Steve Lutfy

I just purchased a spare set of wheels to mount track tires for some fun at VIR this year. Since I only drive the HPDEs a time or two each year, I'm wondering if there would be any effect on the car's computer if I did NOT install TPS monitors in the new wheels. Thoughts?

FactoryZ51

Save your $$$. You don't need them.

speedraider

well, I kinda like them

SSTEVEGS

sevinn

For track wheels and tires, I'd say skip them.

TPMS are only necessary with runflats IMHO.

corvetteflier

They were consistently low reading on my '06, and are again on my '13. After the tires warm up on highway driving, they show 31psi when I know the tires are at 34. Same on cold, show 28 when my gauge shows 31. They do come in handy with a flat, though, and on runflats they make sense. Had one on my '06 that showed the message immediately on startup. My '12 CRV has them as well, but don't show pressure at the individual wheels, just that one is low. You need to check all 4. All in all, I like them on both cars.

BoosterClub

Except that you can't turn stability control off without them, so for track wheels it's pretty important.

HOXXOH

It would be nice to be informed if one of your tires developed a problem before you need to make that 110 degree turn at the end of the long straight.
You could use the Orange Electronics sensors and clone them to your OEM ones. No reprogramming needed when swapping.

timd38

That is why I have them with my track tires. They are only about $150 for a set.

C7/Z06 Man

Do you mean TC (traction control) by stability control or something else?

speedraider

BEZ06

I looked in your profile, but no info at all in there.

So....where do you live??

If you're at 3,000 or more feet ASL then your readings of 3 psi low are normal. Owners in Denver or other high elevation areas of 5,000 or more ASL commonly report the DIC pressures are 4 psi less than their hand held gauge.

Just FYI!!

Bob

BEZ06

He's talking about AH (Active Handling).

Without sensors in your track tires, you MIGHT be okay for a period of time that depends on the model year of your C6.

A 2005-2006 should be okay for about an hour after starting the engine.

A 2007-2008 should have about 30 minutes.

A 2009-2013 has about 20 minutes.

After that period of time you will not be able to go into Comp mode or turn AH all the way off. If you are running in Comp or AH off, at the end of that time AH will automatically come back full on.

Also, AH will be in a VERY obnoxious mode where it will put on individual brakes when you turn aggressively, and you will not have any throttle response at all coming out of a turn until you have the steering wheel straight and all lateral G and yaw rate is zeroed out.

So....I run tire pressure sensors in all my track wheels/tires.

In addition to not wanting adverse AH problems, like timd38 and HOXXOH say, it's very nice to know if you're losing pressure before you get into a situation where it causes a catastrophic problem!!

Bob

C7/Z06 Man

Lets say you use a set of tires to drag race, will TC "off" still work without the sensors?

BEZ06

Yes.

There seems to be some slight differences between model years as to how the car reacts with no sensors, but AFAIK you should be able to turn of TC on all C6's when running with no sensors.

If you put DR's on the rear with no sensors, and leave your street tires on the front with sensors in them, the car will know almost immediately when you start driving. As soon as you drive faster than 20mph the sensors wake up and start transmitting once every minute, and if the TPMS gets signals from the 2 front sensors but nothing from the rears, it may go into the so-called "limp mode" right then. I think you'll still be able to turn off TC, but not go into Comp or turn AH off completely.

However, you might be better off running with NO sensors at all - then you should have the 60/30/20 minute time period for your model year before you'll have any problems. That time period is one period of ignition on/engine running time. If you exceed that time and have problems, shut down and restart for another time period.

Although I have heard of owners that have done okay for that time period for a while, then at some latter track event they were unable to go into Comp or turn off AH - I think it may have something to do with having disconnected the battery.

When you do run with no sensors at all, the TPMS "remembers" the last known tire pressures transmitted by the sensors and you will have pressures displayed for the time period for your model year - but they are just the last known pressures.

That feature is so when you first start to drive the car the TPMS doesn't go haywire for the first minute or two you start driving until you go faster than 20mph and it receives updated pressures from the sensors.

However, if you disconnect the battery those last known pressures are lost from the TPMS memory, and you may have problems immediately instead of getting that time period related to your model year.

So....you may better off running with no sensors rather than none in the rear and sensors in your street tires up front.

You'll just have to try it out and see how your car responds.

Bob

teetheriot

I drive 50 miles to the track and I run about 45 psi in the front tires with no sensors on the rear wheels with drag radials. For some reason I never have any problems turning traction control or Active handling off. I think once you over inflate the front tires it does not allow any rear readings to update. The DIC will show a X on the rear if the front air pressure is keep to the normal air pressure. My car is a 2007 so I don't know if this works on any other years.

BEZ06

That's good info!!

You bring up a good point about tire pressures. If you're running sensors in the rear and drag race with less than about 24psi you're likely to have problems - the TPMS will think your tires are going flat and may put you into a limp mode. If you run real low pressures in the rear, you're probably better off with no sensors in the rear.

Bob

Mloredo

What about this. . My passenger side front tire pressure sensor works sometimes. How will that affect drag strip performance?

C7/Z06 Man

I do have sensors in all 6 of my "stock wheels" and in 2010 you do not need a special tool to reset the sensors, Thank God.

I run more than 24 psi in the rear drag radials so that low pressure warning does not occur.

What I have gather here is that with no rear sensors you can still turn the TC "off" which is good for doing burnouts and drag racing but now a new question is not clear to me: Running with just the two front sensors and the front tires at their recommended pressures will the car go into the "limp mode" or no?

HOXXOH

I've run with just about every combo available and have only gone into limp mode one time, and it was not related to the sensors. I've also never lost the ability to turn TC off.
It's an '08 A6 F55. YMMV