Hey Dan

Take a look at this thread. You'll see that it's not necessary to completely remove the tires - you can just break the bead and push the tire down in order to access the sensor for replacement.

If you didn't have sensors at all, you may need to balance the wheel. But if you're just replacing one then the weight is the same, the tire wasn't moved on the wheel, so no rebalancing would even be required.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...post1578430096


Bob

 

Does anyone have a good source for replacement/extra sensors at a good price? Search Ebay and you get a good variety but which is best, I see some are the older style rubber pull through type of valve stem, are these OK.

 

Hello Colin

I ordered some used ones from an eBay source - 8 for the 2005-2009 C6, and 4 for the 2010-2013 C6 (they are for U.S. spec cars - they transmit on 315 MHz).

I assume your 2008 Vette was built for the U.S. market and uses the gray sensors, GM part# 25758220, that transmit to the TPMS computer on 315 MHz.

If it was built for overseas delivery it might possibly have a TPMS that requires the sensors that transmit on 433 MHz.

Check the sticker in the glove box that has a bunch of RPO codes on it - in that list you'll see either "UJ9" or "UH3".

Those codes identify the TPMS computer in your car, and will determine the sensors that are required.

If you have a UJ9 TPMS you have a U.S. car that requires the sensors that transmit on 315 MHz.

If you have a UH3 TPMS then the car was built for delivery outside of North America and the receiver in the TPMS requires sensors that transmit on 433 MHz.

I'll PM you more info.

Bob

 

Clone the TPMS sensors in your track tires/rims, to the set of DD's TPMS that you have on the car now.

This way, if you do get a flat with with your race tires, the TPMS system will tell you long before you end up putting the car into a wall from a flat tire on the track.

And yes, the $19 tire rack TPMS relearn tool has a clone mode to do just this (read the updated instructions that comes with it) !!!!!

 

If you want to clone the sensors in your DD, go ahead.

How much is a set of 4 cloneable sensors?

For my track wheels I get a set of 4 used OE sensors for less than a hundred $$$, often around $75 or less for a set of 4.

I don't mind doing a 60 second relearn procedure after I swap wheels in order to get the current sensor data into the TPMS.

I strongly agree with you about having sensors in my track wheels/tires, but the used OE sensors I've been using work great for that - and a lot cheaper than a set of cloneable ones.

You don't need to clone sensors if you have a TPMS tool.

Bob

 

FYI, the $19 tire rack TPMS sensor will trigger the 2010 to 2013 TPMS's.
http://www.tirerack.com/accessories/detail.jsp?ID=177

GM used the same TPMS sensors in the HRR in 2009 that they are using in the 2010 to 2013 Corvettes, so to trigger your tpms in your later model corvette, just select HHR 09, instead of Corvette 05 to 09 on the tool.

 

IIRC the Orange Electronics clonable sensors I bought were $112 plus shipping and were new, so no worries about the remaining life of used units. I did have a problem due to the seller sending the wrong ones, but everything was good once that was resolved.

We just tend to approach the same problem from different directions.

You don't need a TPMS tool if you clone sensors. Discount tire will do it for free when they mount the tires.

 

True!!

However, I swap my track wheels from side-to-side, so I'd do a relearn anyway.

But....I could just remember that if the DIC says my Left Rear pressure is getting low that it's really talking about the Right Rear.

The price on those Orange Electronics cloneable ones are a good deal at $112 for a set of 4!!

Bob

 

Makes perfect sense for the type of racing you do. My only turns are low speed (5-10 mph) at each end of the dragstrip and I don't use sensors in those wheels due to the pressures being out of limits. Front skinnies at 45 psi and rear DR's sometimes as low as 16.

 

I've seen your pictures of your trailer behind the Vette with your skinnies and DR's on it, and your hitch is VERY COOL!!

I've told other drag racers that if I were going to the strip and was going to run DR pressures less than 24 psi (where you get a low pressure alert in the DIC, and possible AH and limp mode issues), I would run with no sensors at all.

Actually, I could run with no sensors at all in my 2006 on roadcourse track events (at HPDE type events I rarely run sessions longer than 30 minutes), and my 2006 Z06 can run for 60 minutes with no sensors in any of the wheels before getting any AH intervention. After that period of time I can't go into Comp mode or turn AH off completely, and if AH was in Comp or off it would automatically come back full on at the end of that time period, and in a very obtrusive manner that keeps you from cornering aggressively and pulls power in turns.

With no sensors, the 2005 and 2006 C6 can run for 60 minutes before you get the "Service Tire Monitor" message and possible limp mode.

The 2007 and 2008 are 30 minutes, and the 2009-2013 run only 20 minutes before you get DIC messages and AH intervention.

That's for one ignition cycle - after the period of time is up you can shut down, restart, clear DIC alerts, and you should have another time period again.

Obviously those times shouldn't affect a drag racer - you probably won't exceed even 20 minutes from engine start to completing your run.

