My tire shop said they charge $65 to order and install, and that when they do, the sensor is "pre-coded" to my car's make and model. If I wanted to buy one myself and bring it in (something they begrudgingly said I could do), where would be the best place to buy it, and what do I need to make sure of as far as the programming?
You should change all 4 at one time, preferably when you get new tires. You can get a set of 4 on Amazon for about $42.00, even less when they run 10% off promos ROADFAR 315MHz Programmed Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor
I have seen shops charge $15 a wheel to install. On most low cost and even OEM sensors, they have serial numbers which are written into the car with Techstream. There are some pricey dedicated tools that will do the same. Then there are certain sensors that can be reprogrammed to match the old sensor's serial number. These require a special tool as well. Most shops use the first method. So if you have Techstream the cost could be a $9 sensor and a $15 install per tire. If your shop is charging $65 a sensor, you could save some bucks. But you have to write the serial numbers in all likelihood. Tire shops are like any retail, they buy low and mark it up.
Yep. Typical battery life for a sensor is around 10+ years - depending on use. If one goes, don't be surprised if the others fail soon-ish. It's common to suggest replacement sensors if they're near 10 years when getting a set of new tires. Also, the original sensors have non-replaceable aluminum stems- which can have corrosion problems if you live in salt areas. Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
