My wife just got a new 2007 Matrix XR which comes with the tire pressure monitoring system. We have a set of snow tires from the Jetta which we traded in (persistant electronic gremlins) that will fit the Matrix (I called tirerack and the bolt pattern and offset are the same). My question is does the TPMS work with an actual sensor placed in the wheel or is it some type of software algorithm that figures out if you have a low tire by counting tire rotations? By reading the manual it appears to be the latter, but I'd like to be sure before I go through the effort of putting the snows on. It appears that I should just be able to put them on (properly inflated of course) and if the light does come on then just perform a reset. Any help with the would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
My wife just got a new 2007 Matrix XR which comes with the tire pressure monitoring system. We have a set of snow tires from the Jetta which we traded in (persistant electronic gremlins) that will fit the Matrix (I called tirerack and the bolt pattern and offset are the same). My question is does the TPMS work with an actual sensor placed in the wheel or is it some type of software algorithm that figures out if you have a low tire by counting tire rotations? By reading the manual it appears to be the latter, but I'd like to be sure before I go through the effort of putting the snows on. It appears that I should just be able to put them on (properly inflated of course) and if the light does come on then just perform a reset. Any help with the would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
There are no sensors, so you should be all set.Atleast thats how it was with my 06 XR AWD.
You may have to re set TPMS but that is it.....
Went to mount the snows this morning and one look at the lug nuts from the alloy wheels told me that these won't work with the steel wheels. Tried Auto-Zone for lug nuts but they didn't have anything that would work with the matrix, so it looks like I'll have to wait till next week to pick up some lug nuts from the dealer. Did anybody else have this problem, or are the 2007 alloys different from the older models?
Went to mount the snows this morning and one look at the lug nuts from the alloy wheels told me that these won't work with the steel wheels. Tried Auto-Zone for lug nuts but they didn't have anything that would work with the matrix, so it looks like I'll have to wait till next week to pick up some lug nuts from the dealer. Did anybody else have this problem, or are the 2007 alloys different from the older models?
You are correct, you can't use the OEM alloy lug's safely. You need 1.5 x 12 acorn nuts. Should be able to find them at most auto supply or tire shops. You might need a new tire wrench depending on what nuts you get. And keep 5 of the OEM ones with the spare as well as the OEM wrench.
You are correct, you can't use the OEM alloy lug's safely. You need 1.5 x 12 acorn nuts. Should be able to find them at most auto supply or tire shops. You might need a new tire wrench depending on what nuts you get. And keep 5 of the OEM ones with the spare as well as the OEM wrench.
Thanks, I figure out what size I needed, I bet autozone had them but since the computer had nothing for an 07 Matrix he said no. I didn't think of carrying some of the alloy nuts for the spare, must be a funky steel rim to accept them, that's a good tip though, not one I would have thought of until it was too late.
Well it looks like the VW Jetta rims won't work on the Matrix. First the center hole is bigger, so I'd have to rely on the wheel being "nutcentric" and not "hubcentric". That's all fine and good (my son's sentra winter wheels are nutcentric) but, the taper on the nuts is "steeper" than the taper section on the wheel itself. So I checked the sentra and the taper of the nut matched perfectly with the taper of the wheel (wheels and tire were from discount tire, they sent the nuts too). So this didn't give me a warm feeling that this was the proper thing to do. I had a few extra Jetta bolts (VW uses bolts, not nuts) and sure enough the taper is shallower. I've read in other threads that people have used VW/Audi rims on their Matrices, but it's not for me.
So the next question is, who sells steel OEM style toyota rims at a reasonable price????
Try tirerack.com or discounttiredirect.com I got snows already mounted on alloy rims,balanced, with lugs,from tirerack and am very pleased. Or try a salvage yard.
Try tirerack.com or discounttiredirect.com I got snows already mounted on alloy rims,balanced, with lugs,from tirerack and am very pleased. Or try a salvage yard.
