Lotus99

1 - I'll be using my dad's old winter tire set which doesn't have the TPMS sensors on it, but my car has TPMS. Other than putting up the with annoying light for like 5 months of the year, is there any other reason to spend like $300 to have them installed on the winter wheel set, if I plan on checking the pressures myself regularly? For example, are the stability control systems affected if the car sees TPMS sensors aren't there?

2 - Also, would the car need to be programmed at the dealer for the new sensors to recognize them, or it can be done via iDrive? I'll be buying the right set from Tire Rack.

3 - Lastly, I know it's discouraged to take sensors off a wheel to mount them on another wheel (like taking them off my summers to put on the winter wheels) as they can get damaged. When you get new tires though for the same wheels, does the tire shop have to take off the sensors, or new tires can be mounted without having to touch the sensors?
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I read this on an auto site, and got me thinking of it:

In many cases it is necessary to reprogram wheel-sensor-type TPMS systems during seasonal tire swaps. This can seldom be done without a special tool, and some dealers overcharge twice a year for this simple computer initialization. Independent shops now have access to programming tools to link up the vehicle with the wheel sensors; this was not the case when the APA first reviewed these systems in 2008. The more flexible TPMS systems allow the vehicle to recognize two sets of sensors without subsequent reprogramming. The least intrusive systems, like those on the majority of European luxury vehicles, dispense with wheel-mounted sensors entirely.

If you developed the good habit of regularly checking your tire pressures, you might be inclined to run your tires on winter rims without tire pressure monitoring sensors. However, putting up with a lit TPMS warning light on the dash may not be the only consequence of doing without sensors in winter. Important safety devices like the electronic stability control may be disengaged if the TPMS system is deactivated. Consult an expert before taking this step.
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norsecarnut

both our cars have winter and summer wheel and tire sets and all sets have the sensors. i like the peace of mind the sensors provide and it's very simple to hit the reset on the car when swapping.

on the audi, bmw, there is no "tool" and nothing for anybody to charge for doing as you can do it yourself within the "settings" of the car.

while i often do actually check the pressure, that is not going to help when i start out on a day trip and pick up a nail before heading into the mountain roads or when my partner heads out at 6 am in the dark and rain for a 45 minute commute. tpms is a good thing for a busy lifestyle.

norsecarnut

oh, sometimes a bmw or audi dealer will not remove the sensors to change a tire but a tire shop often will as standard practice to be sure they don't damage a $100 part of yours.

just have the sensors inside both sets of wheels, there is no reason not to.

sdg1871

I put TPMS sensors when I bought a set of winter wheels and tires. I got OEM BMW ones. I didn't want to see the annoying warning when I didn't have them.

Lotus99

And it doesn't damage the sensors taking them off a wheel once or twice? I thought it was a no no to take them off. Come to think of it though, I had two tires replaced a month ago on my summer wheels, so they must have either taken them off and reused them or left them on. Either method, they're still working.

norsecarnut

No, doesn't damage them but Discount Tire here likes to reinstall them using fresh/new o-rings and a stem.

However, I would not be wanting to do this whole tire swap thing 2x a year. It doesn't take many years to equal the cost of a set of winter wheels.

Lotus99

Update: I just bought a set from Tire Rack for $200 including valve stems. Read in another post that Beru makes the sensors for BMW, and that's the brand Tire Rack sells also. PYSpeed sells them for $255, so that was a pretty good price @ Tire Rack.

karman1977

can You share info why You need this TPMS? as i understand that this is tyre pressure monitoring system. maybe iam wrong but i think in e60 its not necessary, because it monitor each wheel speed and if in one of tyre is less pressure then tyre spinning speed differs with each other and error pop up with low pressure tyre.

or i something missing?

Lotus99

BMW uses two types of systems: TPMS which uses sensors in a wheel to send signals wirelessly (mandated in the US) and flat tire monitoring, which figures out you must have a flat based on the reduced diameter of a wheel (and a faster speed) compared to the other tires, and warns you, which requires no sensors. If you have TPMS, and no sensors on the wheel, then you'll get a warning light on your dashboard.

karman1977

ok. thanks for info.