I'm asking this under a new thread to elicit responses from those that might not be inclined to read the 6th page of the previous tire pressure topic. Has anyone considered disabling the tire pressure alarm? The idea of a noise and/or flashing light when pressure drops below 35 annoys me. With 30-40 degree temperature swings here lately, I think the system might be more irritating than useful. There must be an electrical genius out there with some ideas. I know why Nissan installed it, but I have no plans to drive 80mph across the desert with 15psi in my Firestone tires. Note: I know X's don't come with Firetones; I'm referring to the Ford Explorer class action lawsuit of a few years ago.

I would assume there is a fuse for the system. I'll take a look at the service manual, but to be honest, I have not had any problems with mine. When it has gone off, my tires were under inflated (only happened twice...once when the dealer adjusted my tire pressure and once when the temp got into the teens.

I only had my go off once due to the lower temps and the other time was when I was wheeling. I knew that it would because I aired down so not a biggie. Like it was said before there probably is just a fuse that you can pull.

These things are driving me nuts also. The proper pressure in stock tires is probably 28-32, yet it takes a rock hard 35 atleast. I wondered why the stealer put in 45.

Both my Titan and Xterra ring like church bells every day now, with the lows in the single digits to teens and its driving me crazy!

The weather has been back and forth between 0 and 60+ degrees here in Denver over the last few weeks. At anything above freezing, my tires are fine (I filled them to 35 psi on a day when it was 60 degrees). But when it's below freezing in the morning, the alarm goes off.

What I'd like is for the light to come on, but not the alarm. Sure, it goes away after a few minutes, but it's annoying.

I did get a flat tire once on a dirt road (a huge antique square nail) and it was nice to have the warning then, but the dashlight would have been enough.

Well, I'll also look to see where the buzzer is. I bet you could just cut the wires to it.

On a side note, for those that do not wheel (or air down when you wheel), look at getting N2 fills. Nitrogen is a more stable gas and the pressure will not change as much with the temp.

What does the buzzer sound like? I suspect it is the same device that sounds for other warning functions like headlights left on or low fuel, etc. I am strongly considering an '06 X OR/MT, but I think this might be very annoying for me. Frequently beeping and flashing alarms make other more important alarms less noticeable. The truck that cried wolf. Does the Frontier have the same system? I'm back and forth between the X, Frontier, and Tacoma.

If this is truely a concern, then get a hummer with self inflating / healing aids. You have got to be kiddin that this would hold you back.

QUOTE]If this is truely a concern, then get a hummer with self inflating / healing aids. You have got to be kiddin that this would hold you back.[/QB][/QUOTE]
I'm starting to get burnt out after weeks of reading Toyota and Nissan forums. I don't even plan to make a decision for a few more months, although I hope to form a stronger opinion at a new car show in late January. If I'm on the fence, why buy something that has an annoying and unecessary feature that I can't disable? The biggest problem I have with the X-Terra is that it isn't a pickup truck. The best things about it are the abundant power and off road ability. I love my current truck and don't want to trade it, but it doesn't meet the needs of my growing family. This is the hardest vehicle purchase decision I have ever made, and I don't want a stupid buzzer going off all the time in the winter or when wheeling, nor do I relish the thought of $100 valve stems that won't work forever.

When the temps dropped here, mine alarm did sound off. Truth is, the tire pressure DID drop enough to trigger the alarm. The system DOES work.

I hopped in my vehicle and was backing out when it went off. I stepped out, checked all the tires visually, and deemed them safe enough to drive to work. I started the X once again, and the alarm DID NOT sound a second time, just an idiot light warning me.

Once I arrived at work, I parked it, went inside until lunch time. I took it to the nearby gas station to fill up the tires. Again, the alarm did not sound, just the idiot light again. I filled my tires up to 35 PSI, and once I drove off, the system reset.

So... if you do have it go off, it'll only sound the one time. The idiot light will stay on until you pump 'em back up to 35 PSI. No need to remove any fuses, it won't sound again. If it does go off, check your tires... it ain't kidding, you have a low one.

Since I filled up my tires to 35 PSI, our Temp swings 80s during the day, 40s some nights, it has not gone off again.

I give it

On edit: The valvestems are made by Schrader, not some fly by night company. Their literature says they are rated for 150K miles and/or 10 years. Since all SUVs will be required to have a monitoring system starting 2006, whatever you buy will likely have it anyway (see quote below). Furthermore, with SO many vehicles having this, the prices of replacement valves will significantly drop.

In April 2005, NHTSA issued a rule requiring automakers to install systems in all new passenger cars and trucks by the 2008 model year, beginning a phase-in with 2006 model year vehicles.

