The driver side valve stem fell into the wheel while driving down the highway ruining my tire. I brought it to service to fix it and they mentioned another valve stem sleeve was cracked and ready to fail. Has anyone else had this problem? They say it's the first the ever heard of this. 30K on the truck. No impact to the wheel or tire. The tire holds air but the belts are all busted up. I am finding it hard to believe I'm the only one with this problem. My kids drive the truck and am concerned about this happening to them.

 

The valve stem 'fell into the wheel'? What does that mean? If the tire was inflated that doesn't make any sense because pressure pushes outward. More likely the tire was punctured and was destroyed as it was being driven on while flat, and that process may have wrecked the TPMS sensor and ripped out the valve stem as well. Just speculating...

Rob

 

I tested this. The tire holds air. There isn't a leak or puncture. Although, you may be correct in a way. As I mentioned, another valve stem sleeve is cracked. Can we assume the threaded sleeves and nut on the valve stems have a purpose? Purhaps securing the valve stem in place to prevent air from leaking out around the valve stem? The cracked sleeve could have catastrophically failed, causing rapid deflation (I heard the air coming out. My window was open and I thought is hearing wind from a truck I was passing) and subsequently allowing it to fall into the tire when the pressure was equallized. I'm not sure what happened to the valve stem nut. Neither the sleeve or nut were on the valve stem in the tire but the cap was still on. The valve stem was otherwise undamaged.

Thanks for the reply

 

Alloy retaining nut secures TPMS to rim with specified torque...too tight, they'll fail. Rebuild kit should be used if TPMS is removed/switched. TPMS battery will eventually fail...unit is scrap.

 

Sounds like that might have been it then. Very odd situation.

Rob

 

I just had the exact same thing happen about two weeks ago but my stem stayed in place til I put the tire pressure tester on it and pushed it in...put the spare on and took ut to the dealer and they fixed it under the warranty. I just noticed the other day that another retaining nut is cracked on another wheel so I will be going back to the dealer again to get that one fixed. It looks to me like they were over tightened from the factory.

 

This bs technology of needing to know your pressure, you can tell if you get a blow out those will do nothing, you can feel a low tire if you are a consciensious driver! For all the money on replacing this stuff every time you take a tire off as they say you might as well just put runflat tires on all cars and call it good since every 3 months the tires are checked getting oil changes, and when you wash your car you can see low tires, can't you? I vote get rid of that crap I think I want to find out how to disable it, must be a module somewhere that can be removed. Or you can buy a higher quality after market valve stem......cheaper than OEM. Be careful washing them, car washes can tear them out too.Would be nice if they could be a regular pull thru rubber valve I can see why not the the module clips into the rim somehow. These will be warranty, I had one repair kit and one complete unit done when they changed my rims when they corroded. If anyone has the way to shut this crap down without throwing codes etc.
I was just reading recommendations in the online manual, anyway it recommends not putting them on aftermarket wheels....so another plow to make us use OEM products. I don't like that, went part of the winter 2 weeks with aftermarket and no sensors, just a stupid yellow light, be nice to disable it. Get rid of them entirely from the sounds they need special ways to take off tires and put on so no damage to sensors happens. They break easily, carwash night mare, and even when washing by hand be sure to not break the stem off.

 

I think they are great technology. Many folks don't change oil or check air psi every three months, The run-flats on my Corvette has sensors. Even sounds a waring if too high air psi. Run-flats will eventually tear up with out air psi. I check it daily. Lots of lives lost over low air psi.

 

Frustrating.

Finally wore out my factory tires. Went to change the tires and the tire guy said that the sleeve was cracked. I called my local dealer who had no idea what I was talking about after I asked about the TPMS service/rebuild/maintenance and any other way I could present it to him to look up. Parts guy at Gaddis in Muncie said I needed to buy the entire TPMS unit at 133 bucks apiece and it would take about 3 weeks to get. I tried kahlo in noblesville who had not much of clue what I was trying to find and he obviously wnated out of there. Finally I went to Autozone across the street from the tire guy and found the TPMS sensor rebuild kit for 3 bucks. I bought 2 and scheduled to have the TPMS sensors put back in repalcing the plain valve stems they put in for now. This morning I went to the tire guy to have them replaced and he told me the the stem was cross threaded (they have been the only guys who have been into those tires) and I would need to get a new valve stem. Back to Gaddis dealership, I was told the valve stem is 28 bucks and the nearest dealer with one in stock is in Elwood In. Autozone or O Reilly seem to think it is a dealer part and the 28 bucks is probably something I am going to have to bite the bullet on. Any other source for the OEM valve stem? All the searches I do seem to point to the Dorman replacemsnt products.

 

I started a thread about this issue titled tpms valve heads up on 2,27.12 do a forum search to locate it, I don't know how to put the link from it in here or i would have done it for you.