Winter Tires And Rims

[Francisco Scaramanga]

Hi everyone,

I have just picked up my RX350 and I love it !!!

But I was told that I needed to purchase a winter tire package with rims from my Lexus dealership because of the tire pressure sensors.

Therefore, I have little choice but to basically spend $4000.00 on a winter tire package with rims.

I was wondering if anyone here can add some insight and perhaps an alternative to this situation?

Thank you all in advance for your time.

Cheers

[pauljcl]

Hi everyone,

I have just picked up my RX350 and I love it !!!

But I was told that I needed to purchase a winter tire package with rims from my Lexus dealership because of the tire pressure sensors.

Therefore, I have little choice but to basically spend $4000.00 on a winter tire package with rims.

I was wondering if anyone here can add some insight and perhaps an alternative to this situation?

Thank you all in advance for your time.

Cheers

I would start by speaking with the people at tirerack.com and listen to what they have to say.....

[Francisco Scaramanga]

Hi everyone,

I have just picked up my RX350 and I love it !!!

But I was told that I needed to purchase a winter tire package with rims from my Lexus dealership because of the tire pressure sensors.

Therefore, I have little choice but to basically spend $4000.00 on a winter tire package with rims.

I was wondering if anyone here can add some insight and perhaps an alternative to this situation?

Thank you all in advance for your time.

Cheers

I would start by speaking with the people at tirerack.com and listen to what they have to say.....

Thanks Paul for your help. I will speak with tirerack.com and I will listen to what their thoughts and feedback alike.

Cheers

[pauljcl]

Hi everyone,

I have just picked up my RX350 and I love it !!!

But I was told that I needed to purchase a winter tire package with rims from my Lexus dealership because of the tire pressure sensors.

Therefore, I have little choice but to basically spend $4000.00 on a winter tire package with rims.

I was wondering if anyone here can add some insight and perhaps an alternative to this situation?

Thank you all in advance for your time.

Cheers

I would start by speaking with the people at tirerack.com and listen to what they have to say.....

Thanks Paul for your help. I will speak with tirerack.com and I will listen to what their thoughts and feedback alike.

Cheers

Good luck, Francisco! let us know what you find out!

[Comfort]

Hi everyone,

I have just picked up my RX350 and I love it !!!

But I was told that I needed to purchase a winter tire package with rims from my Lexus dealership because of the tire pressure sensors.

Therefore, I have little choice but to basically spend $4000.00 on a winter tire package with rims.

I was wondering if anyone here can add some insight and perhaps an alternative to this situation?

Thank you all in advance for your time.

Cheers

A lot depends on your wheel size. You can find lots of choices for 18's and 20's. If you are buying both rims and wheels for the winter package you are free to go as high as 20" and can then find a tire to match. (Keeping the diameter the same or close.) I have 19's so here what I did. I found a few custom 19" wheels for the RX at prices from $235 and up-bolt pattern is 5-4.5 (114.3), offset is 35 but 32-38 will work fine. Bridgestone Blizzak has an exact match for the factory 19"-Blizzack DM-V1 tire #97419 that is a P235/55R19, list price is $173.99. The TPMS runs $70-$80 each wheel. I am not going to use a TPMS in winter just like I do on my Tundra-get a warning light but no big deal.

I am switching my new chrome rims to summer use so switching the factory tires to the new rims with the TPMS and putting my Blizzack's on the painted factory wheels for winter with no TPMS. My "out the door" cost was well under $2000-Wheels $1,040; Tires mounted and balanced X2 at $784. Got 15% off on the tires-they are in short supply in our area only 4 sets available last week.

[Comfort]

Just an update to my last post-TPMS can be purchased for $41 each at TPMS wholesale on the web. Buy 4 and free shipping so added the TPMS on both sets of tires. Total cost is still a little under $2000, not great but about as good as you can do with custom wheels.

[Messerchmidt]

you can forgo the tpms sensors....otherwise get a set off the net say from tirerack or one of the places suggested above. a set of 17 inch wheels with winters and your set. (I used the nexen winguard suv tires myself, good and reasonably priced)

[KenRX350]

My dealer never mentioned anything like this to me. Why would the pressure sensors require you buy winter tires???

As long as we are discussing tires, are the Michelin tires on my 2010 RX 350 AWD (18" wheels) "directional?" Reason I ask is the manual says to rotate front to back and back to front; I read somewhere else this is because the tires are "directional" and must stay on the same side of the vehicle.

I have never used that pattern before...and always got 55K miles on the tires of my previous AWD SUV.

