TPMS

[Brabus SL]

Hi all,
My car has been SORN and unused for the last 4 years. I decided to bring it back to and put it back on the road.

Since car has been unused, the TPMS has stopped working due to the non-replaceable internal battery failure.

The sensors were last replaced during 2010! At that time, the replacement sensors (Beru/Nuf RDE001 433Mhz) cost £110 each. Now they cost £150 each to replace for original replacements - don't want to spend upwards of £600 to replace them.

During my Google, Youtube and eBay search, I have found that there are other replacement options costing much less! Some as low as £12 with a claim of lasting upwards of 5 years!

From my research, I have out that the sensors rarely go faulty. It's just that the batteries fail, but the batteries are not replaceable as the TPMS sensors are sealed units.

Question: has anyone here use aftermarket ones?

My car is a 2003 SL55

 

[CaptainChaos]

If you have patience and a sharp knife you can replace the batteries. I haven't done it myself!
I bought some genuine Merc ones three years ago and they were £180 for the set from the main dealer. It might be worth checking they haven't misread their parts book.

I have used aftermarket ones on a BMW and a Suzuki. Both were VDO branded - they make the BMW OEM ones, and probably the Merc ones too. I got them from here: Car parts online store: buy cheap high-quality auto parts and spares I believe they are German based. If you know your Merc part number you can use that.

Also, have a look here. They sell genuine MB parts and have excellent service: https://www.kunzmann.de/shop/en/tire-wheels/tires-rims-equipment/?page=2

 

[Brabus SL]

If you have patience and a sharp knife you can replace the batteries. I haven't done it myself!
I bought some genuine Merc ones three years ago and they were £180 for the set from the main dealer. It might be worth checking they haven't misread their parts book.

I have used aftermarket ones on a BMW and a Suzuki. Both were VDO branded - they make the BMW OEM ones, and probably the Merc ones too. I got them from here: Car parts online store: buy cheap high-quality auto parts and spares I believe they are German based. If you know your Merc part number you can use that.

Also, have a look here. They sell genuine MB parts and have excellent service: Practical accessories | Various covers and fuses

Thanks for your reply. I just sent them an email. I wanted to know if the replacement TPMS needed to be programmed the - some do.

 

[CaptainChaos]

I believe some do, but the three sets I've used (Merc, BMW, Suzuki) didn't so fingers crossed you can just stick them on and go.

 

[Sidewall]

TPMS sensors used by Mercedes are bought in from the sensor manufacturers, Mercedes don't make them. So the likes of Beru/Huff, VDO/Siemens, and Schrader. Whether you buy them in a Mercedes box with a Mercedes part number, or from any OEM manufacturers supplier, you are buying exactly the same part. (But it must be the SAME manufacturer, they are not interchangeable). Each has a unique I.D. code which the car must learn.

The sensors that need programming before fitting are generic/cloneable types, these have the advantage that a independent garage needs only stock one sensor to fit any car make/model, and when they are fitted as a "Clone" of the original, the car can't tell the difference so no further "learning" is required.

It is worrying that yours have gone flat while stored. They have a built in movement sensor which sends them into hibernation until the car is driven again, the energy consumption when parked should be virtually nothing. This is why some cars fitted with sensors will tell you when you switch on the ignition that the tyres are okay for pressure, but will require the car to be driven before actually telling you what that pressure is individually.
Have you driven the car to wake everything up yet? Just a thought.

 

[Gbrowncls55]

I haqd new ones fitted to a second spare set of wheels and it took about 15 mins of driving before pressures came up on the dash. been perfect since (2 years)

 

[Alps]

Go for the Autel units, cheap as chips and do the job well! all 4 for less thanthe price of a single oem unit

dont bother replacing with oem

 

[stephenmercedes]

I know many will scoff at this, but try your local KwikFit, or even an independent tyre dealer. TPMS is so prevalent these days that tyre dealers now have replacenent services (maybe non OEM) but can install and program to original spec at a fraction of the cost...

 

[Brabus SL]

Right. I purchased some aftermarket ones for £140 for a set of 4. No programming was needed. I just needed to drive the car for around 15 mins!
Now I have a working TPMS. Thanks for your inputs

 

[Brabus SL]

I know many will scoff at this, but try your local KwikFit, or even an independent tyre dealer. TPMS is so prevalent these days that tyre dealers now have replacenent services (maybe non OEM) but can install and program to original spec at a fraction of the cost...

No scoffing here. Thanks for your reply

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Right. I purchased some aftermarket ones for £140 for a set of 4. No programming was needed. I just needed to drive the car for around 15 mins!
Now I have a working TPMS. Thanks for your inputs

Are they labelled OSF, OSR, NSR, NSF? If not, how does the car know which sensor is on which wheel?

 

[C43AMG]

I purchased some aftermarket ones for £140 for a set of 4.

Which ones and from where ?

 

[stephenmercedes]

I'm pretty sure when the poster said, 'no programming' he meant he didn't have to mess about with any menus etc. Each TPMS sensor broadcasts on a different frequency, so the car will work out which sensor is feeding what bit of info. That is why if you 'rotate' your tires (though no one does that these days!), you should change sensors as well. On my aftermarket system, you can change the virtual 'location' of sensors by onscreen adjustments...

 

[whitenemesis]

Are they labelled OSF, OSR, NSR, NSF? If not, how does the car know which sensor is on which wheel?

The Lexus system uses signal ping time to determine where each sensor is located. Sensors have to be registered to the car but their position is determined automatically.

 

[Alps]

Autel ones are good, had them in my w212, plug and play!

 

[CaptainChaos]

I'm pretty sure when the poster said, 'no programming' he meant he didn't have to mess about with any menus etc. Each TPMS sensor broadcasts on a different frequency, so the car will work out which sensor is feeding what bit of info. That is why if you 'rotate' your tires (though no one does that these days!), you should change sensors as well. On my aftermarket system, you can change the virtual 'location' of sensors by onscreen adjustments...

The system on the W205 works out which corner is which without reprogramming or moving sensors. When I swapped my winter wheels I dropped two pressures down and put them on opposite corners and then went for a drive to "wake up" the sensors. It recognised which corners they were, and they were not the same positions they had been in the previous winter. This is with OEM Merc valves.

 

[rf065]

The system on the W205 works out which corner is which without reprogramming or moving sensors.

I've noticed that on mine too, very civilised!