor unit batteries are still good as supplied and the receiver/display battery charge lasts for MONTHS.
In six or so months I have only recharged it once and even then it only dropped 1 bar on the charge level indicator.

I am perfectly happy to recommend the Sidewinder unit.

Macka

 

[Cameron]

I purchased the 360M TPMS direct from DORAN and had them installed in January 2015. After getting the triple dash on the indicator letting me know one of the sensors was dead, back around Thanksgiving, the other died in December. When I contacted DORAN (Tim Mullen), I was told they've since "upgraded" the batteries on the sensor and that they should last 3-4 years now. No discount offered on each of the $40 replacement sensors, plus $7.50 S&H.

I'm a year-round rider and understand that my daily use in inclement conditions subjects by bike and its components to significant abuse. With that in mind, when I pay $200 for a TPMS, I still expect it to function adequately for at least 3 years before I have to spend almost $90 to replace the sensors. I also wrote to Tim to let him know that I can't recommend the DORAN system at this point and that if the replacement sensors fail before the end of 2019, that I'll be removing the system from my bike.

YMMV

Cameron

 

[karl]

I have never run something over that punctured my tire in the garage. The sensors on the first vehicle that I owned with the system are still working in an 08 smart. The average lifespan is around ten years. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321729214069?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true The cost for the parts for your BMW don't seem so earth shattering to me. Relax enjoy

 

[Warren]

Not sure why one would need to check tire pressure before every ride unless you seldom ride. I ride every day. I used to check it once a week and it never changed so I check it about once a month now. I also inflate my tires about 2lbs over the recommended pressure so that also gives me a little fudge factor. I can see the advantage of a TPMS for detecting a slow leak that might occur when you have an embedded screw or nail. You might not notice the slow leak as quickly as the TPMS would.

 

[karl]

My last ride to my son's place in NH I was thinking gee it is windier than it looks. Go to pack up to go to work the next day and the rear tire is visibly flat. The dim bulb lights... Soapy water in a spray bottle locates the hardware in the tire, plug kit is at home. Pumped the rear up to 50 and rode off to Pembroke, https://www.nationalpowersports.net/ They plugged the tire for free to get me to work. My next bike will have TPMS.

 

[Macka]

As I said earlier, I will now not ride long distances without a TPMS as I have had an unexpected flat tyre that caused me considerable inconvenience.
The Sidewinder system that I use only costs AU$160 for the whole kit and it has been perfect so far.
For you guys, with the current exchange rate it would only cost you about US$110 plus freight.
If needed, I think replacement sensors are about $30 ??
The main feature that I like about it is that it gives live updates every six seconds. Some systems only update every few minutes.
I have tested it by letting a little air out of the tyres (about 1-2 psi) and it gave me an almost immediate warning "beep".
I am heading off on a trip at 8.45 in the morning and am happy that I have the Sidewinder with me.

Macka

 

[karl]

Being able to "check" the tires at 70mph is tech that I can embrace.