WTB TPMS and Reset Tool
04-17-2013, 07:07 PM
#5
Race Director
I have 2 different sets of used tire pressure sensors that will work in any 2005-2009 C6:
4 of these square sensors that came in the early 2005 and the Cadillac XLR. The good thing about them is that you don't need any TPMS tool at all!!! You can use a tool, but if you don't have one the sensors can be triggered with a magnet. They must mount in the wheels in the OE manner (i.e., with the valve stem sticking out of the rim), so they can't be used in exotic aftermarket wheels that mount the sensors inside the wheels (well, they can, but would need to be programmed into the TPMS computer before being mounted in the wheel, and if you ever need to reprogram them you'd need to dismount the tire to get the magnet up to the valve stem):
4 of these gray sensors that have been used in all 2005-2009 sensors since about Sept 2004. These sensors can only be triggered by a TPMS tool:
Either set of sensors is $110 shipped.
As far as a TPMS tool, all of them are NOT created equal!!
The very basic tools only transmit the signal required to trigger the sensor (force it to transmit its data to the TPMS computer in the car so the sensor's ID# can be logged into the TPMS memory). The basic tools can't really do any diagnostic checks of your sensors to check for problems.
The next level up is something like these tools:
These tools are identical except for the color - the TIPS tool is green, and the KTi pst is red.
You can see four dots across the top of the tool - they are actually lights. The tool has a receiver in it that, after triggering the sensor, the tool's receiver picks up the transmission from the sensor and will light those lights telling you info about the sensor - i.e., you can easily check a sensor to make sure it's working correctly.
The high-end tools have a receiver, and have a screen that will display a bunch of good data about the sensor, as you can see below on the screen of my OTC 3833:
The picture above is after I did a diagnostic check on a 2010-2013 sensor. This sensor was in a GS in the garage bay next to me at Sebring a couple weeks ago. He had just come off the track, so the pressure is up, and the temperature is high at 185°F.
The 2005-2009 sensors do not sense temperature - there is just a series of dashes on the tool's screen:
A 2010-2013 Vette does not display temp of the sensor on the DIC, but it is one of the bits of data transmitted by their sensors, and it can obviously be read and displayed by the OTC 3833.
The cheap tools that can't do any diagnostics can be had for $100 or less.
I have 2 use KTi pst tools, each is available for $125 shipped.
I have 2 OTC 3833 tools - one is just only the tool, and the other is the tool, a carrying case, and a magnet to trigger the very early C6 sensors, or C5 sensors:
The tool alone is $185 shipped, and the tool in the box with the magnet is $235 shipped.
Bob
4 of these square sensors that came in the early 2005 and the Cadillac XLR. The good thing about them is that you don't need any TPMS tool at all!!! You can use a tool, but if you don't have one the sensors can be triggered with a magnet. They must mount in the wheels in the OE manner (i.e., with the valve stem sticking out of the rim), so they can't be used in exotic aftermarket wheels that mount the sensors inside the wheels (well, they can, but would need to be programmed into the TPMS computer before being mounted in the wheel, and if you ever need to reprogram them you'd need to dismount the tire to get the magnet up to the valve stem):
4 of these gray sensors that have been used in all 2005-2009 sensors since about Sept 2004. These sensors can only be triggered by a TPMS tool:
Either set of sensors is $110 shipped.
As far as a TPMS tool, all of them are NOT created equal!!
The very basic tools only transmit the signal required to trigger the sensor (force it to transmit its data to the TPMS computer in the car so the sensor's ID# can be logged into the TPMS memory). The basic tools can't really do any diagnostic checks of your sensors to check for problems.
The next level up is something like these tools:
These tools are identical except for the color - the TIPS tool is green, and the KTi pst is red.
You can see four dots across the top of the tool - they are actually lights. The tool has a receiver in it that, after triggering the sensor, the tool's receiver picks up the transmission from the sensor and will light those lights telling you info about the sensor - i.e., you can easily check a sensor to make sure it's working correctly.
The high-end tools have a receiver, and have a screen that will display a bunch of good data about the sensor, as you can see below on the screen of my OTC 3833:
The picture above is after I did a diagnostic check on a 2010-2013 sensor. This sensor was in a GS in the garage bay next to me at Sebring a couple weeks ago. He had just come off the track, so the pressure is up, and the temperature is high at 185°F.
The 2005-2009 sensors do not sense temperature - there is just a series of dashes on the tool's screen:
A 2010-2013 Vette does not display temp of the sensor on the DIC, but it is one of the bits of data transmitted by their sensors, and it can obviously be read and displayed by the OTC 3833.
The cheap tools that can't do any diagnostics can be had for $100 or less.
I have 2 use KTi pst tools, each is available for $125 shipped.
I have 2 OTC 3833 tools - one is just only the tool, and the other is the tool, a carrying case, and a magnet to trigger the very early C6 sensors, or C5 sensors:
The tool alone is $185 shipped, and the tool in the box with the magnet is $235 shipped.
Bob
Last edited by BEZ06; 04-17-2013 at 07:13 PM.
