• CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    A local city proudly mentioned on the news that they had a system that could track TPMS sensors. Pretty much all cars after 2008 uses TPMS sensors that each broadcast a unique identifier to the car. They aren’t hard to remove, and you can buy valve stems that fit your car (0.452 hole) at any auto parts store.

    EDIT: The sheer amount of replies to this post days later that basically state “This is too hard to do, and it won’t work anyway, so you are stupid to try and shouldn’t do it”, all from people who clearly have no real idea how the TPMS system on a car works, have confirmed for me that I was correct in spending a half hour removing these devices.

    • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      By “aren’t hard to remove” you actually mean requires dismounting the tire from the rim, remounting it, and then balacing it. This is far beyond the capabilities not to mention equipment of the typical layperson. Plus, your state is likely to conveniently fail your car on its next inspection for a nonfunctioning TPMS system, same as your check engine light.

      If you’re going to go the distance anyway, get your tire shop to mount aftermarket Autel sensors in your rims. Using the readily available diagnostic tool, you can occasionally reprogram those (wirelessly!) with a set of random IDs and then also program your car to use them. You’ll be a lot tougher to track if your signature is different every week.

      I’m not about to do this just yet, but I do have the tool for more mundane purposes and I only paid around $200 for it several years ago.

      • hector@lemmy.today
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        4 months ago

        State inspection of your vehicle? Wtf? I’ve heard of California with catalytic converters because the smog, that’s it. I

        • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          That only lists 18 states…

          My own state requires it despite that list implying they don’t. Thus I really don’t think that chart is completely accurate. If you have ANY warning lights on your dash at inspection you will be failed here.

          • Grostleton@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            4 months ago

            I did say most, not all. Some of the info on that page may be outdated, but obviously it would just be limited to those that require regular comprehensive inspections in the first place.

            I was able to easily look up the inspection guidelines from my states DMV page and confirm for myself that TPMS light is not a fail here so YMMV, but my point was essentially that it’s more likely than not that bad sensors won’t fail someone, not that nobody will get failed.