2006corvetteman

Did you test them before you installed them? If so, how did you do it? Did you learn them to the car or test them with a tester? Thank you.

MikeERWNC

No. I assumed they would work. They looked like all of my older ones.
I programmed them on the car after installation.

I use a ATEQ VT15 tool.

RoadkingC6

It's always possible the manufacturer may have made a batch of faulty sensors, used bad batteries or other components etc, I have seen that happen before with another product.

2006corvetteman

Took the car to another shop today and they were unable to learn the sensors to the car. So, as suggested earlier in the thread, either they are the wrong ones, even though the part numbers match, or they are DOA. I have ordered another set of sensors using the link provided above (different vendor than my previous set) and started a return process for the faulty ones. Should have them in a weeks time and will have them installed the week of April 4th. The dealer said they would check the next set BEFORE installing. Thank you for all of your responses!

MikeERWNC

This totally sucks!
All the money saved is wasted. 100.00 gone for mount and balance.

I feel bad for you. I hope you are taking better than I would.
The one saving grace is that Amazon returns anything.


Good luck and keep us posted.

cclive

There is no need to dismount and re-balance the tire in order to replace the sensor...the bead can be broken, pushed back and then you can reach in and replace the sensor, never moving the tire on the wheel.

2006corvetteman

Thanks. I don't think I will be out too much. The service adviser only charged me $60 for a road force balance (her mistake) and said she would honor that price for the re-balance (we'll see). Plus, I am actually saving about $35 on the new sensors. So, I guess the redo will effectively cost me about $25.

2006corvetteman

I have read that on here before and brought that up to the service adviser, she asked "someone" and they said it was not possible to do that. Maybe because of the low profile and stiff wall of the runflats When I go back, I'll revisit the idea with the service manager.

radaga

I just had one go bad on 2005. Had the rear tires replaced but it was the front right that went bad. The tech at Belle Tire replaced in about 5 min with out removing the tire or needed to balance again.

Gearhead Jim

Installed in the car, the sensors still transmit occasionally (15 min or 60 min?) so the pressures will read correctly immediately when you start the car. Then when you start driving, the centrifugal force wakes them up and they transmit much more frequently.

Are you saying that even the occasional "sleep mode" transmissions do not occur until the sensors are driven for the first time?

cclive

You may not be able to talk her into it...no harm, no foul. Bob, BEZ06 has posted a picture of it being done. I have personally replaced a valve stem on a regular tire that way also.

2006corvetteman

Good info, thanks! Maybe I'll need to show this to the dealer.

MikeERWNC

I guess that's not too bad. Not all dealerships are awful.

HOXXOH

Yep, according to our resident sensor expert BEZ06. Once they spin balance the tire, it does the initial activate. IIRC, he said you can't program the car with new sensors until they initially activate, unless they were clonable and you used the cloning tool.

At my next tire replacement, I intend to install all new sensors. That'll give me the opportunity to test and confirm/deny this issue.

2006corvetteman

So, if the dealer can manage to swap out all four sensors without the need to re-mount or re-balance the tire, the car will not be able to learn the sensors until it is driven, thus activating the sensors?

2006corvetteman

Any chance you could point me in the direction of the picture, if it's not too much trouble. Thank you.

cclive

Quote from BEZ06: "The manager at my local Discount Tire has a Z06, and he says it is no problem for their machine to push down the bead of a runflat enough to reach in there just like in the picture above."

The Clevite Kid

Not to be picky, but the photo shows the tire and wheel on a mounting machine, not ON THE CAR. Still, without disturbing the orientation between the tire and the wheel, balance should be maintained.

cclive

I'm not sure where 'on the car' came from...not me. My only point was that the tire does not need to be removed from the wheel and then balanced again. I can't imagine any way to replace a sensor while the wheel is still on the car.

vcheng

Plenty of big-*** C- clamps.