My wife's 2014 Jeep needs 2 sensors and a 3rd is on the way out. I got them tested at my tire store.

They want approx $90 per tire. Approx $65 for the sensor and $20 to install. Not unreasonable but I looked them up and found that Dorman sells a kit with 4 sensors and the programming tool for about $400 or I can get the Dorman scan tool for less than $200. Schrader sensors can be had for less than $30. Mopar uses Schrader sensors I believe.

Seems like a TPMS scanner\programmer might be an affordable addition to my tool set BUT I am thinking that there is more to this than what it looks like.

I know ABS units are very specific at times and not as universal as OBDII scanners. Do all the TPMS systems use the same protocol for programming or are they manufacturer specific?

Is there a reasonably affordable tool to clone/program TPMS systems?

Any advice would be great.

Thanks

More needless bull $#it

I would buy Mopar ones and take them to tire store to have them install them. They will automatically program after several rotations of wheels.

This is what I did on my Charger. Bought genuine Mopar online because I don't trust the aftermarket and once I needed tires I had them installed. TPMS light went off after about 1/4 mile.

I dunno. Just bought a set of 4 for my 2012 Caravan for $30 total or so from Walmart. My tire buddy says they are good. I think I they are preprogrammed but I do have a programmer if they aren't. I have not installed them yet. Need to buy new tires first - original plan was to just replace the bad one for now.

This is the recommended programmer:

TPMS Scan Tool

Go ahead and change them all. Wal-Mart or Ebay ones work fine if they have already been 'woke up' by the seller.

And you can change them yourself. All you need to do is to break the tire down at the valve and hold it as far down as possible. No need to break the back side down. Some have the rubber valve stem and a tiny Torx holding the sensor to it. The other is a metal stem which often is corroded on and will break when you try to unscrew it. Either way, there is enough room to change the sensor without totally breaking down the tire and needing to re-balance it.

You can usually break down the tire by driving onto it with another vehicle. Used to do it that way all the time until we got the tire machine.

If the new sensors are already 'awake' usually just driving for a few miles will get them sync'ed. If they don't for some reason, there are a lot of places with the TPMS scan tools that can do it. It is not complicated and the most basic of unit can do it.

There were 2 frequencies then, 315 and 433, just make sure you get the right one. I think yours uses the 433, but double check that with the seller.

If you decide to go with a scan tool, we use the Autel. They start at $28. You don't need a fancy one.

www.ebay.com/itm/385041708847

Stop a Snapon tool man and ask if he has any scanners turned in on new ones. I got one for $200 that works up to 2015. Paid for itself when all for of the ABS senders went out on the 2015 SRT.

Oh and NEVER use tire sealant or "slime" in a tire with TPMS......pretty sure that self explanatory.

For me I'm glad it's there. Take my wife (please ) she has never pulled out the tire pressure gauge (in the glovebox or console) and checked the tire pressure of her car. Even with the TPMS standard in her car she NEVER even scrolls over to the TPMS to check the tire pressures which can be done in seconds. But when the low tire pressure WARNING shows up on the dash I or my son gets the "hey something on the dash says the tire pressure is low, can you check it out for me". Well at least the car is still in the driveway and not on the side of a highway twenty miles from home or at the repair shop after being taken there by AAA . TPMS is a no brainer for those that never owned a tire pressure gauge or wouldn't know how to use one and that's great for those of us that do and know how to spot a low tire BEFORE we start to drive somewhere. A few weeks ago I spotted a woman with a child in a car infant seat at a traffic light and her right rear tire was just about down to the rim with real low air pressure. I pulled up on the passenger's side and tried to figure out how to tell her it was low without having her think I was road raging her to tell her about the really low tire. I was successful but then thought now that's someone that needs a newer car with TPMS especially with the high traffic commute she was doing. Stuck on the side of the road with an infant with no place to pull over. Again TPMS is no less useful than a Low Oil or temperature gauge or idiot light for low brake fluid. I look at safety items like those, are there to protect my family, my friends and me from the idiots that can't check things they should before they have an accident or lose control and run into on coming traffic and hurt others.

