New Valve Cores Necessary w/ new tires ?

[nyc4runnin]

I'm getting the Conti CrossContact LX's installed later today and was wondering if new valve cores are really necessary on our rims with TPMS ?

Are all valve cores the same size, quality, etc ?


Or is Townfair Tire just screwing with me ?

Has anyone gotten screwed by them on here ?

 

[BC4Runner]

They are just screwing with you. The valve stem is part of the TPMS system and does not need to be replaced with new tires.

 

[nyc4runnin]

They are just screwing with you. The valve stem is part of the TPMS system and does not need to be replaced with new tires.

I know the valve stem is part of the TPMS but there should be a valve "CORE" inside it as well. Thats the part im not sure if we need to change too.

 

[BC4Runner]

Sorry...I just checked and when the dealer installed new tires on my 06 they did not replace the cores. I don't see any reason why they would have to.

 

[EH007]

Definitely make sure that they DO NOT replace the valve cores. TPMS cores are not the same as the cores on standard valve stems. They are also designed to be more corrosion resistant than standard cores.

Most tire centers used to recommend replacing the entire valve stems because they were made of rubber and could fail over time. The new TPMS valve stems are metal and should last much longer. Just make sure that they don't replace the cores. Also make sure that they don't over tighten the cores either. Keep in mind that they WILL remove the cores entirely before dismounting the old tires from the wheels.

 

[nyc4runnin]

Definitely make sure that they DO NOT replace the valve cores. TPMS cores are not the same as the cores on standard valve stems. They are also designed to be more corrosion resistant than standard cores.

Most tire centers used to recommend replacing the entire valve stems because they were made of rubber and could fail over time. The new TPMS valve stems are metal and should last much longer. Just make sure that they don't replace the cores. Also make sure that they don't over tighten the cores either. Keep in mind that they WILL remove the cores entirely before dismounting the old tires from the wheels.

Is it absolutely necessary for them to remove the TPMS valve stem to dismount/mount the tire ? I thought when I had a flat and went to patch it, they just took the tire off, they never messed with the valve at all !

 

[NCSCOTT]

Definitely make sure that they DO NOT replace the valve cores. TPMS cores are not the same as the cores on standard valve stems. They are also designed to be more corrosion resistant than standard cores.

I disagree. The valve cores on my 04 started not to snap back up/seal all the way after checking the tire pressure. After I pushed the guage down on the valve stem and released it the valve core would leak until I pressed it in and out a couple times with a finger nail.

I had new tires put on at 89k and also had the TPMS sensor serviced. A good tire shop will have the proper valve cores and even the nut that holds the TPMS sensor to the rim from the outside in stock. Valve cores have a rubber seal in them and it will dry rot over time. I had mine put on @ Discount Tire. They did charge extra to do this, maybe $10/wheel. I have had no problems with the new cores sticking since and it has been about 3.5k miles since they were changed. I also check my tire pressures every 2 weeks.

They do not have to remove the sensor to change the tires. My first replacement set @ 30K they left the sensors alone. I think he was refering to the cores. They will remove the cores before dismounting the tires.

If you are this concerned about that shop doing the work properly you might think about taking it somewhere else.

 

[nyc4runnin]

So I finally got these on last night, They did a decent job with everything. They even price matched to internet prices (tirerack, treadepot, with similar services included).

Before they touched the wheels, I asked them bout the valve cores and they said they replace them with titanium cores.

As for the tires, I've driven on them for approx 15 miles on the highway and they are silky smooth. the dunlops were horrible. The car has never driven so smoothly even when it was new ! I'll post more when I get some more miles on them.

 

[EH007]

Is it absolutely necessary for them to remove the TPMS valve stem to dismount/mount the tire ? I thought when I had a flat and went to patch it, they just took the tire off, they never messed with the valve at all !

No, they don't have to remove the valve stem itself, but they will remove the valve core to let the air out of the tire. That's pretty much standad practice among tire techs and auto mechanics.

 

[EH007]

I disagree. The valve cores on my 04 started not to snap back up/seal all the way after checking the tire pressure. After I pushed the guage down on the valve stem and released it the valve core would leak until I pressed it in and out a couple times with a finger nail.

Are you sure the valve cores were tight? Sometimes if the cores rotate loose, they can seem like they are sticking. And if they are loose enough, they will definitely leak air.



I had new tires put on at 89k and also had the TPMS sensor serviced.

What do you mean by "serviced"? You can't even change the batteries in Toyota's TPMS sensors, so I'm not sure what type of service you're talking about.

A good tire shop will have the proper valve cores and even the nut that holds the TPMS sensor to the rim from the outside in stock. Valve cores have a rubber seal in them and it will dry rot over time. I had mine put on @ Discount Tire. They did charge extra to do this, maybe $10/wheel. I have had no problems with the new cores sticking since and it has been about 3.5k miles since they were changed. I also check my tire pressures every 2 weeks.

.

Trust me when I say that TPMS valve cores are different than standard valve cores found in non-TPMS valve stems. They are in fact designed with non-corrosion in mind. Even the caps are designed specifically for TPMS stems. There's a great article about this in one of my auto tech trade magazines. That said, I'd think that most tire techs (at most tire shops) wouldn't have a clue about the differences between valve cores on today's vehicles. I'd be hesitant to allow anyone to change out the cores on my vehicle without knowing that it was replaced with the correct part. You are right that the cores have a rubber seal on them, but to say it is prone to dry rot is a bit of a stretch. I'm not saying that it can't happen, but since the core itself in never really exposed to the elements, it is very unlikely that the tiny seal will rot out.