Sammon287,
I have not had the problems the others have had with this system. My tires were inflated to 35 psi on a 50 degree day and I have seen temperature variations between -18 F and 50 F without a problem. Not a warning light or chime from the system. I will admit, given the problems people have had, I may lower the pressure in one tire to make sure my system is working.

Sammon287: "The biggest problem I have with the X-Terra is that it isn't a pickup truck."

ummmm...have you heard of the frontier? It's basically the xterra with a pickup bed. (same engine, same interior, similar styling)

Frontier, what's that? Tell me more.

Actually, the Frontier was a top contender. The problem is, I want the off road package with e-locker(NISMO on the Frontier) and a 6MT, and four doors. Not an available combo on the Fronty. It is on the Tacoma and the X. I just haven't decided how often I want to borrow a buddy's trailer if I get the X.

Back on topic; some valid arguments have been made in favor of the monitoring system. I started this thread to seek info and that has been accomplished.

Is there supposed to be a chime, mine goes off nearly everyday but all i get is a light on the dash?

The audible alarm goes off the first time the sensor is tripped but then all you will see is the alarm light until you fix the tire pressure.

So what happens if you take out the valvestem sensors and replace them with garden variety 69 cent rubber ones? eventually the batteries will go dead in them, right? somebody will probably have a dongle or hack to fool the central unit eventually. i dont like the hard metal stems. a rock caressing the sidewall might snap that right off. what happens when the spare is mounted?

all this because ford sold underinflated explorers off the showroom floor? probably adds $100 to the cost of a new car.

NO - All this because the average driver is not smart enough (or too lazy) to check their tire pressures on a regular basis.

my same dilemma..almost, sortof. The tacoma with a locker and manual trans is only available on the 'medium' wheelbase. the 4 door shortbed. get the 4 door longbed long chassis and the 6 spd and locker are not available.

Frontier has no 4 door longbed option..toyota takes those sales. i would have purchased a nismo long xchassis if they made one. I accidentally bought the X instead since the price was right and all current mini trucks sucked in some way anyhow.

Well, you might be able to catch th stem on a rock and rip it off, but chances are slim I would think. My wheels got nasty rock rash, but have not come close to my stems.

And if it should happen, that is what you have a spare tire for. I mean what if that same rock ripped a hole in your sidewall?

As for putting the spare on, the system would sound, but the solution there is to get the tire fixed and put it back on. If you want to rotate the spare in when rotating tires, then you have a problem. The solution (though it would suck) would be to swap the tires on the rim, or if you want to rotate the rim too, have the sensor swapped out.

Personally, I check my pressure every other fill up (about every two weeks) and I have still had the the alarm go off twice, and yes, the tires were under inflated.

They claim the batteries will last 160K or 10 years. I don't know if the units are sealed or if you can change the batteries. If you can it might be a good idea to change them around the 100K mark during a tire change.

so does it actually see 4 signals or just a low signal from any given sensor.

solution: shit can sensors and leave one in the spare with an inflation level of 40 psi.

This is a fantastic idea if the stems only send a signal in the event of low pressure. Maybe this is the case since individual pressures and specific tire warnings aren't displayed. I'd like to change the tires right away anyway. Could probably Ebay the take out stems. This could be the solution.

I'm gonna stick the sensors in my wife's honda and drive by as many xterras as I can find...

edit: wait, that won't work, we pick up our x tomorrow.

bad news..I think it works the same as this sytem on the subarus. all 4 have to be spinning. the turn on centrifugally. the monitor wants to see info communicated once the car is in motion. no signal is a fault.

subaru link

I had to spin mine up to about 20 MPH+ to get the system to reset, but the alarm intially sounded when I first started backing out of my parking spot. I only rolled back a couple of feet before it sounded. Read the link, and agree that ours probably work the same, but that doesn't explain how mine triggered. Hmmm...

First of all you should be setting your tire pressures when they are cold. Before driving usually at the coldest part of the day. That is why your system keeps triggering low pressures. As temps decrease so does your tire pressure if you set them when it was 60°F and it's 0°F in the morning.

There isn't a way to disable the system unless you want to loose your keyless entry too. The two systems use the same antenna located unter the glove box. Removing the sensors and putting rubber stems in will keep the light off for about 30 min. Then the light will come on an stay on, but no alarm as the system is telling you that there is a problem.

Also the sensors only work when the tires are rolling. So don't worry about batteries:-)

My recommendation is to set your tire pressures to 35 psi when it the coldest part of the day. Over inflation will not cause your TPMS to alarm you.