Besides the TPMS gives you something to do on a long road trip when you get bored. Hmmmmm I wonder how the tires are doing, I think I'll check the air pressure while I'm doing 70 on I-80

Odd question, but do you have MAX care warranty? If so, I believe they may be covered. Worth checking into.

I bought off Ebay, handed to the tire store and they had no problem installing the ones I bought. So ask your tire store. Clearly getting off the afternarket is much cheaper. And they work fine.

If you all are saying aftermarket ones need a scanner to link, then is it really worth buying those and having to buy or borrow a scan tool? I found very competitively priced Mopar ones (on ebay IIRC), had them installed and within 1/4 mile they were linked and my light went off.

I don't doubt some of you haven't had an issue with Dorman or whatever brand, but we all know how it tends to go these days with aftermarket junk.

I bought my scanner to reset the position of the sensors when I do a tire rotation on my Colorado. My Mopars and Fords don't have the problem because they don't display pressure just a warning light. The scanner also told me which one of my sensors was bad on my Caravan. There are cheaper scanners that can do it, but I wanted a better tool than the very basic one.

For me spending the $150 was well worth it. If that $28 price on ebay is legit, then its a no brainer IMO.

If you perform routine maintenance, like checking tire pressure, the TPMS is a PITA when the sensors go bad...and they all eventually do.

For less than the cost of one sensor you can get the appcar app and deactivate the system...among other things.

https://appcar-diagfca.com/en/

Next time around I might deactivate. I always check my pressures, and the tires for foreign objects like a car owner should.

I can see where someone would feel that the TPMS can be a bigger pain than they are worth. BUT! Over the years, they have saved me 3 tires so far that have lost air on the road. We always carry a 12v air pump and have gotten home with the tires rather than having them be run too low too long and ruined. Modern radials will not tolerate low tire pressure at highway speed for very long at all. The TPMS can give enough warning to be able to stop in time to save the tire.

For the average car guy, there is enough information and affordable aftermarket support to justify keeping the system in place. Saving just one tire's cost, let alone the potential inconvenience is worth the effort. The batteries in the sensors typically last 7 to 9 years. If a guy can/will do it at home, the cost for a set of new sensors is $25 aftermarket or $45 for Mopar ones if you would rather. A scan tool may not even be necessary, but are available for less than $30 and are easy to use. $25 to $75 every 7 years or so is too much? You cannot buy a single tire for that.

But I also understand that there are a large number of people who cannot handle even this minor maintenance item and therefore it can become a substantial expense.

Changing TPMS sensors is really no more difficult than changing the oil on modern cars and doesn't require any more money for the tools to do it.

To each his own.

Thank you for all that responded.

I am glad to hear I should be able to just replace them and it will find the new ones.

I too like the fact MY car doesn't have TPMS but this is my wife's car and it has been great for her. In just a couple years she has picked up about 9 nails/screws. The TPMS helped us keep her from being stranded with flat tires. When she gets the light she tells me to deal with it or she knows to get home so I can. For her it has really been great. I want to keep it working for her.

I read the drive over the tire to break the bead, I will have to try that. My break the bead loose at home method is to use a bumper jack set against the rim at the bead. I then jack up my truck until it pops the bead.

I am definitely looking into a general purpose scanner.

and

I think they are useful and especially for the average driver (we're not average we're fanatics). For me I think it's just all the dang technology is a bit too much. Too many sensors and eliminating one if I can might be worth the trade off.

A key is probably too just get new ones with every tire change or every other tire change. Once they hit about five years old I would change them when tires are off rims and not try and get more than about six years out of them.

Once upon a time, at highway speed, I saw one tire pressure rapidly declining and quickly pulled over, knowing it must be a silent blow out. This was so much better than realizing after the fact that I was driving on a flat tire at highway speed. The tire had a big hole and was not repairable. This was a Toyota.

My wife's Ford Edge has about a dozen different instrument panel display modes, most of which do not display tire pressure. She likes a display that omits tire pressure, RPMs, engine temperature, and charging system - no interest whatsoever. So I just air up her tires about every 3 months, and I never change her display...