white_glass_top

curious if anyone has mount some aftermarket wheels without installing sensors in the new rims, and if they saw any effects to the car or its performance.

before i go and spend 250$$ on sensors, that i might not need to have installed anyway.

Savage c-300

you get an error message if you dont have the TPMS installed. it would be more annoying then anything, but i dont think it will effect performance since they are just sensors.

DucatiGuy

The sensors or the TPMS system itself serves no performance benefits whatsoever. It's more so a convenience, than anything else. If you omit the sensor, and the TPMS receiver can not obtain the appropriate "pressure signal" you will most definitely get some sort of error message and or have a malfunction indicator light up stating there's a problem. In some vehicles, you can disable the TPMS system, but to be quite honest I don't know if that can be done on the C-Class. Check your owners manual...

As for spending the extra $$$ for sensors, there's really no need. You can resuse your own. The only time you may want to consider buying a set is if you're ordering rims and tires and you want them mounted up prior to delivery.

I for one, ordered a set of loose rims and tires, and after I had them delivered, I took the car, and my new wheels to a local tires shop to have everything swapped over. They dismounted the OEM rims and tires, removed the pressure sensors ($5 per wheel to swap over TPMS), reinstalled them on to my new rims, and mounted up my new tires ($25 per wheel to mount & balance). I was up and running in about 45min with $120 out of pocket (for the labor).

I've since listed my OEM 17's rims and tires for sale here on this forum...

jrct9454

I have the same question, and you'll note no one actually has any experience that gives you a good answer.

Yes, we KNOW a warning message comes up - I even know what it looks like [it's described in the owner's manual, and illustrated] - but the question is, does it STAY ON for the entire time the car is running after startup, or does it eventually revert to the smaller tire pressure light?

I can live with the small TP warning staying lit, but cannot live with the entire display being dominated by a big red TPMS message. There's a large difference between the two scenarios, and I have yet to hear from an owner who is running continuously without the TPMS sensors in a US car.

I mentioned on another thread that I swapped out the wheels on our Prius for a set without the sensors, and all I had to cope with was a small yellow light that was easy to cover with a piece of black tape. That's not the same as having the center of the display dominated by a multi-line red warning that won't go off.

In my case, I do not want to tear down the original wheel-tire assemblies. So if I get new wheels, I need to know what I'm facing if I do without the sensors. So far, no one seems to know.....

ColoradoDriver

I plan on buying the TPMS sensors for a second set of winter rims. It is a pain to mount/dismount/balance two sets of rims/tires twice a year.

tanktube67

you don't need to spend $$$$ you already have a set of sensors on your wheels

DucatiGuy

Maybe it's just me, but I find it both odd and funny how someone can spend the $$$ on buying a car like a MB, then spend more $$$ on aftermarket wheels (even if they're just snow tires), but then opt not to purchase a set of tire pressure sensors or reuse your own and instead to decide to "live with" or revert to such tactics as to use "black tape" to try and cover up a warning that can be easily eliminated or avoided.

It's one thing to be frugal with your $$$, but it's another to be plain out cheap. There's no positive aspect of running wheels without pressure sensors on a vehicle equipped with a TPMS system. You wouldn't remove the GPS antenna off a car that had GPS just because you didn't use it, would you? If its there, you either wanted it, or it's there for a valid reason.

You may want to think about why no one's answered your question. It may be the fact that no one would do such a thing. Either spend the $$$ on a set of extra sensors, or reuse your own. It's that simple - Eye sore eliminated, and no need for "black tape".

jrct9454

You can look at my buying record - I WISH I were "cheap".

Where to begin...

Firstly, I AM prepared to spend the money on the sensors, but would like not to. That sounds smart to me, but "cheap" to you. OK.