But with track day events on roadcourse type tracks where you're running 25 or 30 minute sessions, the 2007 or newer could well have problems before the end of a session.

If you have sensors and one goes bad or detects low pressure, you'll get a DIC alert immediately. But if you have NO sensors in any of your wheels (or you swap on a different set of wheels with sensors but don't do a relearn procedure to program that set into the TPMS computer memory), that's when the 60/30/20 minute time period comes into play.

Bob

 

it doesn't affect the manual drag racer, but my 05 a4 wont leave the starting line if under 24lbs. it will slip. then let off it will go at a slow speed and wont shift, I am a believer that AH causes accidents at the drag strip and will only run with it off so the simple canister works for me

 

Do you have your regular street tires with sensors up front, and DR's with less than 24 on the rear?

If you still have sensors in your front wheels, then you'll have problems immediately.

If you have NO sensors at all (skinnies, or other wheels with no sensors up front, as well as no sensors in your DR's), then you shouldn't have any problems until the time period is up - 60 minutes for your 2005.

Bob

 

Yes Bob i have had it in every configuration, but for the last 7-8 years only drag radials and skinnies with the sensors in a perfectly sealed canister transmitting perfect tire pressures. I actually had the pressure go down in the canister because i was sitting quite a while between rounds and it was cold out, the tpms monitoring system was reading 24lbs on three sensors and 23lbs on one and that was enough to cause the slip, the service engine light came on also, i managed to get down the track up the return road just like the trans was slipping feathering the gas. went to the track air station added air to the canister the engine light went out and car ran fine engine and trans made another pass and was fine, had it happen before and cleared the code and it did the same slipped again but once i added the air it was perfect, that tells me the tcm of the a4 in 05 is tied to the tpms system

 

Dan,
Not sure what year car you have. This is what I found with my 08.


1. I can set the street tires near the car while it is in the garage/paddock and when I take it on the track it will run fine for a half hour. After that it starts complaining about the lack of sensors.


2. Having the sensors in a canister inside the car doesn't work any better than having the sensors near the car in the garage. I had mine in a canister and soon as I went over the half hour time period the system would limit the speed to 55 mph in turns but not on straights. If I entered a turn at more than 55 it would apply the front brakes to slow the car.


3. Since I have had a number of sensor failures running sensors in my track wheels I have started pulling the steering sensor connector. This shuts off A/H but does leave TC and ABS active. A big issue with this is the connector isn't designed to be unplugged and plugged more than a few times in the life of the car. Not sure how many cycles it might take but it is probably no more than 50. However, over the short term it is much better having it disconnected than having a sensor fail just as you are in a 120 mph sweeping turn.


I thought about adding a switch in the steering sensor circuit but that can add small amounts of resistance in a circuit that is sensitive to resistance changes so could cause other issues.


So far the LG module looks like it is the best solution that will resolve all issues.


Bill

 

I put my battery back in the car today and none of the tpms are reading anything. They all read 0psi at all 4 corners. I could only turn TC on and off. That was the only option it gave me. My question is, would I still be able to do a burnout if I could only turn off TC and couldnt turn off AH totally? This is starting to turn into a nightmare just to try and run DR's at the track.

 

I never turn off any nannies except TC at the track. There is no problem doing burnouts or anything else. I do get AH kicked in on occasion after a burnout when the back end has gone a little sideways, but only for a couple of seconds as the tire spin is slowing down and well before I roll up to stage.

There is no advantage at a drag race by turning off AH.

Several years ago at a night race, the guy who ran just before me blew a water hose about 100-200' before the finish line. No one saw it happen until I hit the water around 115 mph. My natural instinct from years of living in snow country was not as quick as AH when the *** end headed to the wall. The problem almost got worse because AH then had to correct my correction, but it won out and saved my butt.

 

Tom I have always had the opposite experience, a back and fourth fight all the way, but never with DR's only with runflats

 

Bingo! Clone the new sensors to match your old ones, then you can switch wheels at will and the system will never know the difference and yet will also work perfectly. This cloning approach is becoming more popular and will eventually take over the technology.

 

Hi Chris

Yes - they will take over.

They're not only good for us, but they're especially good for a tire shop. There are so many different sensors for different vehicles out there that a shop just can't maintain an inventory such that they can have a few sets of OE sensors for all the different vehicles that customers might bring in - they'd have dozens of different type of sensors on the shelf.

However, with the cloning technology, they just have to keep a supply of one type of sensor that they can clone to the customers sensors - a much easier inventory to maintain, and they'll always have the correct sensors on hand!!

Like I said earlier, the only thing we have to remember is when switching from one set of wheels to another is what corner each wheel goes on. If the wheels get put onto a different side of the car than the sensors were programmed for, the DIC display won't indicate the correct corner if you get low pressure in a tire.

Bob

 

I'm guessing that there are far more differences between an '05 and '06-up than meet the eye.

Only your GM programmer knows for sure.