Tire Shop Guys - TPS question/valve stems

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you might see if you can locate one of those metal chrome valve stem caps that has the slotted nub on top for that very purpose. Even if you bought a new set of 4 cheapies in a blister pack it'd sure be cheaper than $25.

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Do you realize what I am talking about? Have you recently worked on any rims with TPS? I get the feeling you really haven't.

If you have, then you'd know exactly what I am talking about as far as torquing them down to prevent stripping it out and damaging the TPS unit or getting messages on your monitor that your tires are low on air all of the time!

FYI- they make a screwdriver tool that properly torques the valve core into the TPS stem -something like 3-5 inch pounds. It has to be torqued to spec. It ain't like the old days when you just tightened the hell out of the core with the core installer screwdriver my friend!

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you might see if you can locate one of those metal chrome valve stem caps that has the slotted nub on top for that very purpose. Even if you bought a new set of 4 cheapies in a blister pack it'd sure be cheaper than $25.

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I do this on some of the older stuff I own. One package will cover 4 cars. Here is a tip that can save you some $$$$$. Some of the later model cars ( those with air pressure sensors attached to valve stems, use aluminum valve stems. Do not screw steel caps on these stems ( they come with wimpy looking plastic caps for a reason ). If you switch to steel caps, you will end up with a dissimilar metal corrosion problem right where the metal cap stops on the threaded portion of the valve stem. When you go to check tire pressure, the stem will snap off right at the cap threads due to the corrosion in that area. Only repair is a new sensor / stem. That will be $130 please. Being the dumb arss that I am, took me twice to figure it out:(

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Do you realize what I am talking about? Have you recently worked on any rims with TPS? I get the feeling you really haven't. It ain't like the old days when you just tightened the hell out of the core with the core installer screwdriver my friend!

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I kinda thought I was missing something. The TPS should have been the tipoff. My bad

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Like I said I did a bunch at work.I was just careful not to get zealous reinstalling the stem.Its like rotating tires on them.You have to reset them on the car to shut the light off.We rotated then turn on ign let some air out reair and wait for the horn to beep to recoginise the sensor.Just more work and then people wonder why working on the new stuff costs more.We had one girl with a Pontiac that kept bending rims.She wnet thru 5 new ones and we straightened 4 more.She kept hitting pretty much the same pot hole.Never guess what color hair she had.Rocky

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Frankie you need to add a "W" to your explanation,TPS means T-hrottle P-osition S-ensor and TPWS means T-ire P-ressure W-arning S-ensor. Now with terminology out of the way you can get a kit from your local Toyota dealer that has a nut,washer,and seal to repair the "TPWS".
Gus

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You can also use the acronym:

TPMS - Tire Pressure Monitoring System if you like

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How do the sensors communicate with the car?

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Sorry,I could not resist.

Seriously,Each wheel has a battery powered radio transmitter that reads the tire pressure and sends a signal to the car's computer and displays the pressure on most models and other just have a light that comes on when the pressure is low.
Each manufacture has a setting at a certain pressure to turn the light on.
The valve stem actually doubles as the antennae for the transmitter.

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Like I said I did a bunch at work.I was just careful not to get zealous reinstalling the stem.Its like rotating tires on them.You have to reset them on the car to shut the light off.We rotated then turn on ign let some air out reair and wait for the horn to beep to recoginise the sensor.Just more work and then people wonder why working on the new stuff costs more.We had one girl with a Pontiac that kept bending rims.She wnet thru 5 new ones and we straightened 4 more.She kept hitting pretty much the same pot hole.Never guess what color hair she had.Rocky

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So anytime you rotate the tires on a car with TPS, you have to reset the light? Didn't know that.
So once you rotate the tires, turn on the ignition switch to on position, then you let air out of each one until its about 20 psi. Then re-air them to correct pressure and the horn will beep when the sensors are recognized?

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