Tyre pressure monitors. To buy or avoid.

[merl]

I'm considering getting a set of after market tyre pressure monitor/warning system. Just wondering which after market units have been tried and tested by others and which ones you'd recommend or avoid.
If you can could you please include approx how long you've had them installed and a photo of the main unit if it's a generic amazon/ebay purchase
Thanks

 

[wildebus]

I'm considering getting a set of after market tyre pressure monitor/warning system. Just wondering which after market units have been tried and tested by others and which ones you'd recommend or avoid.
If you can could you please include approx how long you've had them installed and a photo of the main unit if it's a generic amazon/ebay purchase
Thanks

Had lots over last 17 years ....

General comments.
Make sure they are "commercial" ones. Car systems rarely work at the higher pressure of van tyres.
Ones with a battery and solar recharge for the display are handy. Saves a lead trailing around the dash.
Depending on your reading eyesight, choose one with a display you can actually read! Many have small hard to read displays
Ones with replaceable batteries for the sensors are better than sealed.

Right now I have a TPMS setup that is android based, so you get the info on the radio display. Very visible but it will almost certainly not work with normal fitment van radios.

 

[wildebus]

Back home on my PC now so can give you some links ....

I bought this one to use with my Dually VW LT, so wanted a system with 6 sensors
https://amzn.to/46R4zST - This was £70 back in 2017

Even if you just have the regular 4 wheels, a 6 sensor set can be useful if you pull a trailer or caravan, or use a 5th on a spare and then the 6th is just a spare one.


This is what I am using on my current Motorhome
https://amzn.to/47ZNzLe - About £50

This is a system that does not have its own display but uses a Receiver with a USB connection to an Android in-Dash Radio. I really like this as it gets rid of a extra display and you can see the info very nicely, plus when there is a tyre issue, a big red bar comes up on the display over whatever it playing to tell you.

The first one I got after getting a van is the always popular TyrePal.
This was back in 2014 so I don't know how it looks compared to the TyrePal systems on sale now? it did its job fine but IIRC I did find the display not so great to read due to size? But the product itself was great, just my own limitation

 

[SimonM]

Tyrepal for me. Very useful additionally where it shows how hot the tyres are as a consequence of how hot the brakes are getting going down alpine passes.

 

[davep10000]

Had bad experiences with tyrepal, with sensors failing, with water ingress (despite checking o rings, and being hypercritical with them). Replacement sensors are available, but at around £30 each... ouch!!
Have gone back to a cheap ebay set at £15 (goes up to 6 bar), and its fine (for now!).

 

[Canalsman]

I've had two TyrePal units on both my motorhomes for around 12 years now. The second one is the solar charged version.

They have worked faultlessly. The sensor batteries can last up to two years in my experience. I drive around 7,000 miles per year.

The displays are quite small so your eyesight needs to be reasonable at around 1 metre distance.

The sensors report tyre pressure and temperature. Alarms sound for over and under pressure and temperature. The values are configurable through a setup menu on the device.

The temperature warning is useful to indicate wheel bearing or brake issues, besides tyre related problems.

I recommend these units without reservation.

 

[wildebus]

I think it would be correct to say that all aftermarket TPMS systems report both Pressure AND Temperature? It certainly isn't a unique TyrePal feature.
All the ones I have used from various brands include both sets of info and can set alarms for both pressure and temps (which is why they are actually better than the standard factory installations).

 

[Wooie1958]

Same as Canalsman, i`m happy with and would recommend TyrePal Solar Colour, works well in a 7.5m motorhome

It`s quite scary to see how much the tyre pressures increase in both pressure and temperature in hotter climes i.e. south of France when working hard

My only critisism ( maybe 4.8 stars and not 5 stars ) would be the sensor battery life is not as long as they claim but i carry spares and they`re easy to change.

 

[trevskoda]

Spotted this just now on temu.

 

[merl]

Spotted this just now on temu.View attachment 125945

I think I've already seen the same model on amazon but rejected it because it doesn't go up to typical MH tyre pressures.

 

[Thistle]

I have always wondered about the safety of these aftermarket sensor caps I assume they depress the valve and hence are reliant on an O ring or something?
So that's got to be a declarable modification to a safety critical part as far as insurance is concerned surely?
I would expect most insurers to be a bit wary.

In my cars I have internal TPMS sensors, these don't compromise the valve, I assume aftermarket systems are available using that type of sensor I would certainly be more comfortable having that type of sensor fitted.

 

[wildebus]

I have always wondered about the safety of these aftermarket sensor caps I assume they depress the valve and hence are reliant on an O ring or something?
So that's got to be a declarable modification to a safety critical part as far as insurance is concerned surely?
I would expect most insurers to be a bit wary.

In my cars I have internal TPMS sensors, these don't compromise the valve, I assume aftermarket systems are available using that type of sensor I would certainly be more comfortable having that type of sensor fitted.

yeah, 10,000,000 users must be mad.
Any other dangerous mods you want to reveal?

 

[merl]

yeah, 10,000,000 users must be mad.
Any other dangerous mods you want to reveal?

Bad day David?

