1999 FRC here. Wagon wheels came with TPMS sensors. Last time the wheels were on the car, all sensors were working, was about a year ago.

2 questions, please:
1. Are there batteries in the sensors?
2. Time for new street tires. Can I switch the sensors to another (GM "Magnesium" brand) set without damage, or would I be better off using the "wagon" wheel and TPMS that came with the car?

Thanks, as always for your invaluable and expert advice!

MR2

 

1). Yes they have batteries. And with a bit of work, they can be replaced. But if you buy new, make sure they are not new old stock as the batteries die just sitting on the shelf. BTDT
2) It would be easiest to swap them out wheel location for wheel location. I think you can move them from wagon wheel to skinny spoke and be fine. May want to use new rubber grommets though.

 

I would not recommend replacing batteries in the OE sensors, if that is indeed what are in the wagon wheels. I wrote up a lengthy information dump on TPMS that's linked in one of the stickies.

Everything TPMS for the C5

 

I've changed batteries in c5 and c6 sensors. Not a big deal and been successful every time. I enjoy the challenge and I'm pretty good at it. I wouldn't offer the service because its not cost effective but for my personal car I'll do it. I don't chisel the epoxy out, I use a soldering iron with a small sharp tip and that works pretty well.

 

Thanks very much, gents, for your detailed responses.

Let me add my details:
1. It's a 1999 FRC that's been autocrossed most of its life. As such I know there is a significant, but unknowable, amount of time the wagon wheels were on a shelf in some garage. Whether this make any difference to the sensors and batteries specifically, IDK, which is why I posted.
2. I am giving the car to my son so I wanted to give him the least problems getting the car set up for the street. TPMS was one of those details. He is in VA, I am in AZ
3. I guess, at some point those batteries will fail, which means a replacement cost for the sensors, as well as the "learning" cost which will need the DIC system to be restored from its current inoperative condition. Years back, the DIC would read "service TPMS" or similar when I would drive the car to the track with a different set of wheels. I noticed that lately, it has not been doing that. Can the computer "unlearn" this? It still defaults to odometer when running, "door ajar" etc. Maybe it's not worth fussing with, after all?

4. Currently driving around on a set of factory "magnesium" brand wheels on RE71s. Maybe I should keep those in place and simply dismount the sensors from the wagon wheels and send them i the glove box for future possibilities?

So, t's gone farther than my original query, although it may be a common situation for older hand-me downs. Thanks again for the info that will guide my decision.

You folks have a great day!
MR2

 

Thank you for this. Based on both 1.the car's age, 2. and the irrelevance of the TPMS working condition vis-a-vis state inspection, I think I can rest assured this will not be a registration/inspection problem in VA, or any other state, for that matter.
Somewhere along the way and I cannot find it now, I came across a link to a tool that cancels TPMS, Is this a cheap version of a Tech 2?

Thank you for sharing your experience and advice.

Victor

 

Yes, a tech2 or equivalent software (t2win) could be used to reprogram the BCM to disable TPMS entirely.

I trust you read my lengthy thread, but if not - I've also changed the batteries in 8 of the early model C5 sensors. I even built a jig and was able to get the potting material cleared down to the solder pads within 5-10 minutes. 4 out of 8 were either damaged by the battery leaking and corroding the circuit boards, or otherwise physically damaged - one had a cracked case and the other seems to have been fed fix-a-flat. 50% success rate is just not worth the trouble of shipping them around the country, much less spending 20-30 minutes working on each sensor. Not when you can buy a brand new set that will last 5-10 years for < $120.