I just got back from being defibrillated at the local emergency room. My dealer tells me the price is $386 (parts and labor) to replace one sensor. I just went to eBay and see there are sets of 4 available for $229. Has anyone used these for replacements and if so have you had any problems with reliability and/or how long they last? I can't believe these things are so expensive.

Courtesy Nissan (which is a company I trust) sells them for around $95 each so I'm a little leary of the eBay bargain, tempting as it may be. Courtesy Nissan generally sells all their parts at half the price the dealer asks for.

 

Programming them is where the expensive part comes in... the dealer has to do it, and they are not cheap.

 

Yeah, but that's a SET of 4...still it's only $38 less ea (if you can buy just one) than the OEM.
I wouldn't cheap out for $38 diff vs the real deal.

 

Search around, it can be done a lot cheaper. Reprogramming seems to run between $50 and $100 , but you still need to get it installed $20 at the local tire shop.

 

i paid 40 bucks for all four out of a pathfinder, that were the same part numbers as the ones use din our car as well as several other infintis etc.
I ahve a friend who sold me my cd009 transmission that would program them for me, so i dunno about labor, they scan the tires w a 200 dollar tool that is availble as a consumer. ( why install them until you needed tires anyways??)

 

Dealer reprogrammed mine (all four have to be done) for $25. Takes less than 15 minutes. List on the sensor is less than $150, you can buy one from Courtesy Parts for under $100.

Find another dealer.

 

or you can do what we been doing before this tps crap and check your pressure lol,2 of mine are out but don't matter I check it myself

 

I bought 4 TPS's (< $100 in the marketplace) when I got my first replacement tires, one TPSwent bad, the next set I replaced another TPS. I have two left and I currently have one TPSis flaking out on me, they reset it when I take it in for an oil change which last for a few weeks and then --

Get the TPS, change it when you replace that tire. Don't let the TPS light bother you, you'll get use to it after a few weeks.

 

I think I can see why newer models no longer have these things. They are the appendix of the 350Z. If there was a way to disable the feature, I would go that route. It's nice to be able to check your tire pressure while driving but not for the expense involved.

I'll get it done when I go in for my 30K service. I have Michelin tires and only put about 5K a year on the car so waiting for a new set of tires would be a long time from now (years at least). And I will get the sensor from CourtesyNissan...you can't beat their prices unless you know someone or get lucky on eBay. BTW, my Nissan dealer quoted $156 for the sensor alone.

 

All new cars have these "things", they are required by law now.

Watch the Marketplace and and pick up a used one cheap ($25-$50) and get a tire shop to mount it for you ($10-$15). Then have the dealer reprogram it.

 

We have them as well if interested.

 

Checked out the law this morning. I bought my car (2006) before the law made them mandatory (2008) so I did not know. Somehow this makes me feel better about having them in the car for at least I know now that it's no longer a "nice to have" gizmo. But it still seems a bit over top price wise.

I wonder what other parts of the car will be made mandatory and force people to foot the bill in the name of safety that in the end will not make a car fool proof. I also wonder if laws will be passed making it impossible to get your car registered if all four sensors aren't working. I mean that's the next logical step isn't it?

 

I just did a little browsing on Google. I'm finding all sorts of fun facts to know. Some GTR users are having problems with the warranty being honored. I also found some states actually do have a requirement that they be working in order to pass inspection.

On a Toyota forum, I found a thread where someone actually went through the trouble of building a little airtight box, putting the sensors in it, filling it with air up to 32 psi, and keeping it in the car all the time.

As Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way!" LOL

 

That doesn't really work. The sensors has switches in them that turn them on only when the car is driven above 20 mph. That keeps the batteries from running down too quickly by them transmitting even when the car is parked.

They are like seat belts. Required but there certainly is no inspection restriction that prevents you from passing if you have disabled the warning light, etc.


I used to think they were a luxury item but over the years have had at least three incidences where they have proven to be invaluable. With our low profile tires, it's almost impossible to visually tell if the pressure is low. Unless you are totally flat, i.e. driving on the rim you just don't know. On several occasions I have left work and gotten down the block and had the low pressure light come on. I've even gotten out of the car and walked around looking for a low tire and not been able to see one even though the pressure was less than 15 psi. Each time I had a nail in a tire and the air was slowly leaking out. I probably would have driven around for another day before it was totally flat and I would have seen it. No telling where I would have been stranded without that advanced warning.

 

I have a spare set that I would be willing to sell. $125 shipped. Let me know

 

You make some good points. I forgot about the need to have the car moving to activate the sensors. It makes sense. And you're right about the low profile issue. My tires are essentially the same as the OEM tires and you're right, it is very hard to tell visually if they are low or not.

 

CRIDDA...I sent you a PM.

 

When I broke one of my sensor's, I paid $50 for an OEM sensor from Ebay and when I got an oil change from my dealer, I asked them to sync it with the tire pressure monitoring system and they did it FREE of charge!

$386 for parts and labor is a rip off.

 

I used to work at a tire shop (Bjs wholesale Miami) and people used to come in for reprogramming em( on all osrts of cars).

When they break they are expencive, the store would just pay for the replacement. If the client came in with the sensor broken and did not want to buy a new one we would remove it ( a 8mm socket if I remember correctly) and we would put a MID-psi valve (gold stems) in its place, and just tell me "check your psi weekly"

I know its "against the law" not to have em, I just have never heard of anyone getting fined for it, umm I guess the only place where it could happen is at a Nissan dealer, or at a SMOG testing place or something.

You guys can try this maybe it will work. Try going to a BJs and asking the tire guy if they have the machine to program the sensors( its a small handhelp unit most of the time) and see if they can do it for you as a sidejob or something, may or may not work.

 

I take my car to the Nissan dealer where I bought it. They are pretty much a "by the book" company (meaning you cannot bargain with them...period). But their work is emaculate which is why I go there. As far as parts are concerned, I get mine from Courtesy Nissan and have my dealer do the install if necessary.

It just bugs me the dealership is so narrow-minded about their pricing. They could garner so much more good will if they would just loosen up a bit.