Customer Reviews

Dorman 974-009 Tire Pressure Monitor System Sensor

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this TPMS sensor to replace one on my Saturn Outlook that had a broken valve stem. I had to do this for another wheel and the shop charged me $140 to get an OEM sensor. This sensor worked exactly the same as the OEM one but was much much cheaper, even with overnight shipping.

I bought a set of four of these TPM's for my set of winter tires. The tire shop put them in. Much cheaper than OEM, but work the same so far.

Great product. Much less expensive than the dealer and it works great after reprograming. The shipping could be better, but so far the product works as it should.

I have a Saturn Outlook 2007 and this is the 2nd time I have had a valve stem snap off while refilling a tire with air. The first time the part at the dealer cost 80 bucks plus 50 buck to have American Tire install and calibrate it. The original part is made in such a way that your can not just replace the broken stem, you have to replace the valve stem and the expensive sensor. I think it is a defect of the original Saturn part; since both the inside and outside of the valve stem are threaded, you can see at the point of breakage, that where the threads inner and outer line up, the stems cylinder wall is wafer thin. If you plan to take this off road or park to close to a high curb, you could find they snap off and strand you! I haven't found a "rubber" valve stem for these TPMS, but know that it would be much more durable than the alloy valve stems. If I find that product, I think I will have all the valves stems replaced.

This product is better than the manufactures product, because if the valve stem ever breaks off, it is replaceable without replacing the entire TPMS. That part is same manufacturer's valve replacement kit I got on Amazon for 5 bucks...

READ ONLY IF YOU ARE CRAZY LIKE ME:
DOING IT YOURSELF:
COST: FREE!

Because I live in a small town away from tire services, and I didn't want to take the tire off, like the last time, and drive it into town to have the part installed, I decided to install the new sensor in my driveway, using a cigarette lighter powered electric pump, the standard jack and lug wrench in the car, a 2 foot piece of 2 by 2 wood, and can of starting fluid which is diethyl ether.

On an Outlook XR 2007 with alloy rims, I jacked the car, removed tire, laid the tire on its side and positioned it so the disc brake rotor would come down on the 2X2 wood that I had laid across the rubber of the tire, so that the wood just cleared the edge of the rim, and so that the wood also did not touch or bend the thin metal guard behind the rotor, I lowered the jack so that the weight of the car, using the rotor would press the wood till the bead of the tire (seal) broke about 10 inch away from where the TPMS unite need to be replaced. Important to position the TPMS close enough to where the bead will brake to avoid having to entirely remove the bead on the tire to replace unit. (For easier alternate method to break bead, search "redneck tire bead breaker" on UTube).

Once broken, jack the car back up, and remove the tire from under the rotor. It is then easy to install the sensor. Once complete, spray starting fluid inside tire and allow it to spread around and atomize (see videos on UTube on how to do this). Light fluid to reseal the bead, but already have your air pump ready to run, you will only have few moments to get the air into tire to keep the cooling air after the burn from contracting and re-breaking the bead. NOTE: Once the bead is broken and unit installed you could also take it to a service station air pump to set the bead in the same manner, because they have higher air volume.

Crazy but it works. You can then use your wireless entry remote to reprogram all the sensors on the car. I should have made a video of me doing it, if it happens again I will :)