Secondly, I find the design of the standard 17" wheels on our C300 Lux to be very hard to keep clean easily. You might not care about that, so in addition to being cheap, I'm also a fanatic for cleanliness. The "double spoke" design has a slot on each spoke that's narrow and hard to clean without scratching the clear coat. [I've always maintained that no factory design should be approved for production before the designer is forced to clean the wheels weekly for a year.] So I'm looking at various alternatives at Tire Rack - some are both attractive and attractively priced - and the sensors add 50-75% to the cost of each wheel.

Thirdly, I find the whole TPMS business to be a colossal waste of time and money. My feelings about the TPMS system are based on both the cost of the sensors, and the ridiculous ease of damaging them when working on the tire / wheels. Even experienced tire people can slip and ruin one. One of the sensors on our OEM Prius wheels had to be replaced [twice] because a tech slipped at the wrong moment during mounting / dismounting. We "cheap" people wonder why an ordinary tire gauge is insufficient to prevent underinflated tires....worked for me for 45+ years of driving.

I'll bear in mind that the sensible thing to do is buy another set of sensors - I'm willing to do that, but in the meantime, would like to continue to ask if any US W204 owner has run without them. You think no one has tried because it's not "smart" - I think no one has tried because the car is too new for anyone to have done so yet. Thanks for the input.

DucatiGuy

lol... No way to sugar coat it... I guess to each their own... Good luck in your quest and effort to disable and or remove the TPMS system in your MB, so you dont have to get another set of sensors...

If you have no luck, here's an option... Throw two of your OEM wheels in the trunk and another two in the back seat, and all error messages and MIL lights will go away...

Derspeed

^ Have to agree with you. TPMS is not necessary for tires to roll. An antenna is necessary for GPS to work.

DucatiGuy

Wow, who ever said the TPMS was necessary to roll a tire? Come to think of it, I don't think the physic of what makes a tire roll were ever mentioned with these posts, but thanks for the heads up!

And you're absolutely correct, an antenna is required for a GPS system, but to those "distinguished individuals" whom would rather use a map instead, and may never find themselves ever using the GPS system, it becomes dead weight on the vehicle. So there would be nothing wrong with removing it, correct? You may get an error message on your systems screen, but who cares? You can live with it...



Poke that nerve a bit...

RLE

<<Thirdly, I find the whole TPMS business to be a colossal waste of time and money.>>

It is certainly unnecessary for those who are willing to go to the trouble to check their tire pressures from time to time. The problem is that a large percentage of vehicle owners do not. A quote from Wikipedia on the subject:

"If we also consider that over 40% of vehicle owners in Europe and North America check their tires less than once a year it is conceivable to think that 40% or more of currently used vehicles in those areas are running with underinflated tires."

So, the US Government has acted and as of Nov. 1, 2007, all new light vehicles (under 12000 lbs) must have TPMS. We have ourselves to thank for this.

So, tomorrow when you are out and about, take a look at the tires on the vehicle ahead of you and chances are, one of the two rear tires will look underinflated. I see it everyday.

And since we have been pumping our own fuel for quite a while now, fewer drivers are willing (or care enough) to drive over to the air hose area to add some air.

sou98

C class Canadian spec using
Indirect Monitoring Systems

I got mine with winter tires on and so far so good. The system re-calculate it.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=44

In the interest of providing a lower cost Original Equipment system, indirect tire pressure monitoring systems were developed by vehicle manufacturers wishing to comply with the law while minimizing development time and cost. Indirect systems use the vehicle's antilock braking system's wheel speed sensors to compare the rotational speed of one tire to that in another position on the vehicle. If one tire is low on pressure, its circumference changes enough to roll at a slightly different number of revolutions per mile than the other three tires. Reading the same signal used to support ABS systems, the vehicle manufacturers have programmed another function into the vehicle's onboard computer to warn the driver when a single tire is running at a reduced inflation pressure compared to the others.

