Vinish

I have a 2007 GT coupe with ~39,000 miles and I am just about to get new tires for the first time. When I have the new tires installed, I would also like to put in metal valve stems. Someone warned me that this was not a simple task because the TPMS sensors are attached to the valve stems. Can someone tell me if it is possible to use metal valve stems with the OEM TPMS sensors on each wheel? If this is not simple, are there specific metal valve stems which I can use?

On a related note and please pardon my ignorance - Do the TPMS sensors in/on the wheels have batteries that should be replaced when the tires are changed?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

G'day,

Vinish

Zooks527

The TPMS sensors have batteries, but they are not user replaceable. You wait until the sensor dies from battery failure and then you replace the entire sensor.

08'MustangDude

The TPMS sensor is one piece:


All valve stems are metal inside, the rubber is a coating.

You can use metal jacket/covers:

Vinish

Something seems very different about my valve stems. I can flex them a lot. They will bend and nearly touch the rim. I have also had two of them develop cracks at their base. This could possibly be due to me using metal valve stem caps that are heavier than the normal plastic caps. The centrifugal forces on this cap when the wheel is rotating probably cause it to flex.

I hope you can offer advice on another related question. The TPMS sensor batteries are original. They came with the car in 2007 and I have never replaced them. Should the batteries and, hence, the entire TPMS sensors, be replaced now? What is the expected lifetime of these batteries? Is this lifetime measured in years (12 yrs old and probably on their last legs) or in miles (~39,000 miles so probably still going strong)?

Zooks527

Well, 2007 was early in the TPMS age. At that time, everyone figured they would last, oh, 5 to 7 years or so. Then, when most made it past that long, everyone started guessing 10 years. Now, you regularly see people with 12 year old ones.

It's a roll of the dice. If you made me bet, I'd bet they won't go more than a year or two longer, but that's the less-than-informed guess of some random guy on the Internet. I guess it shakes down to how long you expect to have the car. If you're the original owner and plan to keep it another 12, I'd replace them. If you only plan for another few years, I might take the chance.

In any event, a good shop can replace the sensor without needing to demount and rebalance the tire by using the tire machine to break the bead right by the sensor and push it down enough to swap it with a same kind / same weight sensor. Might cost $20/wheel or so. Of course, there shouldn't be any additional labor if you do it now.

One last question - are you sure you have TPMS sensors? I have no knowledge about Ford products from back then, but I do remember that 2007 BMW models did tire pressure monitoring using the ABS wheel speed sensors and not using a separate sensor-in-valve setup. They moved over to mounted sensors when the federal government forced it on them a year or two later.
EDIT: OK, looking online, all Ford models had sensors in 2007, so that point is invalid.

Derf00

2007 did not come stock with valve stem type TPMS sensors. They have Band style sensors that attach to the center of the rim with a giant metal band. 2010 was the first year Ford started doing the valve stem type on the Mustang.


You can buy valve stem style compatible TPMS for your stang, I did. I originally orders mine from American Muscle back in 2012 and they had metal sleeves and chrome caps. I just checked and they have since discontinued the ones I have and do not offer any metal sleeved ones. Your best bet is to order the Valve stem style TPMS from them and pickup a set of metal sleeves and caps as mentioned. Discount tire can sync the new TPMS to your car. Be sure to order the ones that say for year 05-09 on them. They are a different frequency than 2010+.

Vinish

I went to three tire places today to obtain quotes and two of them (Goodyear and Tire Kingdom) just said that sure, they could replace the 12 year old (39,000 mile) sensors. They just assumed the TPMS sensors were the tire stem type. The third place (Firestone) listened to my description of what appear to be flexible rubber valve stems and said, "I bet you have the band type sensors". They checked and said these were $140 per tire to replace compared to $45 for the valve stem type. They also said that they did not think the valve stem type would work. Based on the above excellent info from Derf00, I doubt they are correct on the latter point.

The third store also said the batteries in the band type last a lot longer and that given the cost, I should just keep using them until they fail. They are the original sensors and are still working after 12 years and 39,000 miles. Has anyone else heard that the batteries in the band type sensors last longer than the valve stem type sensors?

One more question - What could cause a wheel/tire to NOT be able to use a valve stem type TPMS sensor? Could the shape of the wheel or the location of the valve stem hole on the rim cause a problem?

Thanks again for all your great help.

G'day,

Vinish

Derf00

No Idea on battery life. The reasons I went from band to valvestem style were two fold - 1 I was an idiot and used fix-a-flat in one of my tires when I got a nail in it. That stuff gums up the air-hole that reads the pressure in the TPMS. But, I was in a bind and had to. Two, when I finally got the tire fixed at a pep boys, they broke the band when they pryed the tire off with the lever to break the bead between the tire/rim. My first mistake was using the fix-a-flat knowing the issue it would cause, my second was going to Pep Boys. it was on a sunday and Discount is closed that day.

If Firestone is going by the book, they are correct, the OEM and OEM replacement type is a band sensor. Yes, they are expensive to replace because they are not nearly as common as the valve stem type and require a special tool to crimp the band. Just order the valvestem type from American Muscle and when you have new tires put on, have them installed and synced.https: //www.americanmuscle.com/tpms-sensor-band-kit.html

Whatever tool they use to sync the tpms to the car for 05-09 will be used to sync the new valve stem style TPMS to the car. It's the identical frequency (as long as you select the correct year when you purchase the TPMS.

Vinish

Thanks, Derf00. I will either attempt to follow your advice if the tire dealer will install the valve stem type or I will wait and replace the band type sensors when the first one fails due to battery age. I have an appointment this Monday at a local Ford dealer for the passenger air bag replacement. I will ask their service person how long the band type sensor batteries last to get what should be an expert opinion on the subject.

G'day,

Vinish

Vinish

Well, the Ford dealer's service attendant was not overly helpful. She told me that the batteries typically last 5-7 years (I am at 12 years). I explained that I thought the sensors only broadcast when the wheel is moving so a mileage lifespan would seem more accurate than an age lifespan. This seemed to blow her mind and she just repeated that 5-7 years would be a reasonable lifespan.

Next, I asked if aftermarket valve stem sensors could replace the band style provided they were designed for the correct model year (a frequency issue, I believe). She said that sometimes aftermarket sensors work and sometimes they have not been able to sync them.

I have one other question. I went to the American Muscle website and found the valve stem type TPMS sensors for the 2005-2009 model year. The AM website says that another little handheld synchronizing tool (at another $46) is needed to sync the sensors to the car. Will I need this tool or is the local tire store likely to have this? Thanks.