just curious

 

Don't bother with TPMS for your winter tire/wheels. The system only recognizes one set of sensors so you'd have to have them reprogrammed or swapped between sets of wheels twice a year. Way too expensive and bothersome. Just manually check the pressure once a week and you're good.

For details on the TPMS, check out this post...

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....9&postcount=44

 

^^

I run a winter wheel tire setup (17" wheels with all-square 225/55-17” snow tires) on my VDC-equipped Z, and I don't bother with TPMS with the winter/tire setup.

The 17" wheel with tires having higher sidewalls is more forgiving on psi than lower profile tires on taller wheels (i.e., 18" or 19" wheels).

As Dave mentions, you don't need TPMS and the added cost for your winter wheel/tire setup if you are willing to check your tire pressures 3 or 4 times per month.

--Spike

 

+2 The only downside is on long trips you get a warning light. It takes about 70 miles to turn on & goes out each time you restart the car. It is not obnoxious.

 

Or just get nitrogen put in your tires and you never have to check the pressure ever

 

Wow, nitrogen seals leaks from nail holes too?

 

Haha no, but that one's kind of a no brainer. If you can't tell you have a nail in your tire, you have bigger issues than the nail in the tire.

 

^^ I think you may have missed Dave’s point; which is: No matter what you use to fill your tires (nitrogen or plain air), it’s important that you periodically and regularly check your tire’s psi to insure safe operation and to protect your expensive investment.

You said:
Dave simply presents a counterpoint to your extreme and inaccurate statement (of course, you need to check pressures).

--Spike

 

tires with nitrogen in them can't lose air pressure unless they are punctured. Most likely if they are punctured, you can see they are low without needing a computer to tell you so, that's all i'm saying. So if you have nitrogen you don't have to check your air pressure, just look at your tires once in a while and make sure they aren't punctured or really low.

 

The advantage of using nitrogen fills over air is arguable. Some people swear by nitrogen, while others say there is no significant difference. The theory is nitrogen’s larger particle size reduces leakage through the rubber compound.

I use nitrogen fills because my tire guy recommends this, but even he admits not being certain about any benefit. His point is that it won’t hurt, and might help, so why not? For sure nitrogen maintains a drier environment inside your tire. That reduces moisture accumulation at the wheel’s interface to the tire, which is definitely a good thing.

But, and with this said, I add air periodically during the winter to my tires (and that is plain air and not nitrogen, although the first-fill is nitrogen). Adjusting the psi is a continual task for my car because I’m in a climate where ambient temperatures vary significantly (up to 50 degrees within a 48 hour period). That’s going to result in a psi variation no matter what you use to fill your tires.

I’ve also picked-up a nail (make that two nails) over the last 5 years. I never would have noticed until it was too late had I not done a periodic tire-pressure check (as Dave suggests doing). It’s much better to catch the problem when you’re down 6 or 7 lbs. vs. a total loss of pressure (which is the eventual result of an imbedded nail).

I understand your point, but wanted to mention the importance of checking psi since nitrogen fills will never guarantee absolute safety. I think your statement…
… is somewhat cavalier and probably not good advice.

--Spike

 

My TPMS light is on with my winter wheels/tire set-up with NO TPMS. Does winter tires follow the same air pressure by Nissan, i.e. 38 psi on all four tires?? I guess you're saying it's ok to drive with the light on? Thanks.....

 

huh? of course the light will be on when you have no TPMS on the wheels

 

But is it ok to drive the entire winter with the TPMS light on??? Again I am using a set of winter wheels/tires.

 

I wonder what everyone did before TPMS sensors... did they actually have to get out of the car with a guage and check each tire... who has that kind of time?

When I had my winter tires put on, the first place I went to refused to mount them without the sensors... said they would lose their jobs if they did. I guess there are tire pressure sensor police just watching and waiting for us sensorless felons to arrest.

 

hehehehehe this is silly