Tire pressure monitor

Many members ask if the TPMS systems are worth it.  I just thought I would let you know our recent experience.  I have had a TPMS system for about 4 years and was starting to get lazy with it.  Mainly forgetting to turn it on.  We left the campground with it onand all tires checked and ok.  After about an hour, the monitor sounded a low pressure alert on the outside rear dual.  I pulled off the road and checked it, and yes it was low.  We limped into a nearby truck stop and located a tire shop.  I added air and traveled a short distance to the shop.  They found a 2 1/2 inch 5/16 bolt in the tire.

Had I not been using the monitor, I believe I would have had extensive damage to the MH.  It is not important what kind I have,but without it an inconvenience could have been a major event.

Thanks for the story Dave. Another great example of a TPMS system preventing a potentially serious issue.

Absolutely Dave, that is exactly what they are best at.  Some will argue that they will not detect an issue if a tire has a catastrophic failure, and that is true. But most tire failures start with a slow leak that causes the the eventual failure.

Great story, Dave! I'm glad it "saved your bacon". Forgetting to turn our TPMS on is what prompted me to finally hardwire it to an ignition switch controlled source. Now it turns on and off with the engine without the monitor switch being on, or I can over ride and turn it on/off with the switch when the ignition is off.

Mainly forgetting to turn it on.

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Solution: don't turn it off.  Except for long term storage, there seems little need to be shutting it off and you given good reason for making sure it is on and monitoring. Power draw on most TPMS is tiny and not a significant factor evem if the RV is not plugged top shore power. And if it is on shore power, there is even less reason to turn it off.

I stopped to get gas yesterday and there was a tire shop on the property. I don't know if it was affiliated with the gas station. As I'm washing my window someone from the tire store drives by in a golf cart and tells me my right front tire looks low. I said thanks, but my tire is not low. He said it looks low and I would put more air in it so you don't run on a low tire. I said I have a tpms and I know exactly what the pressures are in all of my tires. He drove away. 

I am so glad that most folks have good luck with their TPMS.  MY Tire Tech On is a POS and has failed me in more than one instance.  So this summer I decided to completely redo it by removing all sensors, replacing batteries and then reading the book several times to try and understand some of the gibberish they call instructions. I succeeded in getting the sensors installed and getting the pressures I wanted (took a while with a little home AC but for the tires to be cold that was required).  Friday we went on a short  trip to a local campground and, as usual, upon arriving I got a high pressure alarm on the left front tire.  Set up for the night and this morning I turned the monitor on and all tires read the same pressures they had when I arrived - the heated pressures.  So I went out and took off the front tire sensors and checked with an air gauge - exact cold pressure I wanted but the monitor had read 10-12 lbs higher before I removed the sensors.  When I reinstalled the sensors the monitor read the correct pressures.  This TPMS system has failed me at least four or five times.  The real killer was when I drove out of storage on two flat left rear tires - poor install of new tires by a dealer who had left the valve stems loose.  Ruined both tired but the sensors showed everything normal.  Now I carry a short baseball bat and give every tire a good rap before I move the coach.  I have no faith left in this TPMS.  Will be looking for a better system this winter.  I had read where the Tire Tech On system is one of four identical systems marketed under different names so others may have the same problems.

I check my TPMS pressures early each morning before the sun gets to them before every trip.

I also check the pressures while under way frequently.  A few years ago I noticed a tire on the trailer was going down about 1 psi each time I checked when the other three were not.

I stopped at the next fuel station and this is what I found.

https://i.imgur.com/dlRQd5y.jpg

A 3/8 by 2 inch bolt. 

I am sure the TPMS saved me from having a tire failure and damage to the slide on that side of the trailer.

Just last week when I did my early morning tire pressure check with the TPMS I had a tire on the trailer that was below the other three.  I jacked up the trailer to install the spare.

This is what I found in that tire.

https://i.imgur.com/bWOVLSZ.jpg



Again the TPMS probably saved a tire failure.

Note in both cases due to checking tire pressures frequently I found a problem even before the pressures were low enough to set off the low pressure alarms on the TPMS.

In the last case I was able to correct the problem before I broke camp.

