Thinking of removing my TPMS wheel sensors.

Incompatible · 07-19-2012, 10:08 AM

Thinking of removing my TPMS wheel sensors. Coming up on the 5 year mark for the car and looks like I’ll need tires before the end of the year. My understanding from the various threads on sensor life is that they typically last 5-7 years. Based on my driving style I anticipate my current sensors will fail long before I’m ready to do tires again.
I see my options as:
1. Proactively replace all 4 sensors now with the upcoming tire change to avoid the expense of unmounting / remounting the tires to install the new sensors.
2. Leave the current ones in and apply black tape over the warning light when they fail. I really don't see this as an option.
3. Remove the sensors when I do the tire change and place them in a small pressured container and carry in the car.

I check my tire pressure regularly and with non-runflats, the removal of the sensors are not critical. Thoughts? Options I haven’t considered? Is there a way to disable the warning light bulb/wiring? Thanks

inTgr8r · 07-19-2012, 10:18 AM

I just removed mine & am using option 2 at this point.
I decided that #3 was more effort than it was worth.

I'm not aware of anyone that has done Option 3 and made it work.
I think there will be an issue with shielding of signal and distance sensor>trunk.
To have any hope of making it work, I think you would need 4 separate canisters and mount local to the sensors at that wheel well.

acceleration · 07-19-2012, 10:33 AM

Option 4. - buy a 2006 with no TPMS sensors (indirect TPMS).

Pheonix · 07-19-2012, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

I just removed mine & am using option 2 at this point.
I decided that #3 was more effort than it was worth.

I'm not aware of anyone that has done Option 3 and made it work.
I think there will be an issue with shielding of signal and distance sensor>trunk.
To have any hope of making it work, I think you would need 4 separate canisters and mount local to the sensors at that wheel well.

I am using option 2 as well

I am with you on this, just way too much trouble for me to even think about trying option#3 and the sensors could still fail if you have in a canister so there is no point of trying.

Incompatible · 07-19-2012, 11:08 AM

For those who are using Option 2, any residual glow around the tape edges at night?
Where are the TPMS receivers located on our cars? Are they accessible?

3002 tii · 07-19-2012, 11:49 AM

Can't you pull out the fuse so that you don't get a dash warning? Then you could run without them and not have to worry about the dash light neither.

Incompatible · 07-19-2012, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubbedown

Can't you pull out the fuse so that you don't get a dash warning? Then you could run without them and not have to worry about the dash light neither.

It's been a while but I thought someone tried that and had some type of related problem, can't really remember what the issue was. Has anyone unplugged or removed the warning light?

Endless619 · 07-19-2012, 04:19 PM

Do option two and have them coded off at EAS, done and done.

Shipkiller · 07-19-2012, 05:31 PM

Pictures:

1

Incompatible · 07-20-2012, 05:31 PM

HK and Ship, thanks for the info.
I contacted EAS and as HK mentioned they can recode to remove the warning light.

It will be a few days until I can get to my car to try this: Has anyone unplugged the receivers? Any lights?

vachss · 07-20-2012, 05:50 PM

Boy, am I feeling ghetto after seeing Shipkiller's set up. I bought a cheap set of TPMS on Ebay and installed them in a new set of wheels/tires about a year ago. Sure enough, one (or more) of the sensors failed to work and I got the yellow gauge light.

I couldn't bring myself to dismount tires just to hunt for and replace a bad sensor. So I took a little stick-on label from the stationary pile, colored it in with a black indelible marker, cut it down to about 1 cm and stuck it over the gauge light. Utterly invisible in daylight, faint exclamation point visible at night.

Would I prefer to have a functioning TPMS system? Sure. But now I just carry a tire gauge and check periodically - the same as I have with every other car I've owned for the last 35 years. No big deal.

Shipkiller · 07-20-2012, 06:46 PM

My buddy had some failing TPMS sensors on his C5 track wheels. We took the wheels over to the Military Auto Hobby shop (a DIY shop). Put each wheel on the wheel machine, broke the bead at the sensor location and deformed the tire just enough to pull the sensor out and replace with standard stem. Re-inflated and reset the bead. Done. 10min per wheel. No re-balancing required since the tire did not move around the wheel.

ZeD4Mr · 07-20-2012, 06:58 PM

So I guess the conclusion is to tape it over or get coded?

No unplugging of any sort to fix it?

I hate my light since my wheels is not tpms compatible and I like my wheels..

