On 4/24/2014 9:15 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Leon wrote:
On 4/24/2014 8:42 AM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Leon wrote:


Having said all of that, all new cars sold in the US in 2018 will
all have back up cameras. I wonder who is to be blamed for that?

The same soccer-mom thinking idiots that brought us mandatory TPMS.

TPMS?

Tire Pressure Monitoring System. That beauty adds $200 to the cost of new
tires since valves are typically replaced with tires, and TMPS valves
average around $50 each on the aftermarket. In some cases, significantly
more - and in some cases replacement valves have to be matched to the car's
computer by the dealer.

All of this so an idiot light can light up on your dash if your tire
pressure drops.



Since the first vehicle for me that had this was my Tundra, I
immediately wondered about the replacement of valve stems, having been
in the tire business, managed my own store at 21.
I'm not sure about all but the stems on both of our vehicles are all
metal on the outside. Typically a stem is replaced when it is all
rubber on the outside because of deterioration of the rubber. It is a
good chance it could break off before the second set of tires has been
worn out. Steel stems OTOH don't break off. They can leak but the real
danger is with the rubber stems.

Anyway none of the stems on my Tundra were replaced when I put new tires on.

My concern however is how long that battery is going to last. I can
easily see a $30+ bill to have one replaced.

The idiot light is a PIA, the one on our Camry not so much as it does
give pressure readings on each tire so you at least know if the tire is
dangerously low or not. Now if only it could tell you which tire was 5
lbs low. ;~)