When it comes to car maintenance, most people know about the importance of keeping your tires inflated properly. This is where tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) come in – they monitor the air pressure in your tires and let you know when it’s time to add more air. But can you replace TPMS with regular valve stems? In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about replacing TPMS with regular valve stems.
What is TPMS, and What Does it Do?
TPMS is a system that monitors the air pressure in your car’s tires. It does this by transmitting information to a receiver that is either built into your car or plugged into it. This information includes the current air pressure in each tire and the temperature of each tire. TPMS valve can help you avoid blowouts and other problems caused by low air pressure in your tires.
There are two types of TPMS: direct and indirect. In a direct system, sensors are mounted on each wheel that measures the air pressure in real-time; these sensors transmit this information back to your car’s computer via radio waves or wires. In an indirect system, one sensor is mounted somewhere else (the spare tire) and monitors the speed at which it rotates, which estimates the air pressure in each tire.
Can You Use Regular Valve Stems Instead of TPMS?
In a word, yes. You can use regular valve stems instead of TPMS. However, you will need to buy or borrow a receiver to monitor the air pressure in your tires. This receiver can be either built into your car or plugged into it.
If you choose to go this route, keep in mind that not all cars are compatible with regular valve stems. You will need to check your car’s owner’s manual to see if it is compatible. If it is not, you may need to buy special adapters or have a custom set of valves installed to use regular valve stems.
Another thing to keep in mind is that using regular valve stems will not give you the same level of information as TPMS. With regular valve stems, you will only be able to see the air pressure in each tire; you will not be able to see the temperature or how fast each wheel is rotating.
It is important to know because high temperatures can cause an increase in air pressure, even when your tires are properly inflated. As such, you may need to manually check the temperature of each tire to ensure that it does not exceed a certain level. In addition, regular valve stems cannot detect slow leaks or punctures; you will need to manually check your tires for these to avoid blowouts or other problems.
Also read, How to remove TPMS sensor without removing the tire?
The Bottom Line
In short, you can use regular valve stems instead of TPMS. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you choose to go this way, then check your car’s owner manual to see if it is compatible.