non-dealer tire change

[laughing_budha]

I think I have a stupid question. If I get my tires changed to winter tires from a shop other than toyota dealer, would it affect my warranty in any way? ofcourse I understand that if the tire flies off while driving, toyota wont take the blame. Anything else? thanks in advance

[Zembonez]

No effect on your warranty. You are good to go!

[MikeyD25]

Originally Posted by Zembonez

No effect on your warranty. You are good to go!

Yep...what he said!

MD

[peterk9]

Originally Posted by laughing_budha

I think I have a stupid question. If I get my tires changed to winter tires from a shop other than toyota dealer, would it affect my warranty in any way? ofcourse I understand that if the tire flies off while driving, toyota wont take the blame. Anything else? thanks in advance

Not sure if you are talking about swapping tires on the same rim or putting on winter tires already mounted on rims. If swapping tires on the same rim, be sure that care is taken not to damage the TPMS sensor. If that gets damaged by the shop you may be on the hook for it if the shop doesn't cover it. Could run upwards to $100 for OEM sensor.

Peter

[laughing_budha]

Originally Posted by peterk9

Not sure if you are talking about swapping tires on the same rim or putting on winter tires already mounted on rims. If swapping tires on the same rim, be sure that care is taken not to damage the TPMS sensor. If that gets damaged by the shop you may be on the hook for it if the shop doesn't cover it. Could run upwards to $100 for OEM sensor.

Peter

Thanks guys.

Yes. I am talking of swapping winter tires on the same rim. So how would i know if the shop screwed up my TPMS or not. I guess if the the tires are swapped on the same rim, the TPMS should work right away. So, if I see the tire pressure light in my dashboard, it means that those sensors are screwed. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Zembonez]

Peterk has a valid point but TPMS has been around long enough now that most any tire shop knows their way around the sensors very well. It isn't really something to worry too much about. Just go to a busy, reputable dealer and you should be fine.

Yeah, you should leave without any TPMS light just like when you went there.

[Dman1]

Originally Posted by laughing_budha

Thanks guys.

Yes. I am talking of swapping winter tires on the same rim. So how would i know if the shop screwed up my TPMS or not. I guess if the the tires are swapped on the same rim, the TPMS should work right away. So, if I see the tire pressure light in my dashboard, it means that those sensors are screwed. Correct me if I am wrong.

IMO, your best (and cheapest) approach would be buy steel rims to mount your winter tires on. I just have the basic black rims and they cost me $300 last year (you could opt for the RAV4 17" steel rims as well, or get a separate set of alloy rims if you wish). My winter rims are 17", and I opted for the base model's 17" tire size. That will save you a bunch of cash since you would only need to buy 17" versus 19" tires.

When comparing the cost of this versus your plan, you would need to compare the cost of the 19" tires and the cost of mounting tires twice a year for the life of the tires. My mechanic's rate was $1 per rim size (in inches) per tire, so $1 x 19" x 4 tires = $76 per tire x twice per year = $152 per year. My $300 rims will be paid for once I do my summer tire switchover in the spring (two years). Of course, this doesn't factor in the labor to do the tire swap twice a year, which I do myself, so I am not sure of the rate, but I do know that it was alot less than mounting and remounting the tires on the same rim.

Just something else to consider.

edit: And regarding the TPMS indicator on the dashboard, it blinks for about 30 seconds and then stays on. It is light yellow and is very small, and easy to forget about. No big deal and not worth the $100 per tire for new TPMS sensors on your second set of tires, plus the cost (twice per year) for the dealer to reprogram.

[peterk9]

Originally Posted by Dman1

edit: And regarding the TPMS indicator on the dashboard, it blinks for about 30 seconds and then stays on. It is light yellow and is very small, and easy to forget about. No big deal and not worth the $100 per tire for new TPMS sensors on your second set of tires, plus the cost (twice per year) for the dealer to reprogram.

While TPMS sensors apparently are not mandatory in Canada, they are the law in the U.S for 2007 and later model years. Came across an interesting article, http://www.tireindustry.org/features..._Time_TPMS.asp
which in part states:
In case you haven't read this publication for the past two issues, the federal government has passed legislation that mandates TPMS on every vehicle under 10,000 lbs GVWR starting September 2007. It's not an option for consumers who purchase new vehicles after that date, nor is it an option for tire dealers and service providers who install or repair passenger and light truck tires. TPMS is the law and if the laws are not followed, the penalties could be severe. Those points alone should be enough to justify the shift in approach, yet there will still be some that refuse to recognize the opportunity and responsibility that TPMS creates.

'TPMS is the law and if the laws are not followed, the penalties could be severe.'

Just my 2 cents worth.

Peter

[Dman1]

Originally Posted by peterk9

While TPMS sensors apparently are not mandatory in Canada, they are the law in the U.S for 2007 and later model years. Came across an interesting article, http://www.tireindustry.org/features..._Time_TPMS.asp
which in part states:
In case you haven't read this publication for the past two issues, the federal government has passed legislation that mandates TPMS on every vehicle under 10,000 lbs GVWR starting September 2007. It's not an option for consumers who purchase new vehicles after that date, nor is it an option for tire dealers and service providers who install or repair passenger and light truck tires. TPMS is the law and if the laws are not followed, the penalties could be severe. Those points alone should be enough to justify the shift in approach, yet there will still be some that refuse to recognize the opportunity and responsibility that TPMS creates.

'TPMS is the law and if the laws are not followed, the penalties could be severe.'

Just my 2 cents worth.

Peter

Interesting. I did not realize that. I assume that this refers to 2007 or later vehicles that are sold and registered in the US. By that, I mean if I go to the US with my non-TPMS winter tires on (which I never seem to do anyway), can I be ticketed (i.e. or would it be like the winter tire law in Quebec where only Quebec residents have to use winter tires)? I will have to look into this grey area and see, if I ever do go. Like any US law, this will probably become a law in Canada (at least in some provinces).

In any case, based on this, the economics of my comparison on this subject would need to be modified. That being said, I will continue to ride on my non-TPMS winter tires until I am forced to do otherwise, and just keep a good eye on my tire pressures.

[Zembonez]

TPMS is only required to be on new vehicles when sold in the US. It is not illegal for the vehicle owner or a tire store to install non TPMS equipped wheels after the fact. It is also not illegal to resell a vehicle without TPMS installed.

Not yet anyway.