Is anyone using a tire pressure monitoring system? Or know anything about them
12-22-2003, 07:32 PM
#2
I used to run SmarTire (version 1) and loved it ...
Only reason I'm not running the latest version is that I couldn't get it in time for tire/wheel install, and I sold the previous version with my last set of tires/wheels.
Once you have a pressure monitoring system you wonder how you ever got by without.
Once you have a pressure monitoring system you wonder how you ever got by without.
12-22-2003, 07:43 PM
#4
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Had Smarttire verion II and spent $600 fixing sensors that kept braking free from the straps.....
and with countless dealers who could not mount the sensors without breaking them, including tirerack.
Tirerack broke four, yes FOUR sensors and other dealers broke three in total in two years. Tirerack paid for the one's the broke and gave me a $250 credit for the trouble.
Mind you, I made THREE trips (250 miles round trip) to tirerack to try and get the problem worked out. This was when they used bands around the wheels. The sensors would break free and cause the wheels/tires to go way out of balance. Felt like you had a rim bent beyond belief.
Now they are using valve stem mounted sensors, which I had for two months and then sold the car, which seemed to be fine.
But lets put it this way. I WILL NEVER buy a smartire product again. My parents have a Lexus RX300 and had similair problems.
Cheap sensors killed an otherwise great system.
Mike S
Tirerack broke four, yes FOUR sensors and other dealers broke three in total in two years. Tirerack paid for the one's the broke and gave me a $250 credit for the trouble.
Mind you, I made THREE trips (250 miles round trip) to tirerack to try and get the problem worked out. This was when they used bands around the wheels. The sensors would break free and cause the wheels/tires to go way out of balance. Felt like you had a rim bent beyond belief.
Now they are using valve stem mounted sensors, which I had for two months and then sold the car, which seemed to be fine.
But lets put it this way. I WILL NEVER buy a smartire product again. My parents have a Lexus RX300 and had similair problems.
Cheap sensors killed an otherwise great system.
Mike S
12-22-2003, 08:13 PM
#7
Have/had Smartire 1...really nothing more than a PITA.
Straps like to deteriorate. Not a lot of places near me that want to deal with them and if they do, they charge more.
Buy yourself a nice pressure gauge and use the savings on something else for your car.
Buy yourself a nice pressure gauge and use the savings on something else for your car.
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12-22-2003, 08:32 PM
#8
Guess I didn't realize there was an interim version between the original and current
Was it the same display with "updated" sensors? Was that when they went to 6-sec transmission intervals (vs. the V1's 30-sec)?
12-22-2003, 09:48 PM
#10
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Have had Smartire version I about three years now (~35k)
and have had no problems at all with it. I did have a shop bust a sensor strap when replacing a tire. But they paid for a replacement part. I recently upgraded all four wheels and the local shop (different from the first) that did the upgrade didn't have any problems even though I don't think they had worked on a wheel with the sensors before. I just told them what it was and supplied the directions that Smartire gives, no problems.
I like being able to check the tire pressure on the go, though the real benefit is catching a slow leak before the tire is flat. You may still be able to get version I and it's quite a bit cheaper.
I like being able to check the tire pressure on the go, though the real benefit is catching a slow leak before the tire is flat. You may still be able to get version I and it's quite a bit cheaper.