Unfortunately, indirect tire pressure monitoring systems have several shortcomings. Indirect systems won't tell the drivers which tire is low on pressure, and won't warn the driver if all four tires are losing pressure at the same rate (as occurs during the fall and winter months when ambient temperatures get colder). Additionally, our current experience with indirect systems indicates that they can generate frequent false warnings. We have found that false warnings may occur when the tires spin on wet, icy and snow-covered roads. In these cases, the false alarms would train the driver to disregard the tire pressure monitoring system's warnings, negating its purpose completely.

jrct9454

Yeah, I wish we could have the indirect system for the USA spec cars - that would keep most people happy, including those who can't or won't use a tire gauge.

Look, I'm a hard-core car nut. OF COURSE I LOOK AT THE TIRES OF CARS AROUND ME - and of course, I would estimate at least a third are running below recommended pressures. It's always amazing to me that these people can't even bother to LOOK at the tires - radials or not, it's obvious to me when a tire is carrying too little pressure, enough to be dangerous, anyway. I left a note on a neighbor's relatively new Avalon last week, and I note this week the tires are back where they belong [I later wondered why this car didn't have the TPMS, but couldn't remember when this new body Avalon was first introduced - might have been 2005].

I'll leave it at this - I am not against TPMS, but wish the technology were less expensive and less intrusive. The indirect system meets those goals, even with its limitations, and it's just too bad that's not considered good enough for the typically clueless and unconscious American driver. Canadians are apparently considered alive enough for the indirect system to suffice - our govt, on the other hand, believes we're collectively too stupid to breathe without assistance. Given the evidence, it may be hard to argue the point. I give up.

white_glass_top

wow didnt no that asking a simple question would get such smart a$$ remarks.

i can easily afford to buy sensors, and planned on it anyway, i was just curious if it would affect the car in anyway if i didnt. its not just a pressure issue, it also affects the rotation of the tire at high speeds, and since i live in germany, and drive well over 65mphs, i think its only right to be concerned. but im not going to go back and forth with u, about what to do with MY car, or how i do it, thats why automobiles are sold with options, to each his own.

to put it short, if u cant give any positive advice on the vehicle, keep ur smart a$$ comments to urself, the internet brings people together, in many ways, and that doesnt mean u cant be touched!

shaunpaulinc

so is the a fraking error message or not, and if so have you guys figured out how to turn it off!

christ the baby jesus!

LOL

tanktube67

Keine Notwendigkeit, umgekippte Leute zu erhalten mögen diesbezüglich gerade direkt sein Foren, ich versuchen nicht, ein Argument auszuwählen.

DucatiGuy

LOL... smart a$$... Buy the sensors dude... LOL

PS (edit)... Here's another "smart a$$" response that I'm so full off, and have nothing positive to say... From what I can gather from your recent post, you're also worried about driving at high speeds without the tire pressure sensors due to what you think will cause "rotation effects" (yes, its spelled effect with an E not an A) or in other words cause your wheels to become unbalanced, correct?

Well, as long as you have your wheels balanced (which you should anytime you dismount or remount a tire) there will be no problems with or without the TPMS. Wheels that have tire pressure sensors may balance out slightly differently than those wheels without them. In other words, the TPMS rim may require a little more weight to offset the weight of the sensors. If you simply remove the TPMS and do not balance that same wheel and tire combo, then yes you may experience high speed vibes, but once again that will be due to the fact the you or the tire shop neglected to balance the tire.

So, I'm sorry if you took my response offensively, but just like you said, this is an online community and you're going to get a wide variety of responses. Don't take it to heart, but at the same time, please don't preach if you don't know what you're talking about... LOL

"Worried about rotation AFFECTS without the TPMS... GET YOUR WHEELS BALANCED!" Sorry for the slap in the face, but you asked for it...

lkchris

Thanks to rolling-over Ford Explorers, it's a legal requirement they be installed on new cars.

Whether these cars can be sold used legally without them is unknown to me.

It is, of course, a safety feature, but of course if you're brave and self-confident you can remove it.