Scrap your LTPWS

[tlong]

I was amuzed reading the recomendation by Corvette Fever Magazine to throw the system away and take out the bulb in the dash if wheels are changed. Does it suck that bad? GM over-engineering?

 

[Tuna]

I was amuzed reading the recomendation by Corvette Fever Magazine to throw the system away and take out the bulb in the dash if wheels are changed. Does it suck that bad? GM over-engineering?

No it doesn't IMHO.
My system has worked just fine for 12 years and all with the original sensors in the wheels. I've paid a little extra attention at the tire shop when they break down the tires but I've also found a really good shop that knows Vettes and asks the question first.

That article is full of holes about offsets used on the C4 so I wouldn't believe too much of what that author says anyway.

 

[FX GS]

One of the reason I don't waste $$$$ subscribing to any of these rags.

 

[Jeffvette]

No it doesn't IMHO.
My system has worked just fine for 12 years and all with the original sensors in the wheels.QUOTE]

You've obviously never experience one blowing up on you whiledriving at high speeds. It's like hitting a pot hole out of nowhere. The car starts to shake pull. It's like a major malfunction.

I ripped mine out and sold them to some sucker. The design on the C5 is much improved.

 

[jpanek]

You can weigh the risk of a sensor going loose inside the wheel vs. the risk of underinflation.

The last 3 months I've had 4 underinflated tires: loose valve stem core, leaky valve stem to wheel seal, cracked wheel from a pothole, and one I don't know why (on 3 different cars). Over the years I've removed and fixed half a dozen embedded screws. I bought the smartire aftermarket system for the vette a while back, and am getting 2 more for the other cars.

Jeffvette, thanks for the info - I think I'll check band clamp torque and stake those with epoxy next time the tires are off.

 

[tyrel]

The sensors in my 89 have worked perfectly for 15 years and 70,000 miles. Way to go GM!!!

 

[Robertwav1]

I believe in the "LTPWS". It saved my tires a few times from under inflation. I wouldn't think the tires on a vette are very forgiving when it comes to low air pressure. Good insurance for $1000.00 tires!

 

[Tuna]

No it doesn't IMHO.
My system has worked just fine for 12 years and all with the original sensors in the wheels.QUOTE]

You've obviously never experience one blowing up on you whiledriving at high speeds. It's like hitting a pot hole out of nowhere. The car starts to shake pull. It's like a major malfunction.

I ripped mine out and sold them to some sucker. The design on the C5 is much improved.

I'm not sure what you're talking about here - what blew up? The tire? Explain.

BTW, I did have one come loose inside my tire while the car was only a year or so old. It just floated around inside the tire and continued to work until I had the tires balanced - the tire shop showed me the tire with the flopping noise when they rolled it. I had to replace the band and that was it.

I agree with you that the new sensors in the C5 are better - they better be since they are like 10 year newer technology.

The LTPWS has saved several of my tires after picking up nails/screws/etc. I'm glad to have them.

 

[vuk]

I was take out the fuse but I loosed the cruise control too!

 

[Jeffvette]

I'm not sure what you're talking about here - what blew up? The tire? Explain.

The sensor. The sensor came off the band. When the tire was removed their were small little chunks of the sensor left.

 

[Tuna]

The sensor. The sensor came off the band. When the tire was removed their were small little chunks of the sensor left.

Interesting. There's always got to be one inopportune failure somewhere and you got it. When my band broke, I have no idea and the sensor didn't come apart. It just laid there in the tire and still worked !

Later,

 

[tlong]

Naturally there is the yen yang of any monitoring system. But what blew my mind before I read the article was the section in the factory manual regarding this option. It must be 20 pages. We drive land cruisin' space shuttles. Can't you just see the engineers coming up with this stuff?

Read about the new BMW 7 series and compared to the problems with complex diagnostics on it the C4 is primitive and simple. I know mine runs great; not sure exactly how.

 

[Rich96c4ce]

I'm not sure what you're talking about here - what blew up? The tire? Explain.

BTW, I did have one come loose inside my tire while the car was only a year or so old. It just floated around inside the tire and continued to work until I had the tires balanced - the tire shop showed me the tire with the flopping noise when they rolled it. I had to replace the band and that was it.

I agree with you that the new sensors in the C5 are better - they better be since they are like 10 year newer technology.

The LTPWS has saved several of my tires after picking up nails/screws/etc. I'm glad to have them.

My sensor self destructed when I was doing 105 near the end of a drag race. I didn't feel a thing. What I did notice was the LTPWS low pressure light. Instant panic. But when I got is stopped, I saw nothing wrong with the tire. Coming back on the return road with the windows open, near the timing tower going very slow, I heard a clunking sound. It was speed dependent, no noise above about 5 mph. Okay, blown sensor. Sure enough, when I got around to trashing the GSCs, and putting Nitto 555Rs on, the sensor parts came out. Also what came out were two nylon tywraps. Seems like whoever put on the GSCs had broken the sensor, and tried to fix it, instead of fessing up and parting with $200. Anyway, I didn't have a replacement handy (standing there with the new tires waiting to be put on. So on they went w/o the sensors. So, no sensors, no bulb. But Im in the market for a right rear sensor because I too, believe in the system.