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Bad valve stem

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PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
While prepping my car for a trip to VIR next week, I discovered a bad valve stem in my front right tire. I had checked tire pressures just before this but I never tried bending the valve stem purposefully, only putting the air gauge on/off and setting the cold pressure. There was no sign of lower tire pressure before or after I discovered this, but it definitly was losing air whenever I cocked the stem towards the center of the wheel.

I post this here since I personally never thought to check this in the past, only pressures/tire wear/ect/etc. It ends up there was a tear in the stem where it meets the TPMS sensor. It's very odd that it provided a 100% air seal unless it was bent, but it was. I hate to think what would have happened if the stem decided to totally fail at 150 MPH on the back straight. Just another thing for me at least to check before going out....
 
Adam81 had several bad ones on his LS last year as well at the track. No catastrophic failures but loss of pressure. This is the second LS I've heard have the problem now. I've only run steel ones on my track wheels at the track so I haven't encountered this problem.
 
I'm glad you caught that before it failed. Is this the stock rubber stem or a metal one? I've got metal stems on both sets of my wheels.
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
My tear was at the very base. Dont the metal ones still have a rubber seal section to them ? Where did u get yours?
 
Mine came with the Enkei wheels. You should check to see if there is a TSB on this. We had the same issue with some of the GT500s and it was just a bad run of valve stems so it didn't affect all cars. The TSB was to inspect for small cracks around the base of the stem and replace as necessary. You should be able to get it handled as a warranty item.
 
335
1
I had all 4 of my valve stems rip at the base on the inside where the sensor attaches. I now have metal ones. The tire shop that I use had them in stock.

However now my tire light on the dash is on. I tried to warranty it and have them reset the system to adjust for the metal stems, but Ford says it will not work with the metal stems??? I don't believe this to be true. Anyone running metal stems with the stock TPMS sensors and not have the tire light come on? I know it isn't a big deal but it bothers the hell out of me....
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
adam81 said:
I had all 4 of my valve stems rip at the base on the inside where the sensor attaches. I now have metal ones. The tire shop that I use had them in stock.

However now my tire light on the dash is on. I tried to warranty it and have them reset the system to adjust for the metal stems, but Ford says it will not work with the metal stems??? I don't believe this to be true. Anyone running metal stems with the stock TPMS sensors and not have the tire light come on? I know it isn't a big deal but it bothers the hell out of me....

Adam - I just did a little more research and called my local mechanic/buddy. Normal metal valve stems are not compatible with TPMS sensors since the stem actually mounts to the sensor. This probably means that you have metal valve stems but the TPMS sensors are not in your wheels also. When you have the metal stems installed did they give you the 4 sensors ?

I am hunting the web now to see if someone makes metal valve stems that do mate to the TPMS sensors. My mechanic belives that if these are made then by default the TPMS sensors should work with no problem.

-Pete
 
335
1
PeteInCT said:
adam81 said:
I had all 4 of my valve stems rip at the base on the inside where the sensor attaches. I now have metal ones. The tire shop that I use had them in stock.

However now my tire light on the dash is on. I tried to warranty it and have them reset the system to adjust for the metal stems, but Ford says it will not work with the metal stems??? I don't believe this to be true. Anyone running metal stems with the stock TPMS sensors and not have the tire light come on? I know it isn't a big deal but it bothers the hell out of me....

Adam - I just did a little more research and called my local mechanic/buddy. Normal metal valve stems are not compatible with TPMS sensors since the stem actually mounts to the sensor. This probably means that you have metal valve stems but the TPMS sensors are not in your wheels also. When you have the metal stems installed did they give you the 4 sensors ?

I am hunting the web now to see if someone makes metal valve stems that do mate to the TPMS sensors. My mechanic belives that if these are made then by default the TPMS sensors should work with no problem.

-Pete

The metal stems that I have work with the factory TPMS sensors. When I say work, I mean the sensors attach to the metal stems just like they would the factory rubber ones.

I am going to take my car back and have them do a relearn on the sensors. I am pretty sure a couple other guys here are running metal stems and had the relearn done and everything works fine....
 
adam81 said:
PeteInCT said:
adam81 said:
I had all 4 of my valve stems rip at the base on the inside where the sensor attaches. I now have metal ones. The tire shop that I use had them in stock.

However now my tire light on the dash is on. I tried to warranty it and have them reset the system to adjust for the metal stems, but Ford says it will not work with the metal stems??? I don't believe this to be true. Anyone running metal stems with the stock TPMS sensors and not have the tire light come on? I know it isn't a big deal but it bothers the hell out of me....


Adam - I just did a little more research and called my local mechanic/buddy. Normal metal valve stems are not compatible with TPMS sensors since the stem actually mounts to the sensor. This probably means that you have metal valve stems but the TPMS sensors are not in your wheels also. When you have the metal stems installed did they give you the 4 sensors ?

I am hunting the web now to see if someone makes metal valve stems that do mate to the TPMS sensors. My mechanic belives that if these are made then by default the TPMS sensors should work with no problem.

-Pete

The metal stems that I have work with the factory TPMS sensors. When I say work, I mean the sensors attach to the metal stems just like they would the factory rubber ones.

I am going to take my car back and have them do a relearn on the sensors. I am pretty sure a couple other guys here are running metal stems and had the relearn done and everything works fine....
Adam,

You should just get the tool. It's handy to have one. The training process is straightforward. Tap the brake then key on and off 3 times leaving it in the ON position on the 3rd time. Tap the brake again and key on/off three times leaving it in the ON position the 3rd time again. The horn will sound. Now get out of the car and starting at the left front tire, hold the sensor on tire sidewall next to the sensor/valve stem and press the button until the horn sounds again. Move to the right front, right rear and finally left rear repeating the process. Done.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/tpms-tool.html?utm_content=tpms-tool&utm_campaign=BFitmentV1&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=Shopping&AMID=tpms-tool-2012-GT
 
This is all good info. I have not used the metal stems (non TPMS) because I did not know if they were correct for track use. Next time I will have them use the metal ones. I figured they would be too hot to check the pressure but I don't see any of you complaining about that.
 
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1
cloud9 said:
Adam,

You should just get the tool. It's handy to have one. The training process is straightforward. Tap the brake then key on and off 3 times leaving it in the ON position on the 3rd time. Tap the brake again and key on/off three times leaving it in the ON position the 3rd time again. The horn will sound. Now get out of the car and starting at the left front tire, hold the sensor on tire sidewall next to the sensor/valve stem and press the button until the horn sounds again. Move to the right front, right rear and finally left rear repeating the process. Done.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/tpms-tool.html?utm_content=tpms-tool&utm_campaign=BFitmentV1&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=Shopping&AMID=tpms-tool-2012-GT

That is exactly what I need and exactly what I will be getting.... Thanks Gary! I can't stand when dummy lights are on... Drives me nuts.
 
When I had my tires and TPMS sensors flipped from my stock Boss rims to the 302S rims I had to retrain my sensors on the new wheels when I put them on because I had a TPMS fault.
 

drano38

Wayne
1,130
318
When I put the silver Enkei's on a few weeks ago, they did not need to be programmed either.
They've got Ford TPMS installed.
I'll run my black Enkei's without TPMS.
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
4,008
1,924
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Cookeville TN
It is strange, when I did my winter w heels in 2010 I had new toms sensors and the car learned them with no problem. I just did my track wheels and had a tp fault light come on for my whole track day, stopped for gas on the way home and it cleared, hasn't been on since so it must have learned.
Steve
 

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