Tire Pressure Sensors

[RandyC]

I just purchased a set of winter tires and OEM wheels for my 2006 SC430. Where can I purchase a second second set of tire pressure sensors for the tires? Do they have to be purchased from Lexus or can they be purchased from a third party and for how much? Do I need anything in addition to the tires, wheels, and tire pressure sensors? I just purchased the SC430 a couple of months ago and know very little about tire pressure sensors and RFT's in general. Thanks. Randy C

[Galager]

I just purchased a set of winter tires and OEM wheels for my 2006 SC430. Where can I purchase a second second set of tire pressure sensors for the tires? Do they have to be purchased from Lexus or can they be purchased from a third party and for how much? Do I need anything in addition to the tires, wheels, and tire pressure sensors? I just purchased the SC430 a couple of months ago and know very little about tire pressure sensors and RFT's in general. Thanks. Randy C

I just went through this process. It is a pain. You need to buy them from lexus, they are different from other sensors that lexus uses on other models. You also need a sensor mounting kit which is roughly $30. I got a good deal on them from some dealership in Texas (Sewell I believe), it was roughly $400 for the set, saved me about $160 from the local dealership. I had the lexus dealer install the pressure sensors and mount the tires (nobody here seemed to know how or if they could be programmed by anybody other than a Lexus dealer), but I have to think that it is a fairly simple process.

[Marty Witt]

I put on a set of regular (non-run flat) snow tires without a set of sensors. The low pressure light comes on but does not beep. A piece of balck tape can cover that up. When you put your regular tires back on, you have to go to Lexus to have them reset the system.

[Mark3101]

I just purchased a set of winter tires and OEM wheels for my 2006 SC430. Where can I purchase a second second set of tire pressure sensors for the tires? Do they have to be purchased from Lexus or can they be purchased from a third party and for how much? Do I need anything in addition to the tires, wheels, and tire pressure sensors? I just purchased the SC430 a couple of months ago and know very little about tire pressure sensors and RFT's in general. Thanks. Randy C

In order for the system to work correctly, you would need to get the sensors from Lexus. You have two positions that can be programmed into the ecu for two different sets of wheels. There is a button on the passenger side to switch between the two sets. The dealer must program them into the ecu for this to work. Then all you need to do is change the position of the button to whatever wheels you are using.

I learned some of this when I got my new 2007 SC and the dealer swapped wheels at purchase time and they forgot to re-program the ecu with the new sensor codes. I live 175 miles away from the dealer and about an hour into the trip the sensor light came on and stayed on. When I got home I studied the manual and tried to reset it after checking the actual pressure in the tires, but it did not work. The solution was to go back to the dealer and get the proper codes input to the ecu. Now all is well <g>.

[finnovation]

I just purchased a set of winter tires and OEM wheels for my 2006 SC430. Where can I purchase a second second set of tire pressure sensors for the tires? Do they have to be purchased from Lexus or can they be purchased from a third party and for how much? Do I need anything in addition to the tires, wheels, and tire pressure sensors? I just purchased the SC430 a couple of months ago and know very little about tire pressure sensors and RFT's in general. Thanks. Randy C

Randy, just a clarification . . .

So it seems it's OK not to hook up the monitoring system?

I'm thinking of just getting another set of rims for my winters and leave them without the monitors.

[Jules_Houston]

I have a 2003 Lexus SC430 and I replaced the run flats with MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4S tires, years ago. My tire pressure sensor light has been on for months now and I was told that a battery (for the tire pressure sensor) was bad in one of the tires.  Must I get this replaced at Lexus or is it OK to replace at Discount Tire when I get my new tires (which I plan to do this week).

[Maxrpm]

Discount can replace the sensor BUT they don't have Toyota's TIS Techstream software system to register the new sensor with your car's electronics.

Can anyone explain the 4-color code system for the wheel sensor's? I believe each color represents a different wheel but I don't know if they are specific to each 'location' on the car?

I'm guessing it could possibly be a different communications frequency to denote the wheels location??

[Susan Bacon]

On 5/7/2007 at 3:01 PM, Mark3101 said:

In order for the system to work correctly, you would need to get the sensors from Lexus. You have two positions that can be programmed into the ecu for two different sets of wheels. There is a button on the passenger side to switch between the two sets. The dealer must program them into the ecu for this to work. Then all you need to do is change the position of the button to whatever wheels you are using.

I learned some of this when I got my new 2007 SC and the dealer swapped wheels at purchase time and they forgot to re-program the ecu with the new sensor codes. I live 175 miles away from the dealer and about an hour into the trip the sensor light came on and stayed on. When I got home I studied the manual and tried to reset it after checking the actual pressure in the tires, but it did not work. The solution was to go back to the dealer and get the proper codes input to the ecu. Now all is well <g>.

Why doesn’t the computer in the car tell you which tire sensor is out? Do you replace all of them if only one is bad? The dealer acted like they couldn’t tell which tire pressure sensor needed a battery (to make dash low tire pressure light go off) is that true? 

[Maxrpm]

On 6/24/2020 at 11:13 AM, Susan Bacon said:

Why doesn’t the computer in the car tell you which tire sensor is out? Do you replace all of them if only one is bad? The dealer acted like they couldn’t tell which tire pressure sensor needed a battery (to make dash low tire pressure light go off) is that true? 

They should be able to get a reading from any 'working' sensors and thereby identify the good ones.

[SkyScout]

It is May 25, 2022 as I write this.
I just replaced the four Tire Pressure Sensors in my 2006 SC430.
FYI:  Cost was $113 per sensor - Had to be purchased from Lexus.
With cost of installation price came to $708.00 - in San Diego.

 

[DocJr.]

I have a 2002 SC430.  I found only one non-OEM manufacturer for the 2002-2006 TMPS, Standard Motor Products (the OEM is made by a company called "Pacific").  They were much cheaper, aroud 60 apiece.  The sensor numbers are: TPM-61, 62, 63, 64.  They are sold for each specific wheel location (such a right rear) just like the OEMs.  The are also sold pre-programed so once they are installed, they just need to be registered in the cars CPU.  A local shop had software to do this (and it was not a special Toyota or Lexus program).  BTW, I noticed that the OEM TPMS sensors were much cheaper at the Canadian delearships (California delearships were about 30% higher).