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I've got a 2010 Nissan Altima and I'm trying to figure out if the TPMS gasket is part of the tire itself or not.

Story: got front tires replaced at Midas. The one that needed replacing was leaking and unrepairable, according to them. Drove away, TPMS sensor was still on. Thought it needed time to reset (I'm a moron). Saw the tire was low, refilled it, few days later was low again. Refilled it, took it back to the shop, they showed me the TPMS gasket was leaking (bubbling soap solution). They replaced the TPMS for free.

If the TPMS is part of the tire, I'm concerned they didn't replace the tire and instead lied to me about the tire being unfixable, got me to pay for new ones, fixed the old one and never put new ones on. The likelihood of a new tire having a bad TPMS gasket is lower than the odds of someone trying to pull a fast one on me.

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    With all due respect, you're telling us you cannot tell the difference between your old tires and new ones? If the shop replaced the TPMS (or rebuilt it) for free, I'd say all is good. It doesn't sound like they did anything out of the ordinary. It is highly recommended you have the TPMS rebuilt with every new tire install. I'm surprised they didn't suggest this to you.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Apr 10, 2016 at 1:34
  • I think the question is misworded. I think OP is wondering if the tire wasn't holding pressure in the first place because of the TPMS gasket. If the original fault was a TPMS part at say $50 then OP didn't need $200 of new tires.
    – Freiheit
    Apr 10, 2016 at 13:34

1 Answer 1

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The TPMS sensor in each wheel does not come with new tires, it a separate part. There are TPMS reseal kits that are available separately, see picture below. The TPMS sensor is to be resealed each time a new tire is installed. This is industry best practice. It is not always done. It appears this was not done when your tires were installed or the new seals leaked. Either way it was repaired for free.

TPMS rebuild kits are equivalent to the valve stem in pre-TPMS tires. These stems are almost always replaced when new tires are installed. This has been standard practice for decades. The industry has not fully adjusted to the kits yet.

TPMS rebuild kit

It is quite possible for a tire to have damage that is unrepairable. There are a set of industry standards for this. Also if only two new tires were purchased they should be installed on the rear not the front.

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