If you drive a car made after 2007 you’re familiar with the tire pressure monitor system (TPMS) — the helpful indicator that warns when your tires are running low on air.
You might not know that those sensors run on independent batteries of their own. And a California-based mechanic has a tip that may save you several headaches when it comes time to replace one.
William Chang of independent performance parts distribution center Concept 3 (@concept3performance) took to his company’s TikTok account to share his wisdom three days ago. The video has since gathered over 356,800 views.
In it, Chang drops some wisdom about your car’s TPMS that you might not have known otherwise.
“You got a tire pressure monitoring system on your car?” Chang asks his viewers as he works on a wheel from a Lexus IS350. “As you can see, this [sensor] is orange,” he says, displaying it for the camera.
Chang points out that the aftermarket sensor is a replacement, a fact he illustrates by showing the remaining three sensors from the other tires — which are all black. He states that the remaining sensors are all in danger of failing.
The sensors all run on batteries independent of your car’s own battery. “The same batteries that are in hearing aids,” Chang claims. “So, replace all 4 f***ing sensors while you’re at it,” he advises. “Save your time, save your money.”
If one sensor fails due to its battery the other three are likely to follow suit. Chang says, “Don’t cheap out.”
According to consumer intelligence company J. D. Power, “It’s recommended that you go for a tire pressure sensor replacement once the 80,000 miles mark is passed. Simple wear and tear, especially when using the vehicle quite often, can quickly reduce the service life of sensors.”
@concept3performance Tip of the day ☺️😁 – – – #mazdaspeed #nation #car #jdmnation #honda #rotor #japan #club #rotarypower #nsx #stancenation #rb #gt #nismo #miata #jdmdaily #subaru #wankel #silvia #a #racing #mx #carsofinstagram #mk #supramk #boost #jdmsociety #toyotasupra #fdrx #driftcar ♬ original sound – Concept 3 Performance
“I can confirm this when my sensor went out. Asked the mechanic to do all 4 to get it out of the way. He said it wasn’t needed and 2 weeks later issue popped up again,” Vennie Payne (@monthsbehind) wrote in the comments.
Another viewer commented, “I didn’t even know they ran on batteries that makes sense why all my cars eventually have these fail.”
“I’ll just deal with the dash light and check my tire pressures regularly like drivers did for decades and how I was taught when I started driving,” another added.
However, drivers with cars made after 2007 will find that their tires all have TPMS sensors — whether they like it or not.
The TPMS has been around since the 1980s but they were made mandatory by the TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement Accountability and Documentation) Act in 2000 in the last year of the Clinton administration.
According to tirebuyer.com, “the TREAD Act mandated that every new car sold in the United States after September 2007 be equipped with TPMS.”
The website also notes, “Underinflated tires wreak a staggering amount of havoc on our nation’s roads and highways, contributing to 250,000 crashes, 33,000 injuries, and 660 deaths every year.”
Update 10:20am CT, Oct. 31: Chang told the Daily Dot in a statement: “There is additional information and tips that can be passed on with purchasing a used vehicle. Carfax another way, but there are vehicles like my personal ones that I own will have to record of them cause all the service is done by me. There is also more information on when buying used car from smaller mom and pops dealerships, they often buy used vehicle from auctions do small tweaks to them, charge you very high APR, and also put a tracking device in it, while holding on to a spare key to get the car when you are behind payments.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Chang via email and TikTok messenger for further comment.
