Changed Rims/Tires for Winter and now have a Service Tire Pressure Sensor Warning
 

Not sure if this is anything I should worry about but I recently changed out my Rims and Tires for winter on my 2008 HHR SS and the next day I got a Service Warning on my Dash about the Tire Pressure Sensors.

To be honest I am not even sure how the Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors even work. Is there something in the RIM that does that or what? I hope it is nothing to worry about and all I have to put up with is acknowledging the warning until I put my regular rims/tires back on after winter.

The TPS sensors are attached to the valve stems.

Did they swap them over to the new wheels?

Did they reprogram them to their new locations?

If they did the above, the may have cracked one of them.

On a TPMS the air valves are sensors and they need to be programmed to the system when wheels are changed or even rotated. Either the winter wheels don't have the special valves or they just need to be set to the system.

Forgive me but I do not know that. I bought these rims and tires off of a friend that has Cobalt SS and since he moved down South he no longer needed them. I am not even sure if the Cobalt SS (2009) had TPMs on the car.

How can I check the valve stems on these other sets of tires or what can I do to program them. Probably something that needs to be done at the dealer too or with a programmer.

You think if I just deal with the annoyance for a few months and when I put my stock rims back on it will be OK aside from maybe needing an adjustment in programming?

I'm thinking they probably don't have the sensors in them. If that's the case just ignore it, or apply electrical tape over the light ;) I just forget about the light.

That's my guess too. I will shoot my friend that I bought them off to see if he had the same problem in his Cobalt but he is in Kuwait right now as he works for the Government and Contracts with the Army for IT work. He is out of the country for 3 - 6 months.

Thanks for all your replies everybody.

An '09 sold in the USA would have had sensors from the factory. They just need to be programmed to your vehicle. Simple fix.

I was just talking to my friend that I bought the tires from and saw this alert come in. He said he did not pay extra for the sensors on those non-stock wheels so that is the problem. No biggie. Maybe I will have them installed for use next winter but for now I will just ignore the alert.

Thanks for all your help and information.

Now that they have tire pressure sensors on many cars, Michelin is about ready to market the Tweel.

http://www.fastcoolcars.com/airless-tires.htm

started for 2008 model year & newer, All US autos have TPMS systems in them..