TPMS sensor questions

[ski_rush]

Hi everyone. I'm going to be getting new rims soon and I know I needed to get a TPMS rebuild kit to have the existing TPMS sensors on the old wheels put on the new wheels. However, when I looked online, there seems to be several such kits that all say they fit my Z, but there are different "colors".

They will say they are gray, black, yellow, orange, or green rebuild kits. Does anyone know how I tell which ones work for my car? Below are 2 examples of the different "colors".

Example 1

Example 2


Thanks!

[Finnegan]

Looks like there are several part numbers for the stem. Take a look here. Looks like different colors too? (Black, green, yellow.)

At about 14 bucks for 4 of them (according to Realoem), I'd just get them from the stealership and let them figure out which color to source.

[Incompatible]

From looking at the pics in the OP's links, it appears that the difference is in the stem length. With aftermarket wheels it would appear that you have the option of ordering the ones which look/work best for your new wheels.

[scottyD]

You may be better off just buying a complete new set of sensors. If I remember correctly they have batteries and will go dead after 6 or 8 years (or something like that).

That would be a major pain to have just installed the old sensors with new stems in your new rims and then have a sensor battery go dead, so you'd have to unmount the tire again just to replace the sensor.

It's easy to replace them all now and start from brand new all around. That's what I would do.

I think it's about $200 for a complete set of all 4 sensors and stems. Don't buy direct from BMW as they will be more expensive. I believe we have the 433MHz Beru sensors, which you can find online.

For example, I quickly searched and found this:
http://www.bavarianx.com/BMW_TPMS_Ti...wz4-r8-kit.htm

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by scottyD

You may be better off just buying a complete new set of sensors. If I remember correctly they have batteries and will go dead after 6 or 8 years (or something like that).

That would be a major pain to have just installed the old sensors with new stems in your new rims and then have a sensor battery go dead, so you'd have to unmount the tire again just to replace the sensor.

It's easy to replace them all now and start from brand new all around. That's what I would do.

I think it's about $200 for a complete set of all 4 sensors and stems. Don't buy direct from BMW as they will be more expensive. I believe we have the 433MHz Beru sensors, which you can find online.

For example, I quickly searched and found this:
http://www.bavarianx.com/BMW_TPMS_Ti...wz4-r8-kit.htm

My dad bought E92 wheels from a newer year BMW and the TPMS sensors didn't work. They were take off tires, never used.

Anyways, I sold the sensors for $170, picked up new ones for $150. They are pretty cheap these days on the used market.

[bdn3d]

Ok so wait, I'm getting new wheels soon as well and was told I could just use the old sensors, but you guys are saying in order to do that I now need to also get a rebuild kit??

[Kgolf31]

Originally Posted by bdn3d

Ok so wait, I'm getting new wheels soon as well and was told I could just use the old sensors, but you guys are saying in order to do that I now need to also get a rebuild kit??

If the old sensors work, then you're fine.

If not, you need a rebuild kit

[msh441]

Yes. All BMW TPMS sensors are 433mhz... but I believe the 1st generation send an analog signal, while the newer ones are digital. So they're not interchangeable.

[SmartBastard]

No TPMS for the lightness!

[Shipkiller]

Battery service life is approx. 10 years...

http://www.shipkiller.com/TPMS.html

[scottyD]

Originally Posted by bdn3d

Ok so wait, I'm getting new wheels soon as well and was told I could just use the old sensors, but you guys are saying in order to do that I now need to also get a rebuild kit??

You can use the old sensors with a rebuild kit, or, for just a little more money, you can buy a complete set of new sensors that have all the parts you need to last you another 10 years. All I was saying was that if you are going to be getting new wheels, you may want completely new sensors. Sounds like the battery life is longer than I thought, so you may be fine with your used sensors.

I just know I would get all new sensors so I wouldn't have to fix them only after a year or two - right now, mine are almost 6 years old. The extra cost of having to dismount and remount the tire to put in a new sensor (which you will have to buy at that point, anyway) may be equivalent to just starting out with new sensors on new wheels.

[gcochard]

So glad I have an early production that uses the ABS for this!

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by cliffhopper

So glad I have an early production that uses the ABS for this!

You are indeed very lucky! I wonder why BMW did the switch on the Z4 since it doesn't display the actual pressure anywhere on the dash anyway...kind of a waste, IMHO.

[Shipkiller]

Originally Posted by XMetal

You are indeed very lucky! I wonder why BMW did the switch on the Z4 since it doesn't display the actual pressure anywhere on the dash anyway...kind of a waste, IMHO.

A couple of reasons.

Up to and including MY 2006, the DSC MK60 is used to detect a pressure delta. The best that the system can resolve is a 30% drop in pressure. 30% of 32psi is about 9.6psi.

On MY 2007 and up, BMW switched to DSC MK60E5 unit which is also used in the E90+ series abet with different software and that software is upgradable.
The new system also takes into account tire temperature and can resolve down to a 5.8psi delta.

[XMetal]

Thanks for the insight! Since we have individual sensor in each wheel, just wished that it could have at least display the pressure coming from those wheels or at least tell you which wheel is low

[Hoa]

Some cars tell you the psi. My fx35 did. My G37 didn't, it just give me a blinking light. None of my Z4M has sensors and no light. I saved 200 bucks

[Pheonix]

Originally Posted by XMetal

Thanks for the insight! Since we have individual sensor in each wheel, just wished that it could have at least display the pressure coming from those wheels or at least tell you which wheel is low

+1. It is just a waste to have these sensors since u have to check each tire to find out which one needed air. These types of technologies sounded great at first but then they are became impractical once implemented (like got rid of the oil dipstick)