My wife's Ford Focus MK3 (65 plate) has started complaining about tyre pressure. My theory is that its battery is getting older, and it is also affected by the recent cold weather. My local tyre shop has quoted me £72 for each sensor, meaning that it will end up costing me £300 to fix this problem properly. I can see such sensors online starting at less than £10.

I would be very greteful for some advice here, as I have never dealt with the TPMS problems before. I was told that removing the sensors is not an option as it will result in an error code and an automatic MOT failure.

Thank you.

Use a different garage.  £72 per sensor is ridiculous.

if that was fitted its not stupid - ford ones were about 32 quid and ought to last 10 years, whereas Chinese crap ought to last 10 minutes - but some manage three years

one has to remember the tyre has to come off to fit the sensor, then rebalance, then they need coding to the cars brain

Are you sure its not the cold weather triggering a reminder to pump up the tyres ?

autel make decent sensors and used to have a little USB pad to programme the brand and unique ref - then just get a tyre place to fit them...  they've dropped the pad to programme now - 4 years back I got 4 x sensors and the pad for £100 - last pad firmware update added the BM Bikes

 

Hi mbrijun, I currently have tyre sensors not detected message in my kuga. Referring to handbook it states that tyre pressures change overnight if there is significant temperature  change. As this literally only just happened  , I have over inflated my tyres by 5 pounds,( now at 40 not 35). I have done a sen sor reset and will see what happens tomorrow to work and back but I also suspect t batteries  are dying so will get new genuine ford parts and get them  fitted at my local garage who will re programme them as well. £15.00 per tyre off , re fitted , balanced and programmed. I'm  happy with that.

 

 

 

 

£72.- a wheel is excessive in my opinion. Even if it includes removal, installation and rebalancing of the tyre. 

My local tyreshop changes my 18 Inch tyres (supplied by me) for €15,- a wheel. This includes removal of the old tyre, installation of a new tyre valve, installation of the tyre and rebalancing. I usually pay €5,- a wheel extra for invisible balancing (all tyre weights are installed behind the spokes). 


Original Focus MK3/MK3.5 TPMS sensors currently cost €25,- a piece from a German webshop.
Reifendrucksensor 2036832 online kaufen

They can also be found on Ebay for £24.95 a piece.
Ford Tyre Pressure Control Sensor *TPMS* Ford Multi Fit 2036832 2318530 | eBay


Replacing the TPMS sensors will cost me €45,- a wheel which is the equivalent of £37.80. This is a lot cheaper then the £72.- a wheel that was quoted to the topicstarter.

 

To replace just the TPMS sensors there is no need to remove the tyre from the rim. Breaking the tyre bead at the front of the wheel is sufficient. Once the bead is broken the tyre can be pushed down by the bead breaker tool or even a large C-clamp. This gives enough clearance to replace the TPMS (either with or without the tyre valve). 

Since the tyre bead at the back of the wheel is not broken the tyre remains at the exact same position in relation to the rim and there is also no need to rebalance the wheels.

Many tyre shops replace TPMS sensors this way and literally change TPMS sensors in minutes.

Very few people know that the batteries of these Ford (schrader) TPMS sensors can actually be replaced. 

After watching a Youtube video recently I did some research and disassembled an old TPMS sensor that suffered from battery failure. It turned out that replacement of the TPMS sensor batteries is actually quite easy. The TPMS sensor itself basically consists of a black plastic enclosure, a white plastic cover, a circuit board and a BR2032 battery with spot welded tabs that is soldered onto the circuit board. The batteries can be replaced by performing the following steps:

1: Remove the white plastic cover (which is bonded onto the enclosure using a RTV sealant).
2: Remove the circuit board and battery assembly from the enclosure.
3: Desolder the battery from the circuit board.
4: Spot weld nickel tabs onto the new BR2032 battery (or simply buy BR2032 with pre welded tabs).
5: Solder the battery onto the circuit board.
6: Install the circuit board and battery assembly into the enclosure.
7: install the white plastic cover using RTV sealant.

Since I already own a battery spot welder and nickel welding tabs (for building E-bicycle battery packs) I only have to buy the BR2032 batteries (Duracell ones can be bought for less than €2,50 a piece). 

Let's see if I can get another 7 Years of life out of these TPMS sensors.

3 hours ago, mbrijun said:

My local tyre shop has quoted me £72 for each sensor,

I guess your local garage doesn't like you very much 🙁

You can buy the sensors on eBay for £10 or less. An independent tyre garage will fit them for between £15 and £20 per wheel. So worse case it will cost you £120 total to get all 4 wheels done.

Be aware there are 3 different types of sensor, which are easy to identify by the 'square' 'triangle' or 'circle'

EXAMPLES below:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167240198128

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375884209850

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/146246163813

I checked my spare space saver tyre a week or so back. It was completely flat no pressure at all.

After pumping it up again I established with soapy water and paint brush, that the tyre valve was leaking where it went through through the metal rim.

Phoned up my local Mr Tyre place and they said it was a 5 minute job, come straight round.

As JW1982 said, they just broke the bead close to the valve cut the old one out pulled the new one through and Bob's your uncle, job done.

How much? No charge he said. I gave him a fiver for his pocket.

ScaniaPBman.