Aftermarket stand alone TPMS install
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Aftermarket stand alone TPMS install
I have enjoyed on past cars having a readout that shows all 4 tire pressures at once. This is my 2nd install of a system and this is a different mfg than the first. My OEM sensors we dying so time for an upgrade. Couple observations.
The kit I installed on my V8V is the ORO TPMS. $150 on amazon. Hard to beat the price point. It looks fine once installed, locaiton works great for me. You don't see it unless you look down thru the wheel. And the display times out after a few min. You can turn it back on whenever and its always monitoring for your 'low' tire set point. So on that note it serves it purpose. The kit has what look like high quality OEM style 'inside the tire' sensors with chrome valvestems and caps. The display however seem pretty chintzy... Again looks fine where it is.. not something you'd want up on the dash and zero instructions. Probably wouldn't go with them again... but fine as is since its installed.
In looking at all the aftermarket systems I don't think I found any of them to look 'really' high quality... (plastic look, screen look, all subjective items). I did like the Orange Electronics unit I had years ago. The key thing I wanted was LED (lights up) vs LCD that would be hard to read at a distance. I also wanted to see all 4 tires at once. The ORO is nice in that it also shows voltage.
The location I chose attaches the display with double sided tape to the lower face of the dash panel above the gas pedal. In the pict the 'white' is my pant leg.. gives 3-4" of clearance to the sensor during usual usage. Any taller of a display (~1.25") and you may not work out so well here. The Orange Electronics display is taller, but the numbers are taller too... and I had good luck in another car mounting it somewhat facing down towards the floor(~60degrees up from floor) , but the numbers were still very readable ... just shorter.
Another fun fact with the V8V dash area... I was able to reach my hand thru behind the center stack (at least half way on each side) to very easily pass the wiring... I tied the electrical into the original power supply for the OEM TPMS in the passenger footwell. It was just easy to access that and its switched. (I also have my radar detector on that power pickup point).
I didn't document the install as its mainly putting new sensors in your tire... and then lots of cursing while you stand on your head and try to make good solder connections and utilize heatshrink tubing under the dash in the passenger footwell. Pretty standard 'under the dash' level of challenge.
The kit I installed on my V8V is the ORO TPMS. $150 on amazon. Hard to beat the price point. It looks fine once installed, locaiton works great for me. You don't see it unless you look down thru the wheel. And the display times out after a few min. You can turn it back on whenever and its always monitoring for your 'low' tire set point. So on that note it serves it purpose. The kit has what look like high quality OEM style 'inside the tire' sensors with chrome valvestems and caps. The display however seem pretty chintzy... Again looks fine where it is.. not something you'd want up on the dash and zero instructions. Probably wouldn't go with them again... but fine as is since its installed.
In looking at all the aftermarket systems I don't think I found any of them to look 'really' high quality... (plastic look, screen look, all subjective items). I did like the Orange Electronics unit I had years ago. The key thing I wanted was LED (lights up) vs LCD that would be hard to read at a distance. I also wanted to see all 4 tires at once. The ORO is nice in that it also shows voltage.
The location I chose attaches the display with double sided tape to the lower face of the dash panel above the gas pedal. In the pict the 'white' is my pant leg.. gives 3-4" of clearance to the sensor during usual usage. Any taller of a display (~1.25") and you may not work out so well here. The Orange Electronics display is taller, but the numbers are taller too... and I had good luck in another car mounting it somewhat facing down towards the floor(~60degrees up from floor) , but the numbers were still very readable ... just shorter.
Another fun fact with the V8V dash area... I was able to reach my hand thru behind the center stack (at least half way on each side) to very easily pass the wiring... I tied the electrical into the original power supply for the OEM TPMS in the passenger footwell. It was just easy to access that and its switched. (I also have my radar detector on that power pickup point).
I didn't document the install as its mainly putting new sensors in your tire... and then lots of cursing while you stand on your head and try to make good solder connections and utilize heatshrink tubing under the dash in the passenger footwell. Pretty standard 'under the dash' level of challenge.
Last edited by RolexDaytona1; Feb 3, 2015 at 11:14 AM.
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One thought for those not as lucky..... There is a dealership (tire store) reprogramming tool that lets SmartTire modules pick up new sensors. I wonder if you could add a stand alone system like this... 'and' have a tire store add in the new sensor signals to the OEM SmartTire module?
My indie mechanic was offering to do just that when I installed the new sensors and I told him I didn't need that as I was going to use a stand alone display.... Maybe worth a try? My indie mechanic also said he could have sold me a new sensor 'cheap'... and reprogrammed the OEM module.
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