I'm looking at a set of rims and tires that do not have TPMS sensors in them.

I personally don't care about TPMS as I'm good at checking my tire pressures about once a month anyway.

The question is, will I run into any electrical or system issues if I install tires without TPMS sensors on my 1998 C5?

I don't care if the DIC shows some sort of error or TPMS message but will there be any other issues in not having the sensors in place?

 

None that I am aware of...

 

On my '99 I run a couple different sets and one of them does not have TPMS. Without TPMS I get a DIC message every time I start the car. I clear it with the reset button and no other issues.

I would not use runflats without the sensors. I have done it, but you can not tell by looking at them if they are too low on pressure. It was a hassle to check them every time I drove the car.

With non runflats I have gone without TPMS for decades, so I am used to regular pressure checks and looking at the tires.

Good luck.

 

I have friend with 2001 C5, with aftermarket wheels, with no sensors and has gone though two sets of tires 133,000 on the car with no problems.

 

Sure you can leave the sensors out of the wheels if you like. As mentioned, a message will pop up on the DIC and you'll have to clear it each time you drive the car. Annoying, but the car will run fine.

I like having the sensors functioning on the car as they give me a warning when the tire pressure goes below a certain amount. While I check the pressure often, you never know when a puncture may happen. But that is just my outlook on the TPS system. And yes, I know the sensors for your model year are expensive.

Thankfully it has been probably close to 15 years since I last had a tire puncture. It comes down to what you are comfortable with in terms of having them on your car and the peace of mind (at least to me) that they offer.

 

I have 4 working sensors and will use them. But if/when they go bad I want to know what I'm in for. I likely won't spend copious amounts of money for new ones.

 

Well said Jack...I would NEVER drive my car without tire pressure sensors, wheels and tires are just too expensive. For me, one tire going flat on the highway doing 80 and not knowing it until it was too late and destroyed the tire integrity and the wheel is a thousand dollar mistake that sensors could have prevented. Not to mention issue with having your car dragged up with a hook onto a flat bed.and having to wait an hour or so for help, possibly in a bad ( dangerous ) area.
Bill aka ET

 

Sensor give you a heads up at 25 Psi. While the tire is still undamaged. Just simply pump it up and continue on your way to a safe haven or tire shop to get it repaired propetly.

You might have to do this several times in a 30 minute retreat.
Bill

 

I can appreciate the cost of the sensors........ Once upon a time there was a post on here about replacing the batteries yourself. Before I gave up the sensors I'd look for that post. Was pretty simple and cheap. Dremmel, razor knife and some sealant.

 

Many thought it was cheap. Some tried to start a business to repair them...that quickly became a nightmare...for many.

It takes about 4 hours to Carefully remove the harden epoxy fill then you have to desolder the battery and resolder the new battery.

Problem is, the circuit board is too sensative to the heat. And there is no guarantee that they will work until they are mounted in the wheel. You can test for communication to the receiver without being mounted but cannot test actually function until the sensors are rolling to turn on the battery

So you invest hours into a very very sensitive procedure, have to mount them in the wheel, only to find two of four failed.

No one repairs old sensors anymore because these guys had to replace the failed sensors they repaired
Just another case of Cheap ..I can't afford to buy anything cheap
Bill aka ET

 

I can understand why some people prefer the tpms, when its working properly it is useful

But I'm one of those guys that considers the tpms just another cost that I don't need/want

I ran my 2000 FRc with no sensors and it throws a code everytime you start the car....just delete it and its gone , other then that no problems

On my 02 Z , the tpms system has been completely removed from the computer , and I don't have to deal with it at all now

Even on my new Lexus I bought, its giving me tpms issues, I seem to have fixed it , but I really wish I could just delete the damn system right out but its not possible from what I'm told

 

Cultrag Performance sells a kit to put the new cheaper and better sensors from 2001 and up into the early model C5s. It is significantly cheaper than replacing the early sensors which can be troublesome, along with the remote keyfob sensors, also someone troublesome on the early models.

I did not go the above route, rather bought aftermarket (Dorman) TPMS for my new wheels, and a programmer for them, so I can use the programmer for my other vehicles.

 

30 years ago I use to get push back from lots of people because I had a cell phone.. They said it was a fad... Today at my gun club there are members that refuse to get a cell phone let alone a smart phone. Ive always been a technology junkie.

I remember 40 years ago that people would say the internet and computer were a fad.

While technology can be riddled with issues, so can a computer, Of course you can remove all of the technology from your life and you could live like those Alaskan bush people. But that is just a reality show and as phony as I've ever seen.

I think for the most part, technology gives us a better way of life. I think the tire sensors could prevent a catastrophic problem from occurring. And usually they only happen once in a life time. Since the car supports such a safety item, IM going to make sure that they working..

A slow leak on the highway at 80 miles an hour can go undetected without them, until the car becomes unstable and permanent damage has been done to the tire, or you lose control and get into an accident.
A tire sensor will warn you that the tire is going flat, be it in 30 minutes or three minutes, but enough time to safely pull to the side of the road.

Just my opinion.
Bill aka ET

 

The Kit is a great idea, but the kit is 500 dollars.. about the price of Gen 1 sensors, which will last you 10 years. So there is no real savings unless you plan to keep your car more than ten years. But the Gen two " Kit " is the best choice because you get two New Key fobs, and since most key fobs are 15 or so years old, that's an added bonus. replacing the receiver takes 15 minutes. So for the same money you get two fobs, 4 sensors and a receiver. and the harness adapter.

Bill aka ET

 

 

plus the newer receivers have better performance !!

 

Bill, is it possible to replace the batteries in my '01 tire pressure monitors without a great deal of trouble? Mine are working fine at the present but just thinking about the future. Thanks

 

Batteries are not designed to be replaced,

There is no certainty that a hack repair will yield a good sensor, for the reasons I posted previously.

 

I bought my 2000 hardtop in 2004 and immediately bought a set of ZO-6 rims and new Eagle F1 Supercar tires for it. Since the original sensors were already 4 years old I also bought 4 new sensors. Going on 13 years now and they still work fine. I know I'm waiting for it, but for now I'll knock on wood.

Like many here I've always felt confident in my ability to spot a low pressure tire by looking at it. A few years back I pulled out of the drive for a short errand and, "bing, bing, bing", I look down at the DIC to see one of my rear tires is showing 19 psi. I was about to pull away thinking it's probably reading wrong since the tires looked fine, but thought better of it. I turned around and parked it to get my gauge and check the tire. Sure enough it was 19 PSI. After careful examination I found a nail in the tire. I guess my point is, had I not had the TPMS and been relying on my normal look around and periodic check with a gauge I could have easily ruined an expensive tire.

Say what you may about GM, but the TPMS on our C5 and C6 Corvettes have performed flawlessly. On the other hand I've rented two brand new Toyotas in the past year and had issues with their TPMS that neither identifies the tire or the pressure. In both cases after checking every tire including the spare found nothing wrong... except for the stupid warning that appears useless.

Good luck... GUSTO

 

I love the fact that my 16 year old Vette has many features some of the new cars do not have. So of course I want it to work mostly because of running non-run flats. I did not want to spend the money for the Cultrag kit, but I want everything to work, plus my key fobs looked like they went through a war. Now the kit is a lot higher than when I bought it. Also I knew I was going to keep this Vette til I died !!!