Tire pressure sensor question

[boxerpaul]

Could anyone provide answers to the following?

-Where is the tire pressure sensor located? On the inside surface of the rim?

-When I take the bike or rims in for tire changes, is the shop damaging the sensor apparatus a possibility? Does the shop need to do anything differently or be extra careful when changing tires with this type of system?

Thanks,
Paul

[Mark]

The sensor is on the inside of the wheel rim and the exact location should be indicated by a sticker / decal on the outside face of the wheel. It is possible to damage the sensor if the person changing the tire is not aware of them but these are not unheard of and most mechanics would know how to work with them in place.

[deilenberger]

The factory sensors are located where the valve stems are (and as noted should have a sticker on the outside of the rim indicating this.) The factory service manual instructs the person changing tires to start 90 degrees away, but then it shows them starting 180 degrees. Hopefully whoever is changing the tires has some experience and all you have to do is tell them the sensors are there and near the valve stems.

[boxerpaul]

Thanks a lot for the information. As usual this place has been a great help.
I think I might try out the Pilot Road 2. I've been reading good things about them.

[deilenberger]

Thanks a lot for the information. As usual this place has been a great help.
I think I might try out the Pilot Road 2. I've been reading good things about them.

My experience with the PR-2 has been generally favorable.

New - and unworn - they are amazingly good. Wet doesn't mean a thing - they stick better than most tires in dry weather. Cornering was very neutral and the bike easily rolls into corners and holds the line I set it in.

After about 7,500 miles on mine - I noticed the bike wanted to stand up on left turns in twisties. Disconcerting feeling - it felt squirrely - not planted. I tracked this down to an odd wear pattern on both the front and rear tire. Both tires had a ridge that formed about 1" to the left (from the back of the bike) of the centerline of the tire. The ridge was pretty defined and easily visible. It seemed obvious to me that riding up on that ridge on left corners was what caused the squirrely feeling.

Since the rear tire has lots of tread left, and the front a reasonable amount - I went at them with my belt sander and got rid of the ridge, making them round again. Wonderful difference - they're back to how they felt new (in the dry.) Push down on the left bar and it turns nicely into the corner and simply holds the line feeling very planted and secure.

I suspect I'll be replacing the front tire before the rear - probably someplace around 9,000 miles. Usually I get more than that out of fronts, and a LOT less out of the rear tires. On Conti RoadAttacks, I was lucky if I got 6,500 out of a rear tire and the front was usually toast at around 12,000 miles.

So - do I like PR2's - I think I do. Since I found out what cures the funky left feeling, I can easily take care of the problem a bit earlier and keep the tires up to new feeling longer.

FWIW - since I asked and reported on the ridge formation - I heard from other people who had identical experiences - so it isn't me. I do suspect the general flatness of NJ roads, combined with the slight crown NJ likes to use on most secondary roads is responsible for the ridge - the tire is always climbing uphill to the left even when going straight on a flat road. I had no problems - and didn't notice any ridge when I did 2,200 miles of twisties back in July (tires had about 2,000-2,500 miles on them at the time.)

[boxerpaul]

Interesting experience, Don. Assuming it was the NJ roads that caused the ridge to form, it sounds like an otherwise good experience with the tires. I might add that it seems like they last quite a bit longer than the Bridgestones that came with my bike. I have just under 7000 miles on them and the back is flattened and at the wear bars. The front is still decent.

Is it ill advised to switch to for example the PR2 on the rear and leave the front with the Bridgestone or is it best to always keep the front and rear with the same tire. I'm suspecting that it is better to keep both front and back the same tire type. If so, that means that I'd be discarding the front with life still left in it. What do you think?

[deilenberger]

I always try to keep the same maker/series tires on front and back - and yes - sometimes that meant throwing away a tire with some miles left on it.

[Coyote Crazy]

The factory sensors are located where the valve stems are (and as noted should have a sticker on the outside of the rim indicating this.) The factory service manual instructs the person changing tires to start 90 degrees away, but then it shows them starting 180 degrees. Hopefully whoever is changing the tires has some experience and all you have to do is tell them the sensors are there and near the valve stems.