Bill N said:

...
This TPMS system has failed me at least four or five times.  The real killer was when I drove out of storage on two flat left rear tires - poor install of new tires by a dealer who had left the valve stems loose.  Ruined both tired but the sensors showed everything normal.  Now I carry a short baseball bat and give every tire a good rap before I move the coach.  I have no faith left in this TPMS.  Will be looking for a better system this winter.  I had read where the Tire Tech On system is one of four identical systems marketed under different names so others may have the same problems.

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My TST 507 system has never behaved in such a fashion. It's always behaved as expected, and once in a great while it shows a slightly low tire, but temp and pressure reading change with conditions, as expected.

Testing attaching images.

I deleted, I hope, my original comment. I totally misunderstood Bill N's post.

2kgeorgie,
I think the AC Bill was speaking about is an air compressor. At least I hope that's what he meant.
Gotta love being lazy and using acronyms. It is a real challenge reading.

ChasA....You know, I believe you're right. Bill N..please disregard my other post. I just always think of a capital A/C as air conditioner not an air compressor. Sorry.... ;D

I just had to order new sensors for my Pressure Pro...$238.00 for six sensors.

I consider it a solid minus that some of the TPMS sensors shut down after a short time with no movement to conserve the batteries. The next time you turn the monitor on, it still displays the last reading from the sensors instead of the current reading. You won't see a current reading until you've been underway for several minutes when it may be too late to save a failing tire. On the other hand, sensors like those on our TST 507 system and others transmit continuously every 5 minutes or so unless they're removed. And they transmit instantly if there's a rapid or significant change in the readings. Just turning the monitor on 10 minutes before heading out will give you current readings, or any other time it's turned on.

NY_Dutch said:

I consider it a solid minus that some of the TPMS sensors shut down after a short time with no movement to conserve the batteries. The next time you turn the monitor on, it still displays the last reading from the sensors instead of the current reading. You won't see a current reading until you've been underway for several minutes when it may be too late to save a failing tire. On the other hand, sensors like those on our TST 507 system and others transmit continuously every 5 minutes or so unless they're removed. And they transmit instantly if there's a rapid or significant change in the readings. Just turning the monitor on 10 minutes before heading out will give you current readings, or any other time it's turned on.

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My Pressure Pro works in much the same manner.

John Beard said:

My Pressure Pro works in much the same manner.

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Yep, there's a couple of others besides the TST's and PP's, but I don't recall which ones they are. The bad ones usually push the "standby" function as a feature, but it's a deal killer for me...

I am not trying to sell them or say it is the best.  I use the tire minder from MinderResearch.  I get instant readings.  They recommend taking the sensors off when your are idle for a few months.  This includes removing the batteries.  It retained the settings on the monitor, but you need to wipe out and reconfigure the sensors, or store them so you get them back on the same wheels.

schoolsout2 said:

I am not trying to sell them or say it is the best.  I use the tire minder from MinderResearch.  I get instant readings.  They recommend taking the sensors off when your are idle for a few months.  This includes removing the batteries.  It retained the settings on the monitor, but you need to wipe out and reconfigure the sensors, or store them so you get them back on the same wheels.

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Pressure Pro works like that too, once the sensors are removed (batteries remain in place) they no longer transmit prolonging battery life significantly, I would think. But you either reprogram the lot or store them labeled with their location and put them on the same tire they come off of.

NY_Dutch said:

I consider it a solid minus that some of the TPMS sensors shut down after a short time with no movement to conserve the batteries. The next time you turn the monitor on, it still displays the last reading from the sensors instead of the current reading. You won't see a current reading until you've been underway for several minutes when it may be too late to save a failing tire. On the other hand, sensors like those on our TST 507 system and others transmit continuously every 5 minutes or so unless they're removed. And they transmit instantly if there's a rapid or significant change in the readings. Just turning the monitor on 10 minutes before heading out will give you current readings, or any other time it's turned on.

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Thanks Dutch.  I think you may have explained why I am getting the same hot readings when I turn the unit on in the morning.  I normally turn off the TPMS when I set up on a site.  So maybe I need to either not turn it off or give it more time in the morning.  As to the flat left rears.  I think the dealer just reinstalled the sensors willy nilly and the readings were never reset despite the fact that he told me he did.  Thanks again.