Thanks

[maxima]

Just an update to my last post-TPMS can be purchased for $41 each at TPMS wholesale on the web. Buy 4 and free shipping so added the TPMS on both sets of tires. Total cost is still a little under $2000, not great but about as good as you can do with custom wheels.

[maxima]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

One set of TPMS codes ??? That is insane and not very owner friendly at all. I ended up purchasing a set of 18" winter tires ( Blizzak DM-V1 I think ) with Lexus rims from my dealership at a cost of $3100.00

I just don't want to ruin my OEM rims that came with my sports package.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

Thank you everyone for your insights, feedback and wisdom. It is greatly appreciated.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

Please let me know if the TPMS feature can be completely disabled. It really is a pain in the butt at times.

[pauljcl]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

Please let me know if the TPMS feature can be completely disabled. It really is a pain in the butt at times.

... Thinking out loud ...

If the TPMS system can be fully disabled, great, otherwise:

1. can cover the warning light or remove the bulb

2. The TPMS system can be 'reset' so that it alerts when a different (new) pressure is chosen - I wonder if one could set it so that it is OK with zero (0) psi, and then just keep the sensors somewhere in the car?

[maxima]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

Please let me know if the TPMS feature can be completely disabled. It really is a pain in the butt at times.

Will let you know what the dealer says...already spoke to Lexus Canada & they admitted it was a design oversight.

[Francisco Scaramanga]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

Please let me know if the TPMS feature can be completely disabled. It really is a pain in the butt at times.

Will let you know what the dealer says...already spoke to Lexus Canada & they admitted it was a design oversight.

Yes, that is definitely a design oversight or flaw depending on which angle you choose to look at it.

[Dan.Mtl]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

Please let me know if the TPMS feature can be completely disabled. It really is a pain in the butt at times.

Will let you know what the dealer says...already spoke to Lexus Canada & they admitted it was a design oversight.

Yes, that is definitely a design oversight or flaw depending on which angle you choose to look at it.

A few notes here:

1) The tire pressure system - Why would anybody disable a perfectly good system that will warn you when you are losing 25% of the tire pressure and will save you money and maybe even prevent an accident? I am visually checking my tires each time I get in the car and I still think this is a good system to have. So in the winter I will have a warning light on the dash - unless you are ready to spend like 500$ to get the sensors, and probably another 90$ every tire change to have the system set for the new wheels - I will not do it!

2) The winter tires - The 2010 RX350 can take 17"x61/2 Toyota steel rims. I had my dealer check it for me before I bought the car. The rims tested are Toyota (I believe from the RAV4) and the part number is 426110R020. I already bought them from Toyota for 90$ CDN each. My RX has 235/55R19 OEM tires and I will use 235/65R17 for the winter. Not only it is recommended for winter to have more rubber and less rim for better traction, but the price for the 17" tire will be probably 40% less. I did all this research for myself but I welcome everybody reading this to benefit from it (too late for Francisco - sorry I didn't read this earlier - I could have saved you some $$).

[Comfort]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

If this turns out to be true with no fix by Lexus then the alternative is to buy the ATEQ TPM Quickset Reset Tool from Tire Rack and do it yourself-$135.

[rxjunkie]

BEWARE....I purchased winter tires w/rims from Tire Rack with TPMS (storing in my garage so I can change myself) only to find out the 2010 RX can only store 1 set of codes, (my 2006 could store 2 sets).

So my alternative is to pay the Dealer $90 every spring & fall to change the codes!!!

I am bringing it in for it's first 8000k oil change, and I will ask how I can disable the scensors completely.

If this turns out to be true with no fix by Lexus then the alternative is to buy the ATEQ TPM Quickset Reset Tool from Tire Rack and do it yourself-$135.

Dealer said they can not disable...but I will checkout the reset tool from Tire Rack, beats $180/yr at the dealer...thanks for the info.

[Comfort]

Well I finally got my Blizzak's and had them installed with TPMS sensors from TPMS Wholesale (about $40 each). The new sensors had a 7 digit code, obsecure & a little hard to read. I entered those codes into my reset tool and added a leading zero to make it 8 digits like the factory ones....don't know if that was necessary. Followed the instructions and everything worked as promissed. I did not get a flashing light on the dash as the instructions said I would but the tool reset my codes and there is no TPMS light on the console now.

The Quickset allows settings for 4 differect vehicles and you can clear the codes so find a bud and share the cost with him. Even if the dealer did it for free I prefer setting my own versus the hassle of going to the dealer twice a year.