I got a large nail in the rear Pilot Road with less than 1000 mi. Original front Pilot Road had 11,000+ mi. After reading Don and others on this message board decided to switch rear and front to Pilot Road 2. Quote from BMW dealer for 2 new Pilot Road 2 $480+ mounted and balanced and tires not in stock. I asked how much to mount and balance my set of tires, answer - "We don't install tires purchased elsewhere".

Set of tires online = $315.90 delivered to my door in 24 hrs.
Mounted and balanced at non-BMW dealer $36.00.
Total price $351.90. Sounded like a deal.

I spoke with the non-BMW dealer about the pressure sensors in the rims and they indicated they had some experience with this but I was to understand that they were not an authorized BMW dealer and for $36 they would not be liable for damage to the rims or sensors.

I printed the pages from the factory service manual that Don talks about and took that into the non-BMW dealer with me. They were not impressed. I went ahead anyway happy to be getting this done late on a Saturday night. Took my rims with newly installed tires home and installed them.

Monday, went out for a ride and front tire pressure was indicating as normal, but there was no indication for the rear tire, and after a few miles the computer would show a code for improper tire pressure for both tires.

After returning home that afternoon removed rear rim and tire and returned to non-BMW dealer. They gladly removed the tire from the rim and allowed me to inspect the rim and sensor. All that was there was a stub of the valve stem and no sensor anywhere. Their answer was, "It must have been missing when I originally brought it in"!!

Returned home and went online to locate a replacement sensor = $144.12, everywhere, BMW only item, no discounts anywhere.

New sensor can only be activated and programed by authorized BMW dealer with the diagnostic computer. Installation and activation $154.00.

Total cost of sensor and installation with tax at BMW dealer = $310.00.

When all was said and done, new set of tires and sensor = $661.90

From my experience I would be very careful about using someone not fully competent to mount tires on rims with the sensors.

[deilenberger]

Great warning message.. thanks for posting it. In my case - my friend Mike does all my tire changes for me, and since he's installing the same system on his bike (and we installed mine at his shop), I should be OK. If I had to use someone else for the job - I'd want to watch what they're doing. If they didn't like that, I'd take it elsewhere.

[NeilS]

This would seem to be an argument for the sensors that replace the valve caps. Aside from the obvious temptation to thieves, is there any downside to that type?

BTW, I just bought a set of tires for my Mazda6, and the shop asked me to sign a waiver saying they're not responsible for damage to internal tire pressure sensors. Not an issue this time, because the car doesn't have a TPMS, but I'd hate to have to buy tires from my car dealer.

[deilenberger]

This would seem to be an argument for the sensors that replace the valve caps. Aside from the obvious temptation to thieves, is there any downside to that type?

Yup. Two (1) they leak - in the experience of a friend (2) in order to adjust the pressure and top up the leak, you must remove them which isn't trivial (requires a wrench for a lock-nut or a tiny little allen wrench and loosening 3 allen screws.)

BTW, I just bought a set of tires for my Mazda6, and the shop asked me to sign a waiver saying they're not responsible for damage to internal tire pressure sensors. Not an issue this time, because the car doesn't have a TPMS, but I'd hate to have to buy tires from my car dealer.

As they become more and more common - shops are going to have to learn how to work with them rather than destroying the sensors, or they'll loose business and go out of business.

[SKIPPY4402]

sound's like everyone is over complicating the sensor issue. The sensor is screwed to the lower half of the valve stem. tire removal is as simple as starting the tire spoon behind the stem and rotating away from the stem.The tire will usually unbead completely before it makes a full rotation but care should be used to make certain that the spoon is stopped before it approaches the sensor. all good bmw dealers should reset the tire pressure for free. Be sure that you state to the service manager,( if need be.) That no reset button was provided, and you feel you should not be charged for the reset. Tell them you are willing to contact BMWs customer service to dispute this,And do. if you do not receive help. If enough people actively announce their concern, the policy will change. I am a service manager for a chevy dealership and i do not charge the customer if they can not understand the 10 step procedure to reset their tpm warning indicator. There again GM. should have provided a user friendly reset button.