Tire Pressure Monitor - Catch-22?

B

bcx

I ran into this problem and wondered if anyone else has hit it too:

Had 4 new tires put on my 2005 Outback wagon, LLBean model so it has
the tire pressure monitors on each wheel. Tire dealer was very specific
about having appropriate equipment and training to deal with the TPMs
so it seemed like it would be easy. Picked up the car and drove for 1/2
hour - TPM light came on. Took it back to tire dealer - no light, no
problem. Finally took it back with the light on and they called me in
to the owner's office to explain the problem.

Seems that their equipment for TPM (Schraeder) was sold as being able
to deal with any cars with TPM. However, they've just found out that
Subaru (and Nisson, maybe Toyota) use proprietary equipment, not
available outside the dealership. So I now have to go to the Subaru
dealer to get the TPM system set correctly - at a cost of $18. Subaru
delaer confirmed it and provided the price.

So - despite buying tires at a place that provides free rotations for
life, I have to take the car to the dealer following each rotation to
get the TPMs reset. An interesting situation, since it's technically
illegal for the tire dealer to release the car with the system
malfunctioning. The only way to avoid this is to have all tire work
done at a Subaru dealer!

Starting in 2007, all cars must have TPMs and at least in NY, a
functioning TPM system becomes part of the inspection. It seems like
something is wrong here, but the only person to suffer is the consumer.

Are there any other options to get around this?
 
bcx said:
I ran into this problem and wondered if anyone else has hit it too:

Had 4 new tires put on my 2005 Outback wagon, LLBean model so it has
the tire pressure monitors on each wheel. Tire dealer was very specific
about having appropriate equipment and training to deal with the TPMs
so it seemed like it would be easy. Picked up the car and drove for 1/2
hour - TPM light came on. Took it back to tire dealer - no light, no
problem. Finally took it back with the light on and they called me in
to the owner's office to explain the problem.

Seems that their equipment for TPM (Schraeder) was sold as being able
to deal with any cars with TPM. However, they've just found out that
Subaru (and Nisson, maybe Toyota) use proprietary equipment, not
available outside the dealership. So I now have to go to the Subaru
dealer to get the TPM system set correctly - at a cost of $18. Subaru
delaer confirmed it and provided the price.

So - despite buying tires at a place that provides free rotations for
life, I have to take the car to the dealer following each rotation to
get the TPMs reset. An interesting situation, since it's technically
illegal for the tire dealer to release the car with the system
malfunctioning. The only way to avoid this is to have all tire work
done at a Subaru dealer!

Starting in 2007, all cars must have TPMs and at least in NY, a
functioning TPM system becomes part of the inspection. It seems like
something is wrong here, but the only person to suffer is the consumer.

Are there any other options to get around this?

I would expect Schrader, and others will alter their equipment soon.
When the auto companies tried to hold their customers hostage from indie
mechs by withholding CEL codes, the g'mint made them share. Quite likely
something similar would happen with the TPM equipment - not sure though.

interesting issue

Carl
 
....snipped...

An interesting situation, since it's technically
illegal for the tire dealer to release the car with the system
malfunctioning.
Starting in 2007, all cars must have TPMs .....

Where did you get this info from? I read all the car magazines
and have never heard anything about this mandate of all new
vehicles requiring a TPM.

~~Phil~~
 
bcx said:
I ran into this problem and wondered if anyone else has hit it too:

Had 4 new tires put on my 2005 Outback wagon, LLBean model so it has
the tire pressure monitors on each wheel. Tire dealer was very specific
about having appropriate equipment and training to deal with the TPMs
so it seemed like it would be easy. Picked up the car and drove for 1/2
hour - TPM light came on. Took it back to tire dealer - no light, no
problem. Finally took it back with the light on and they called me in
to the owner's office to explain the problem.

Seems that their equipment for TPM (Schraeder) was sold as being able
to deal with any cars with TPM. However, they've just found out that
Subaru (and Nisson, maybe Toyota) use proprietary equipment, not
available outside the dealership. So I now have to go to the Subaru
dealer to get the TPM system set correctly - at a cost of $18. Subaru
delaer confirmed it and provided the price.

So - despite buying tires at a place that provides free rotations for
life, I have to take the car to the dealer following each rotation to
get the TPMs reset. An interesting situation, since it's technically
illegal for the tire dealer to release the car with the system
malfunctioning. The only way to avoid this is to have all tire work
done at a Subaru dealer!

It's also technically illegal for someone
to confiscate my property against my will.
 
Jim Stewart said:
It's also technically illegal for someone
to confiscate my property against my will.
That is true, and it is more than technical. The service agency has no power
to enforce anything - it can only report the condition to DOT (or the local
police/sheriff in case the condition is truly critical, like inoperative
brakes or an intoxicated driver). This was a common situation I faced when I
was service manager in an avionics shop, ca 1980. Planes that were destined
to be grounded rolled out of our hanger with no more than a call to the
local GADO inspector.

Mike
 
Michael Pardee said:
That is true, and it is more than technical. The service agency has no power
to enforce anything - it can only report the condition to DOT (or the local
police/sheriff in case the condition is truly critical, like inoperative
brakes or an intoxicated driver). This was a common situation I faced when I
was service manager in an avionics shop, ca 1980. Planes that were destined
to be grounded rolled out of our hanger with no more than a call to the
local GADO inspector.

Mike

One woud think it would depend on the local laws/reg's ? It's illegal
for a bar to "release" more alcoholol to you if you are drunk, no matter
if you've paid for it in advance or not.
 
Gerald Simonowits said:
One woud think it would depend on the local laws/reg's ? It's illegal
for a bar to "release" more alcoholol to you if you are drunk, no matter
if you've paid for it in advance or not.

The alcohol belongs to the bar. If a patron brings in alcohol (which
*really* ticks off bar owners) the tavernkeeper may not confiscate it. If a
patron has paid in advance the tavernkeeper has the responsibility to refund
the amount overpaid.

The stickiest implementation of the policy is when a customer tries to take
merchandise from the store. Here in Arizona (still the Wild West, where a
law had to be passed recently to forbid people bringing guns into banks and
bars) a store owner may not legally detain a shoplifter or even stop them
from taking the merchandise out the door, but hired guards from licensed
security companies can.

Mike (Arizona state motto: "Yeehaw!")
 
Jim said:
It's also technically illegal for someone
to confiscate my property against my will.
I actully didn't intend to start a political debate with this comment.
From my perspective, it's one of the very few weapons I have as a
consumer to fight this: the threat of taking the Tire dealer to court.
I keep hoping (stupidly, it seems) to arrive at a reasonable financial
agreement over the value of free tire rotations for the next couple of
years. So far, the tire dealer hasn't offered anything other than to
pay for the first "reprogramming" of the TPM - a whopping $18.

And of course, it's not illegal to conficate your property against your
will. Happens all the time. And is getting worse.
 

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