Adding Second Set Of Wheels With Snows (TPMS)

Yep, it is standard operating procedure for garages to lose your beautiful, top-quality OEM tire valve caps.

Do what I plan to do. Get some cheap ones from Amazon and replace the Japanese OEM Pacific Industrial Co., Ltd. tire valve caps with those whenever you take the car to a garage or service. Then, put the OEM tire valve caps back. You can get the OEM ones for cheap at the next Black Friday sale.

 

Whenever I hand either the car, or loose wheels, over to a tire shop, the valve caps are in my pocket.

What ARE you on about; those are stock, gen 3 Plug-In rims.

 

I know, but that shouldn’t stop you from experimenting with aero wheel covers. For example, this:



Here is the detailed aerodynamics study by that guy who tried that cardboard aero wheel cover on his silver Gen 3 Prius:

Wheel covers and base pressure on a silver Gen 3 Prius

 

Gen 5 aero wheel covers look very good, in my opinion.

 

This is actually a very bad idea. If they decide to wash your car (as a courtesy) or if it rains, etc., etc., your TPMS sensors could be ruined. Just replace the tire valve caps with sacrificial ones when you hand the car over, and replace them with the good caps, such as the Japanese Pacific Industrial, Co. Ltd. OEM caps, when you get it back.

 

Could you post a link to the eBay sensors? Thanks.

 

In 2010 I got some Corolla steel rims from a Toyota Dealership for $70 CDN apiece. This was about 3 weeks after purchasing our 2010 from a different, nearby dealership. When I phoned the latter asking about rims, the only option they offered was stock 15" alloys, at something like $350 CDN apiece. They explained to me that the Prius was their "flagship" vehicle, no steel rims would be compatible.

 

LOL Sounds like total stealership BS to me. When I bought our new XSE Prime last year they quoted something like $3500 for snow tires on steel wheels. I ended up getting the same rubber on 16" aluminum alloy wheels for $1800 installed with TPMS at a local tire shop. Steel wheels at costco and tire shops around here go for around $50/ea and alloys can be had for $70/ea. The dealer sells OEMs at $350/ea so they can rape suckers at lease trade in time.