I recently switched out my stock GS wheels for a set of cups wheels with PS2s. I left the car at a chain tire shop, but was confident with their work as they have a touchless machine and work on quite a few high end cars. I left the car with them early in the morning as the manager who I know from other business dealings a few years back assured me they needed the car for a while to do the swap. When I dropped it off I reset the trip odometer. The install went off without a hitch, but when I picked the car up, it had 5 miles added to it. I was irritated, but decided to let it slide. Well, after driving it at highway speeds I realized there is a mild vibration around 75 and up. I called the manager yesterday to let him know that I needed to bring it in to have it rebalanced. I asked him how many test miles they typically do on a tire change and he said none. I mentioned that my car had 5 miles on it and that someone had driven it. He was quick to reply that the tech had to drive the car to let the pressure sensors "reset". I'm pretty sure that is not the case with the C6 as a tool is used to do the reset, but want to make sure. I know I should never leave my car with a tire shop, but trusted the manager and didn't expect them to be out joy riding in my car. At this point I really don't want to take the car back in to them because I think the manager is bullsh!tting me and taking me for a fool, but I sure don't want to pay to have it rebalanced somewhere else. Can you please verify that driving the car in fact will not reset the TPS? Don't mean to make a big deal out of the 5 mile test drive, but the dishonesty is what really pisses me off.

Thanks

 

Hi Jesse

!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can absolutely guarantee you that nothing happens automatically when a new set of sensors is installed in a C6!!!!

My local Discount Tire does a great job mounting all my tires and repairing punctures, but they never get anything but wheels and tires - I never take the car there. They do not need your car - unless you can't take the wheels off yourself.

New sensors must be programmed into the TPMS by doing the relearn procedure using a TPMS tool that transmits a radio frequency signal that triggers the sensor to send its data to the TPMS computer in the car so the data will be logged into the TPMS memory. (a 2010 C6, or a 2011 built in Dec 2010 or earlier, will have a sensor that can be triggered by changing air pressure, but almost all others require a TPMS tool to trigger them)

I thought you said you were going to have your old sensors switched to your new wheels - is that what they did???

If they used your old sensors then they are already programmed into your TPMS and nothing at all needed to be done - IF they installed them on the same corner of the car they were originally on.

If they didn't use your old sensors, where did you get the new ones??? If it was this shop, I hope they got the correct ones for your model year!!!

So.....either the guy just doesn't know his job (how the sensors work) or he's totally bs'ing you!!!

If you do come up to the Speedway on Sunday I'll use my TPMS tool to do the procedure to program your sensors into your TPMS.

Bob

 

Thanks Bob. Yes, they re-used my sensors, so I was pretty certain this guy was BSing me. I'm pretty pissed about them driving my car around and I'm not sure what I plan to do about it. Good luck this weekend. I'll try to make it if I can. Looks like great weather.