07-19-2012, 10:08 AM	#1
Incompatible Major 55 Rep 1,224 Posts Drives: 07 AW Z4C 3.0Si Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	Thinking of removing my TPMS wheel sensors. Thinking of removing my TPMS wheel sensors. Coming up on the 5 year mark for the car and looks like I’ll need tires before the end of the year. My understanding from the various threads on sensor life is that they typically last 5-7 years. Based on my driving style I anticipate my current sensors will fail long before I’m ready to do tires again. I see my options as: 1. Proactively replace all 4 sensors now with the upcoming tire change to avoid the expense of unmounting / remounting the tires to install the new sensors. 2. Leave the current ones in and apply black tape over the warning light when they fail. I really don't see this as an option. 3. Remove the sensors when I do the tire change and place them in a small pressured container and carry in the car. I check my tire pressure regularly and with non-runflats, the removal of the sensors are not critical. Thoughts? Options I haven’t considered? Is there a way to disable the warning light bulb/wiring? Thanks __________________ If you can't take the time to teach a kid something good, someone will take the time to teach them something bad.
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07-19-2012, 10:18 AM	#2
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2432 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	I just removed mine & am using option 2 at this point. I decided that #3 was more effort than it was worth. I'm not aware of anyone that has done Option 3 and made it work. I think there will be an issue with shielding of signal and distance sensor>trunk. To have any hope of making it work, I think you would need 4 separate canisters and mount local to the sensors at that wheel well. __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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07-19-2012, 10:33 AM	#3
acceleration Private First Class 21 Rep 146 Posts Drives: G87 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: BMW Welt iTrader: (0)	Option 4. - buy a 2006 with no TPMS sensors (indirect TPMS). __________________ 2006 ///M Coupe TiAg / IR \| BBS RS-GT / BBS RK \| Ground Control \| Supersprint X-pipe + Race \| BMW Motorsport 3.91 final drive 2009 328i
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07-19-2012, 11:08 AM	#5
Incompatible Major 55 Rep 1,224 Posts Drives: 07 AW Z4C 3.0Si Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	For those who are using Option 2, any residual glow around the tape edges at night? Where are the TPMS receivers located on our cars? Are they accessible? __________________ If you can't take the time to teach a kid something good, someone will take the time to teach them something bad. Last edited by Incompatible; 07-19-2012 at 11:14 AM..
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07-19-2012, 11:49 AM	#6
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2285 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.24]	Can't you pull out the fuse so that you don't get a dash warning? Then you could run without them and not have to worry about the dash light neither. __________________ Follow for latest mods
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07-19-2012, 04:19 PM	#8
Endless619 DHS 203 Rep 4,010 Posts Drives: 2023 M4, 2020 Land Rover Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Disneyland iTrader: (14) Garage List 2014 Range Rover Ev ... [0.00] 2006 Acura TL [0.00]	Do option two and have them coded off at EAS, done and done. __________________ 2020 Land Rover Velar Autobiography 2023 BMW M4 2016 X3
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07-19-2012, 05:31 PM	#9
Shipkiller Colonel 187 Rep 2,138 Posts Drives: Me Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Virginia Beach iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 BMW Z4M Coupe [8.50] 2003 BMW Z4 Roadster [8.33]	Pictures: 1
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07-20-2012, 05:31 PM	#10
Incompatible Major 55 Rep 1,224 Posts Drives: 07 AW Z4C 3.0Si Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Diego iTrader: (1)	HK and Ship, thanks for the info. I contacted EAS and as HK mentioned they can recode to remove the warning light. It will be a few days until I can get to my car to try this: Has anyone unplugged the receivers? Any lights? __________________ If you can't take the time to teach a kid something good, someone will take the time to teach them something bad.
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07-20-2012, 05:50 PM	#11
vachss Captain 55 Rep 815 Posts Drives: Z4 Coupe Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ventura County, CA iTrader: (1)	Boy, am I feeling ghetto after seeing Shipkiller's set up. I bought a cheap set of TPMS on Ebay and installed them in a new set of wheels/tires about a year ago. Sure enough, one (or more) of the sensors failed to work and I got the yellow gauge light. I couldn't bring myself to dismount tires just to hunt for and replace a bad sensor. So I took a little stick-on label from the stationary pile, colored it in with a black indelible marker, cut it down to about 1 cm and stuck it over the gauge light. Utterly invisible in daylight, faint exclamation point visible at night. Would I prefer to have a functioning TPMS system? Sure. But now I just carry a tire gauge and check periodically - the same as I have with every other car I've owned for the last 35 years. No big deal.
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07-20-2012, 06:46 PM	#12
Shipkiller Colonel 187 Rep 2,138 Posts Drives: Me Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Virginia Beach iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 BMW Z4M Coupe [8.50] 2003 BMW Z4 Roadster [8.33]	My buddy had some failing TPMS sensors on his C5 track wheels. We took the wheels over to the Military Auto Hobby shop (a DIY shop). Put each wheel on the wheel machine, broke the bead at the sensor location and deformed the tire just enough to pull the sensor out and replace with standard stem. Re-inflated and reset the bead. Done. 10min per wheel. No re-balancing required since the tire did not move around the wheel.
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07-20-2012, 06:58 PM	#13
ZeD4Mr Lieutenant Colonel 502 Rep 1,543 Posts Drives: Skyer Z4MR Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada iTrader: (18)	So I guess the conclusion is to tape it over or get coded? No unplugging of any sort to fix it? I hate my light since my wheels is not tpms compatible and I like my wheels..
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