Interesting, is that fail more or less common? The owner of the tire shop I have used for 15 years suggested them to me, said he runs them in his Chevy 7500 ish dump truck, had 70-80k miles on the tires IIRC and never had an issue. I do NOT use them in the H-D only my truck

 

Who know why the beads stuck to the tire...maybe improper application of the beads, moisture in the tire, could be anything. I am sure there are plenty of people that have no issues whatsoever with the beads. I still think the beads will not do anything to the sensors.

 

+2 on the beads not damaging the TPMS. In theory they should be forced away from the rim at all times. The only time the sensor would be in danger would be slowing to a stop as the beads fall to the bottom. Most tire shops don't use lead weights on the face of a wheel anymore as more manufacturers are using chrome clad wheels or putting more attractive wheels on their cars. Although not the best for balancing, lead weight stuck to the inside is pretty much the standard and some states are outlawing lead as the weight of choice-at least on the rim face.

To the OP: I don't know what tire place you went to but if a functioning TPMS is made inoperable by adding custom wheels and/or tires they are actually in violation of federal law. The tire shop is required to install the working sensors. Unfortunately, it is at the cost of the consumer. Also, if you were involved in an accident that could be somehow, albeit rare the possibility, attributed or prevented by a non functioning TPMS and fatalities were involved it could prove devastating.

Enough of the legalities. Personally, I think that TPMS was a knee jerk reaction and if you don't know how or know to check tire pressures on a consistent basis you probably shouldn't be driving. That being said, I have known many that have skirted the sensor issue by using a pressurized PVC pipe or even a wheelbarrow wheel. They aren't RPM based. If that was true everytime you stopped the light would come on.

 

that may be true, IDK for sure. but the vehicle would know that it is stopped, so your theory of the stopped vehicle may not hold true. Again, IDK .. just throwing out ideas.


but if it is not monitoring RPM's, then why did the system initially say everything was OK with the spare on the front and the TPMS wheel in the bed, then throw a code after a few miles of driving.


it's monitoring *something* ... but if not RPM, then what?

 

Good question. Does Ford put sensors on their full size spares and if so was your spare underinflated slightly? I haven't looked at mine. Toyota first started doing it on the Tacoma then stopped. My wife's Highlander spare has a sensor and the tire tech couldn't figure out why her light was on. I dropped the spare and aired it up. Light went out.

Edit: After reading about TPMS there are two types:

Indirect TPMS uses Speed and ABS sensors to determine underinflation and overinflation. No valve stem sensors.

Direct TPMS uses sensors in each wheel that determines pressure, temperature, etc. and sends a signal wirelessly. I didn't see if revolutions is a calculation that is sent as well. Obviously this is the most common system used by manufacturers.

Well, after reading the Wiki page which we know is always true the sensor does read acceleration. I would assume as long as it is seeing that all sensors are accelerating the same it doesn't sense a fault so that would explain why it faulted with one wheel in the bed and the spare mounted and the spare must not have a sensor.

So if all sensors are showing the same acceleration then there shouldn't be a fault. Hence, it would seem placing all of them in a pressurized pvc pipe or wheel would work.

 

there is no sensor in the spare on my 2010. maybe that has changed in the later models, IDK.


there are sensors in the valve stem, so it is a direct system, but I'm thinking there is more to it, somehow ... just not sure what, exactly. whether it is a proximity thing, or a wheel speed thing

I'm very confident that the spare does not have a sensor


From my experience it wont work. it might if you put that PVC tube in each wheel well, or at a minimum two in the front and two in the rear, but when I had the spare (no sensor) up front, and the drive tire fully inflated in the bed the system was happy for a few miles, but in short order it figured out that something wasn't right. the spare is the exact same size as the drives on mine, and the tires only had 20k on them so wear wasn't much of an issue (especially considering I've got two of the originals with 50k on them and significant tread left. those Dynapro AT's (Not ATM) aren't the greatest tires, but man do they wear like iron!).


I think the only way the PVC tube trick would work is to have two up front and two in back. that's been my experience, anyway.


personally, I wish they would get rid of the sensors in the drive tires, and just have one for the spare. I can easily monitor the others, but if the spare is flat and one has a blow out, the TPMS didn't help you out a bit, you're still going to be up a creek with a paddle (or along side the road without a spare).


FORD: are you listening? TPMS sensors for the spare. if you can do four (or 6 with a dually), you can do 5 (or 7).

 

So....what did you end up doing???

 

Nothing so far. I only drive it occasionally on the weekends so it hasn't gotten on my nerves yet