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Does Model S use Tire Pressure Sensors?
- Thread starter mknox
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- Driving Dynamics Model S
My rav 4 just showed the TPMS warning light and it was the spare on the back that was low (2nd time in 4 1/2 years it has lost enough air)
I'm not really sure how they have it set up(and don't care too much) but it is neat that the spare has a sensor too
I'm not really sure how they have it set up(and don't care too much) but it is neat that the spare has a sensor too
That's right, Nissan just lists four tires without showing which is which. My old Nissan would show the tires in a different order every time you started it.
artsci
Sponsor
The interesting question for me, which Tesla should at some point answer, is what's the technology and brand hardware Tesla uses for the sensors? If some of us purchase after market wheels, say from the Tire Rack, and want to add compatible sensors, what should we do? Or is all of the sensing hardware interchangeable?
ChadS
Last tank of gas: March 2009
I don't know if other sensors will work...but Tesla told me that they'd sell their TPMS sensors for $48.97 each plus tax.
Did you manually check your tire pressures? Maybe you're just low enough on one tire to set off the alert, but once underway the pressure came up enough to clear the message.
My car has actual PSI readout by tire and I've seen tires go from 30 PSI cold to as much as 37 PSI after just a few miles of driving.
I haven't had a chance to check them - I meant to do it when I got home - but it was too late that evening. It has not displayed the message again.
If that is the case then the tires are severely underinflated. After an hour or so of highway driving an 8% to 10% pressure rise is typical, perhaps as much as 15% if the ambient temperature rises significantly. Any more than that and something is very wrong.
My car is supposed to be 35 PSI, which is where I set them cold. When the ambient temperature drops, the pressure can go as low as 30 PSI when I head out, but will go up to 37 or 38 after driving. They're nitrogen filled too.
When the temperature dips you need to increase the pressure. Allowing the tires to "pump themselves up" just makes the tires hotter and shortens their life.
Nitrogen is a big rip-off so I hope you didn't pay anything for it. It does nothing for on-road vehicles.
1. Nitrogen is used in underground vehicles, airplanes, and subways so that if there is a fire they won't add any oxygen to the mix. There is enough oxygen in the air that in an above-ground fire the oxygen in the tires won't make any difference.
2. High end racers use nitrogen because it's dry and allows them to tune their suspension to get that extra 1/100th of a second lap time improvement. If you need that kind of time on roads please post when when and where so people can avoid the area
3. Low end racers use nitrogen because the pits in the smaller tracks often don't have electricity and nitrogen is as cheap and safe as anything.
The best thing that can be said about nitrogen inflation in on-road vehicles is that it does no harm. However air is already mostly nitrogen so there really isn't any reason to pay more for something you already have.
I agree completely. Air is something like 80% nitrogen anyway, and it's not like they pull a vacuum on the tires before filling them. I did pay an additional $20, but it was to get the road hazard insurance and just included the nitrogen fill. For some reason, I seem to pick up a screw or nail at least once a year, and it also covers a replacement if I shred the tire on a piece of metal (done that too!)
William13
Active Member
Back to the OP. I paid a few hundred for the TPMS x 4 on my second set of wheels. Only Tesla can reset/sync the TPMS. I will need to have Tesla resync each winter and spring. The car is very sensitive. It did not like one tire at 40pounds and the others at 42 pounds. When I called to discuss this I was told that the 19 inch wheels actually are to be filled to 45 pounds. I actually filled them to 47 pounds in my warm garage as it is only 32 degrees F outside today. I was trying to adjust for the ambient tempature too. This improved the cars performance( it was loose in a turn and wiggled it tail with high acceleration). I may drop the two extra pounds soon though as it made the ride noticably firmer/harder/sportier. I like it a little soft. I am after all an American.
As mentioned in another thread, the twice/year remounting of wheels and resync the TPMS is paid as part of the maintenance agreement. If true in the US, that would be pretty nice.
Can anyone else confirm that this is the price from Tesla? If it is then it'd be awesome - thats probably their cost.
araxara
X-LR M3AWD, MYLR
Agreed - but there is a slight hope that Elon's edict that service is not to make any $ may be applied...
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