well just got back from having my tires rotated and balanced at my local Discount Tire and found the metal "SS" caps I had on had seized to the TPMS valve stems, and you really dont want to crank on one of those! got them off but ruined them in the process, TPMS is all good but just a heads up to you all, be careful when using metal valve caps!

 

Most all of the tire shops in the area that I've used for my personal vehicles over the years will toss the chromed metal caps for probably that very reason. The ironic part to that is I also am involved with large commercial vehicles that use only metal valve stem caps in accordance with the regulations. Not all metals are created equal.

 

I have aluminium caps anodized red that have been on both of our HHRs at least three years with no problems.

 

I have seen this before. If someone has this problem on our hhr's the tire valve stems are replaceable without replacing the tps sensor. Some tpm sensor you have to replace the complete tpm sensor ours you do not.

 

true lucky but i believe typical tire shops replace the tpms sensors when they replace your tires, whether or not that is common practice, that is what Discount tire said and did when i had my tires put on. I was told you have to replace them since they damage them when they take off the old tires

so were they blowing smoke? interesting to know and share since the sensors were like $30+

 

I work at a Chevy dealer and you DO NOT need to replace the sensors when just replacing the tires. If you replace the wheels then you often have to replace the sensors, but not for a simple tire replacement. OEM sensors are over $70 each. I just had my tires swapped in December and still have the original sensors in mine.

 

They are blowing smoke! If they said Remove and Replace the sensor to replace the stem, they would be getting close to the truth.

However, I do not know how they can rationalize $19 a wheel to remove a small screw then replace it. My local tire stores insist that they are actually doing an act of magic. They even showed me the kit, that it turns out they only use 2 of the 7 parts. They use the new stem (including Schrader valve and screw) and the new cap. In short, they are LYING.

 

If they are damaging the tpm sensors when removing the tire from the rim then they are not doing it correctly.

I myself would not want to get my tire work there.

 

We all know what they charge for that tiny screw to attach the sensor. Can't believe GM charges that much. Amazing. I put the sensors in my 4 winter tires. It wasn't cheap.

 

Last time I had my tires rotated, the front tire pressures now register as the rears and vice versa, what the heck?