I thought I would pass this on in case I was not the only one that didn't know. I was doing some research on the Pressure Pro Tire Monitor System and found that the sensors can not have the battery replaced. They estimate the life span to be from 3-5 years. The life span is seriously affected by how much of the time it is actually on the tire since, while installed, it is continually sending out its signal. To shut the sensor down and increase its battery life, it must be removed from the tire. Hence, if you are not using your bus for a bit, you should remove the sensors and store them in such a way that they go back on the same tire for your next trip.
Lin,
I think if you just back them off past the point of the valve and leave them on the stem you would be fine. Its what I did with mine. Then place a sticky note on the steering wheel to remember to spin them back on before the next trip.
Bryan
That does not sound like a good way to go after spending all that money?
John
John,
If you want to remove them completely and label them that's a choice. I prefer not to remove them completely.
Before you leave, turn on the Pressure Pro. If it does not read then you know you forgot to snug them down. Pretty simple.
Bryan
how much do the sensors cost?
Phil- They're 50 bucks each (don't you wish you had an 18 wheeler?), but I am told that you can mail your old ones back to the manufacturer and they will give you $10-$15 off.
50 bucks each I have 10 for sale with the monitor new in the box
good luck
Quote from: luvrbus on March 21, 2010, 04:49:35 PM
50 bucks each I have 10 for sale with the monitor new in the box
Can you post an ad over the Spare Tire so we know how much you want for the Pressure Pro? (No ads here you know.)
For the others, I think I would remove the Pressure Pro senders all together and replace with regular valve caps if parked for a long time. Maybe put the sensors on the driver seat as a reminder to reinstall.
It would be nice to be told that when you buy them. I had no idea. We use our bus all the time, so, taking them off, or fooling with them at all would b a pain. Man, with the bus and trailer, that adds up to 200 per year, 12 moniters x 50.00 If they last 3-5 yrs, i am sure for us it will be 3. I know there is a lot of instances that it can save you money if there is a problem, but, i dont know that they will be replaced when they stop working.
Ruthi,
I was talking to Jim about that a month ago. I think he said his had been on for over 5 years and never taken them off. You might ask him. Also I think it is about $25-$35 per when the battery dies. Again check with Jim.
Bryan
Ruthi,
Bryan is right. I checked with the manufacturer and they said they give 40% off on exchange. I did not start this thread to discourage anyone from buying them, just wanted to pass on the option of battery conservation. Considering the possibilities, they could really save the day.
I got mine six years ago and only two have failed since then and I leave them on the bus all the time but remove the ones on the towed Jerry
Thanks for the info guys. Some of you know I bought ours xmas for hubby. This last yr has been a bad yr for us as far as getting taken advantage of with purchases and people doing work for us. When I read this thread, I thought here we go again, lol. I got a little upset to think that they would only last 3 yrs, when I didnt realize the batteries were not replaceable. Hopefully, ours will last a few yrs, and if they give that much off, it will be worth it for peace of mind.
Ruthi,
We have never removed our sensors (coach or Toad) since installing them about 6 or 7 years ago. Occasionally I now loose signal for one, then it picks it back up. I was told a couple weeks ago that the battery is probably getting low and that I have to send the sensor back with $30 for a replacement. Jack
???has anyone cut one open to see if they can be home done ???or do they have a tool to open them up?
Looks like two pieces of plastic that are glued together or sonic welded. Since they are installed on the valve stem, they have to be waterproof. I was told when you send them back for battery replacement, they simply send you a new one and destroy the old one. Jack
The cost of a replacement sensor is very cheap compared to the cost of a tire and the possible damage to the bus or toad. A guy that i met had $6000 damage done to his 4x4 pickup from a blown front tire that he was not aware of........ you can buy a lot of sensors for that kind of money. ;D
I communicated with the tech guy at Pressure Pro. He said that when they had a replaceable battery, that they had problems.
I agree with others, the cost of a set of sensors may be smaller than potential vehicle damage. Neither, am I posting, to knock the quality of the Pressure Pro. However, that expense to replace the sensor, should not be necessary every 3-5-or ? years.