Got mine from the TireRack.......nice ! Very Please also
Well I had two choices, dismoumt the 195/65-15s from the jetta rims by new rims and have the tires mounted. Or sell the tires and rims and just get new ones. I figured I try the latter for a while to see if I could sell the tires and rims and low and behold I had them sold in a few days. That along with the cargo mat, all weather mats and factory CD changer and I had most of the cost for new ones I thought I'd have these things floating around forever.
I priced packages from both discount tire and tire rack (I've purchased from both and have been happy with each company) and went with a tirerack package, it was just $14 more and I was getting some Sport Edition D2 alloy wheels (on sale for $72 each) instead of Steel wheels with wheel covers (I have some Sport Edition F7s on my Mazda 3s and have been happy with the quality of them).
I went with the Winterforce M&S tires. My sons Prizm and Daughters Saturn have had these for the past 3 years and I've been very happy with the snow handling. They might not be the greatest on dry road, but my wifes driving style is shall we say reserved. I have the Dunlap Wintersport M3s on my Mazda and they are a good handling tire on both wet and dry, but of course you pay for it.
I thought Toyota TPMS had a pressure sensor as part of the valve stem
I work at a toyota dealer and we have some of the trucks and minivans come in with correct tire pressure but the light is on, only to find the sensor inside the wheel broken off
I thought Toyota TPMS had a pressure sensor as part of the valve stem
I work at a toyota dealer and we have some of the trucks and minivans come in with correct tire pressure but the light is on, only to find the sensor inside the wheel broken off
The system on the matrix is called "indirect TPMS" and uses the wheel speed sensors to count wheel revolutions. If after a period of time the number of rotations verses distance differs then the light comes on. The tire with lower pressure has a decreased "effective circumfrence" and therefore will have more revolutions per a given distance.
It's cheaper to do this since the ABS sensor are in place anyway, it's just extra software for the computer. I'm sure toyota went with the direct pressure monitors with the trucks due to the whole Firestone/Ford Explorer Rollover fiasco.
The indirect system is not idiot proof. If you set all your tires to 20 psi and reset the system it will learn that 20 psi is ok since all tires will be rotating the same amount. So it does take some human intervention to make sure the tires are properly inflated to begin with.
The system on the matrix is called "indirect TPMS" and uses the wheel speed sensors to count wheel revolutions. If after a period of time the number of rotations verses distance differs then the light comes on. The tire with lower pressure has a decreased "effective circumfrence" and therefore will have more revolutions per a given distance.
It's cheaper to do this since the ABS sensor are in place anyway, it's just extra software for the computer. I'm sure toyota went with the direct pressure monitors with the trucks due to the whole Firestone/Ford Explorer Rollover fiasco.
The indirect system is not idiot proof. If you set all your tires to 20 psi and reset the system it will learn that 20 psi is ok since all tires will be rotating the same amount. So it does take some human intervention to make sure the tires are properly inflated to begin with.
Thank you for pointing out the difference between the direct and the indirect. As is also the case with this type of system, if you don't check your tire pressure, deflation due to temp and time will NOT trip the system as the sensors compare the rotations of the individual tires, so if all tires are rotating at the same speed, the system will not trip.
Got the tires and rims from tirerack yesterday and everything fit without a hitch. I took them for a good 20 minute ride and no TPMS light, so it looks like I don't even have to reset the system (so far). The Sport Edition F2 alloy wheels look great, I even like them better than the factory alloys!! You can't beat them for $72! Now if we'd only get some snow so I could go skiing.
Got the tires and rims from tirerack yesterday and everything fit without a hitch. I took them for a good 20 minute ride and no TPMS light, so it looks like I don't even have to reset the system (so far). The Sport Edition F2 alloy wheels look great, I even like them better than the factory alloys!! You can't beat them for $72! Now if we'd only get some snow so I could go skiing.
Hey, baby sens fan, post some pics of your ride with these wheels please! Sounds awesome.
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I thought I'd have these things floating around forever. 
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