Sorry, I posted part of this in another thread, but thought I would start a new one with a few questions:
I am getting ready to replace the P-Zero's on my 07 Cs Cab with the Mich Super Sports. Heard so many good things here, I am convinced. I will also have all 4 of the TPM's replaces, since I have been getting a signal that one of the rears is gone. Dealer says all are ready to be replaced.

Questions, 1) Do I need anything else when I get this done? The dealer suggest full alignment, but I'm not sure I need this. The car is riding and tracking very nicely, and I don't want to mess with that. 2) Dealer quotes $900in parts for all 4 TPM's, is this reasonable? 3) Any problem with going to independent tire shop for installation, versus dealer? 4) Any experience with the life of the aftermarket TPMS? 5) I see two different aftermardet models suggested for my car, both are 433mhz, one is the orange huf model, which does not say it is for the s model.

This is my 5th Porsche, and I have never hesitated to get tire service from an independent. My first 997 though, and the dealer has me thinking.

 

Speaking from my experience with my Porsche (and other brands of) cars, unless you had a full alignment done earlier, my advice is to get a full alignment done when fitting new tires.

The new tires start out with a proper alignment and it will stay that way barring extraordinary sloppy car handling on your part: Cutting turns into/out of driveways short; pulling so far in the front tires bump up against the curb.

(Put a bit of extra toe out in the front wheels of my Turbo doing this late one night in a hotel parking lot that had the tires howling like bad bearings a 75mph+.)

Now if the old tires have delivered good service life: I can get 15K, 18K, even 20K (and sometimes more) out of the rear tires on both of my cars and double that out of the front tires) and if the old tires are showing even wear and no signs of feathering or scrubbing and you are comfortable/satisfied with the car's steering, handling, road feel, you can skip the alignment if you wish.

As for the TPMS... My dealer service sources tell me that after 4 years the batteries are questionable. Often a customer comes in for new tires and decides to skip replacing the TMPS modules, for understandable reasons. They are pricey.

Then sometimes, oftentimes, not too much later one or more TPMS batteries are dead and the customer is back in and mad as H*ll. He is facing then not only the cost of getting new TPMS modules bu the cost of having them installed and the wheels/tires balanced again.

My advise is to bite the bullet and replace the TMPS modules at the same time the tires are replaced. The original TMPS modules with their batteries are 4+ years old and are if not past their change by date are at their change by date.

I have no direct experience with aftermarket TPMS. I have read posts by others who praise these and others who report less than satisfactory experience. My inclination would be to stick with the factory units.

I have had some experience with indy tire shops/stores and save for one exception in my general area I would not take my Porsches to one for a tire pressure check, let alone anything more involved than that.

 

I have a 2006 C2S with sport chrono plus. I presume the car is equipped with TPMS, but I cannot find the diagram on the trip computer screen even at a standstill. I'm still on the original tires. If there is no signal coming from all four sensors, is it possible that the computer won't allow calling up the TPMS screen?

 

just ordered 4 new Michelin PSS for wife's 07 Boxster S & 4 TPMS sensors/valve from Tire Rack- Cost was $365 for the OEM (Beru) TPMS sensors. Shipped to dealer for install next week.

 

Another way to look at it:

Do you want to buy something that will work? i.e. OEM Sensors (which are available from reputable sellers besides the dealer)

Do you want to buy something that may work? i.e. Aftermarket Sensors

 

I think the word "may" should read "most likely".

 

TPMS was an option in 06 and mandatory in 07. The readings show in the small screen below the tach. Toggle through to see if you have, or check build sheet.

If you have TPMS and one or more sensors were dead, you would have an error showing on the dash.

The readings are somewhat helpful, but a good digital gauge works good. Wish I didn't order TPMS. Just replaced mine.

How many people that ordered TPMS before 07 knew they had batteries and needed to be replaced every 5 years or so?

 

All of the TPMS sensors I am looking at are labeled OE. I may have used the term aftermarket incorrectly. I am able to find them for $184-312 for a set of 4.

 

The only sure things in life are death and taxes. Porsche TPMS are not made by Porsche so even assuming that all Porsche manufactured parts are touched by God and are infallible, the TPMS sensors the dealer installs for $900 are inherently flawed, like all things produced by man.

It is possible to buy the OEM TPMS from a non-dealer source for a fraction of the cost the dealer charges you. Any reputable tire store can install them and if you're getting tires replaced at the same time, the cost of installation of the TPMS sensors is next to nothing.

So, to answer your questions:

I usually get my alignment checked when I get new tires. I consider it cheap insurance. I ALWAYS make the alignment shop provide me with the before and after specs. Their machine can print these out for you. If they balk at this request, tell them to suck it and go somewhere else.

If one of your sensors is bad, all of them soon will be. Replace them all. There is no better time to replace them than when you are getting new tires.

I bought aftermarket sensors for my 997. I'm a risk-taker and decided that the $750 I saved by going aftermarket was worth the minimal downside risk. I have noticed that some people on this forum have enough money that $750 is chump change. Those people help the economy, so more power to them. As I said above, you can buy OEM sensors for your car for much less than the dealer price, have them installed when you have the tires installed and you've got a fatter wallet and exactly what you'd have if you took the car to the dealer.

I would never go to a dealer for tires. Your selection is limited and the labor rates are outrageous. It's akin to paying a Kohler employee to unclog your toilet. He can do it, but why pay him to do it when any plumber will do the same thing for half the price? I WOULD do research before handing my Porsche wheels to a tire store. Dismounting and mounting tires isn't rocket science but your average sire store monkey has no concept of how expensive your wheels are. Get comfortable with the store and the guy doing the work.

HTH, James.

 

Thanks for all the great advise.

 

New shoes = new alignment. TPMS get OEM from your best source. Get the tires force balanced.

Enjoy

 

I have had Tire Rack ship my winter wheels /tires for my c4s with their TPMS to local shop(Tru-line) in Seattle/Bellevue. No issues with on and off for 2 seasons now. They do great alignment as well. Different alignment settings for my C4S and GT3 btw. You get your best wear with proper alignment. You can even stop by after awhile and have them check the wear pattern. Tires are an expensive consumable