I challenged Pressure Pro that they should be capable of designing a product that is waterproof. As an example, consider the triple seal that is used on some automotive engine sensors where reliability and durability must be extremely high (except maybe at Toyota, OOPS - that just slipped-out). Also, there are watches that have seals that resist pressure underwater.
Competitors have replaceable batteries. If Pressure Pro is a leader in this industry, should you not expect them to have the best technology?
Ed Roelle
Flint, MI
All new vehicles are required to have tire pressure monitoring. I'll bet the costs for all these systems will come down quite a bit in the near future.
Ruthi, my apologies about not telling you about the battery save method. I almost always tell my customers about removing the sensors. I used to tell them to put them in a labeled egg carton (the sensors have to go back on the same tire location). Then I always wondered if they were as klutzy as me and would kick the cartons. I now tell folks to used labeled baggies.
Ed and I talked a bit about his response before he posted his response. I am really on the fence about sensors with replacement batteries. We use magnesium chloride on the roads in CO and that stuff is terrible. Gets everywhere and is not very friendly. If it got into the sensor, I would bet it would die in a matter of days.
Ed mentioned good seal technology that is available. I know he is correct, but when it comes to watches, I have never had one seal properly after the battery was replaced even by a watch repair person.
As was mentioned, the batteries in PP seem to last a long time. Mine are almost 6 years old and have been on almost all of the time.
Jim
Pressure Pro could add a low battery warning and a sleep mode if not in motion. That would extend battery life.
They need to find a way to use the rotation of the wheels to generate the electricity to operate the PP - Something like the battery free flashlights that you shake to generate power - FWIW
Hey Rusty, the fridge is keeping the bus warm, ;Dj, no lights.
Quote from: Len Silva on March 26, 2010, 08:45:01 AM
All new vehicles are required to have tire pressure monitoring. I'll bet the costs for all these systems will come down quite a bit in the near future.
FWIW, we were checking the tire pressures on a customer's newer GM vehicle with tire pressure monitoring system the other day and the tire pressure guage broke off the end of the valve stem/monitor thingy and a replacement at the GM dealer was about $47 wholesale.
Jim, no problem. It is a good saftey feature. As I said, we use the bus too much to be taking them on and off anyway, so we will see............
Consider the price of electronics now.
In a cylinder 1" diameter, 1" high, how much electronics can you install?
Replacement for a failed battery - $30 each? Appears quite high.
Ed
I did not read the entire thread so if this info has already been posted it is still applicable.
My experience with mine is:
When I am going to store the coach for a while, I remove all the sensors to avoid theft. Kids like to unscrew them. I don't mark them.
They work anywhere on the vehicle and trailer. They simply have to be reprogrammed. This has worked for me since Pressure Pro began manufacturing the system. I bought one at a tester price and have used it ever since.
I believe unscrewing them or removing them inactivates the battery until pressure is again realized when they are reinstalled. I've never had a battery go bad yet.
Phil and everyone else at Pressure Pro have always bent over backwards to assist me with any questions.
The below statement is lifted verbatim from their web site. Read everything you need to know at the below URL.
"IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO IDENTIFY EACH SENSOR TO A LOCATION.
delete each Sensor from the Monitor. When reinstalling Sensors, they must be
reprogrammed. To Delete a Sensor, see "Deleting a Location" in the "Monitor
Button Functions" section."
http://www.advantagepressurepro.com/images/InstallGuide_16-34.pdf (http://www.advantagepressurepro.com/images/InstallGuide_16-34.pdf)
Quote from: edroelle on March 27, 2010, 08:07:10 AM
Consider the price of electronics now.
In a cylinder 1" diameter, 1" high, how much electronics can you install?
Replacement for a failed battery - $30 each? Appears quite high.
Ed
Ed,
My understanding is that due to the way they are made, they do not replace a battery, but replace the sensor with a new one and throw away the old one. I was told by a distrubutor that the only reason for sending in the old one was to prevent people from buying the sensors for $30 replacement price instead of paying the $50 new system price. Jack