 

[wildebus]

.... In my cars I have internal TPMS sensors, these don't compromise the valve, I assume aftermarket systems are available using that type of sensor I would certainly be more comfortable having that type of sensor fitted.

Just to answer this specific point (rather than the slightly daft previous point ) ....
YES is the answer.

On one vehicle, I had a TPMS system added at the same time I had new tyres fitted. I supplied the system which had internal sensors and I actually got a reduction in the price of the the Tyre Install as they didn't have to supply any tyre valves, so it was actually a cost saving

On another vehicle, I had the Internal Sensors added to replace the existing valves. I actually had this done on all 4 wheels for a total cost of £10 I won't pretend this is a typical cost, more of a nominal charge from a Tyre Dealer that I used to do some work for. I would expect the normal cost could be maybe £20 or so a wheel at least as they each have to be taken off, rolled over to the bead breaker, valves swapped, inflated, etc etc.

So undoubtedly the best time for THESE tyre of sensors to be installed is to coincide with new tyres.

Are they better than external ones? they do not work any better than the external ones. The only real advantage is they are theft-proof. A key disadvantage is when the battery fails in one, it is a hell of a lot more of a faff (and expense) to sort that out compared to just undoing an external sensor, unscrewed the lid and swapping out the battery.
I have NEVER had a single occurance of a tyre loosing pressure due to a TPMS sensor and I always choose the kits with the external sensors for the reasons above.

 

[merl]

Just to answer this specific point (rather than the slightly daft previous point ) ....
YES is the answer.

On one vehicle, I had a TPMS system added at the same time I had new tyres fitted. I supplied the system which had internal sensors and I actually got a reduction in the price of the the Tyre Install as they didn't have to supply any tyre valves, so it was actually a cost saving

On another vehicle, I had the Internal Sensors added to replace the existing valves. I actually had this done on all 4 wheels for a total cost of £10 I won't pretend this is a typical cost, more of a nominal charge from a Tyre Dealer that I used to do some work for. I would expect the normal cost could be maybe £20 or so a wheel at least as they each have to be taken off, rolled over to the bead breaker, valves swapped, inflated, etc etc.

So undoubtedly the best time for THESE tyre of sensors to be installed is to coincide with new tyres.

Are they better than external ones? they do not work any better than the external ones. The only real advantage is they are theft-proof. A key disadvantage is when the battery fails in one, it is a hell of a lot more of a faff (and expense) to sort that out compared to just undoing an external sensor, unscrewed the lid and swapping out the battery.
I have NEVER had a single occurance of a tyre loosing pressure due to a TPMS sensor and I always choose the kits with the external sensors for the reasons above.

We're pretty well molly coddled WRT car safety so I'd probably conclude that if a TPMS get's through an MOT then I'm pretty happy. I've never heard of an ins co saying a policy would be void if they were fitted, after all they are a safety feature not a risk but as we all know Ins co's will attempt to wriggle out of owt but surely they'd have to show how a failure contributed to any incident? For sure you'd get an alarm if the o ring was leaking which after all is their job.

 

[Canalsman]

For sure you'd get an alarm if the o ring was leaking which after all is their job.

Good point.

In addition, if somebody nicked the sensor caps the alarm will go off on the monitor showing 0 psi...

 

[Norfolk NewBoy]

I asked Santa Claus for a TyrePal setup but his little helpers (my children) got me a cheap Chinese set with solar panel for the readout.

Needless to say the instructions were in Chenglish and required two of us attempting to understand and apply them. Each sensor read different values BUT I overcame that by resetting upper and lower values for each tyre. The warnings were OK and the readouts were interesting but it seemed to confuse offside and nearside tyres from time to time. The batteries depleted at varying rates.

It's now available for a cheap price!

Gordon

 

[Geek]

I've tried a few of these things.

Tyrepal are the leader in marketing spend, but they are no better or worse than any of the other chinese brands.

All of them will monitor a wide range of temperatures and pressures, but many car ones have a very restricted range of alarm pressures.

I have one set of six which have been excellent except that one of the sensors got bashed on a kerb and now eats batteries.

They all have the same fundamental design fault: no port to inflate through. You have to unscrew them each time. And that's a pain if you have to undo the locking nut as well.

I keep meaning to look for aftrermarket ones that fit inside the wheel.

 

[merl]

I've tried a few of these things.

Tyrepal are the leader in marketing spend, but they are no better or worse than any of the other chinese brands.

All of them will monitor a wide range of temperatures and pressures, but many car ones have a very restricted range of alarm pressures.

I have one set of six which have been excellent except that one of the sensors got bashed on a kerb and now eats batteries.

They all have the same fundamental design fault: no port to inflate through. You have to unscrew them each time. And that's a pain if you have to undo the locking nut as well.

I keep meaning to look for aftrermarket ones that fit inside the wheel.

Cheers for the info, do you have a brand or picture of the dash unit? How long have you had them?
Cheers merl

 

[yeoblade]

Interesting points raised here, many people have had a few systems too, So looking from the other side (post hijack!) IF you haven't fitted (or arent fitted OE) do you think you have had a disaster because you DIDN'T have them?