WARPFOUR
Enthusiast
After searching on this forum and not finding a post about ADDING tire pressure monitoring to Gen 1s and Gen 2s, which were never equipped with such a system, I wound up buying a couple of kits off Ebay and installing them in my Gen 2 GTS and my son’s Gen 1 RT/10. I wanted a system with tire-internal sensors, not the external screw-onto-the valve stem ones. Since I had no idea if the kit would work in the wheels on the cars, I ordered a single kit first and set about installing it in my Gen 2. The concern was primarily do the wheels have clearance around the valve stem hole to accommodate the exterior nut on the sensor, and will the supplied sensor clear the bead of the tire as its reinflated. The cost was low, so it was worth a shot. If they couldn’t be installed on the late Gen 2 wheels on my 2000 GTS, I’d use the kit on one of my tractors or riding lawn mowers.
The kit I bought offers a display with tire pressure in psi or kpa, tire temperature in degrees F or degrees C, a low tire alarm, a clock, variable display brightness, and some other features. The wireless head unit charges via an internal solar panel or supplemental USB cable. (I have not had to use the USB cable…the draw is very low.) For those who track your cars, having not only the pressure, but the internal tire temperature, might be helpful on the track. The head on the display swivels and can be mounted in a variety or locations and positions, or just put it in your glove compartment without mounting, and check it once in a while.
The kit’s pressure sensors have a nice degree of articulation angle so you can mount the sensor cleanly inside the rim and the tire bead will pass by it without damage…speaking from, ahem, experience. (It even includes the correct Allen key to tighten the valve stem into its final position on the sensor, not that I didn’t already have the correct one.)
The kit comes with two-sided tape to mount the base onto the inside of your windshield, and exposes the solar cell to light through the glass. On my Gen 2 GTS, I mounted it up high on the passenger side of the windshield, still within reach but not in my normal visual field. I already have an ****** radar detector, dashcam and toll transponder taking up some of the windshield.
I’m sure others have thought about doing this before, but the cost or time involved in taking your wheels or whole car to a repair shop to have the sensors installed was enough to not bother with, and, of course, you can still use a good old fashioned tire gauge to check your pressures. I’m fortunate enough to have tire servicing equipment at my home, so it’s easier for me.
I can report that the sensors do install properly into late Gen 2 wheels, and into Gen 1 wheels with no issues. I cannot confirm that the sensors will fit the early Gen 2 wheels, or the ACR wheels, but I’m pretty sure they will.
The exterior capture nut requires a 12 mm socket, and the deep socket I used just fits into the valve stem hole to tighten them down, without rubbing on the wheel surface.
I’ve included pictures identifying the kit and seller, what the installed sensor looks like in a Gen 1 wheel, and some kit components.
Hope this helps any of you who were contemplating doing it. It’s a nice little addition, and completely reversable, without involving any of the vehicle’s systems. Even better, the instructions include how to program the sensors, but they come marked with wheel position, and are pre-programmed to that location, so you don’t even have to worry about that. Bolt the tires back on and you are all set.
The kit I bought offers a display with tire pressure in psi or kpa, tire temperature in degrees F or degrees C, a low tire alarm, a clock, variable display brightness, and some other features. The wireless head unit charges via an internal solar panel or supplemental USB cable. (I have not had to use the USB cable…the draw is very low.) For those who track your cars, having not only the pressure, but the internal tire temperature, might be helpful on the track. The head on the display swivels and can be mounted in a variety or locations and positions, or just put it in your glove compartment without mounting, and check it once in a while.
The kit’s pressure sensors have a nice degree of articulation angle so you can mount the sensor cleanly inside the rim and the tire bead will pass by it without damage…speaking from, ahem, experience. (It even includes the correct Allen key to tighten the valve stem into its final position on the sensor, not that I didn’t already have the correct one.)
The kit comes with two-sided tape to mount the base onto the inside of your windshield, and exposes the solar cell to light through the glass. On my Gen 2 GTS, I mounted it up high on the passenger side of the windshield, still within reach but not in my normal visual field. I already have an ****** radar detector, dashcam and toll transponder taking up some of the windshield.
I’m sure others have thought about doing this before, but the cost or time involved in taking your wheels or whole car to a repair shop to have the sensors installed was enough to not bother with, and, of course, you can still use a good old fashioned tire gauge to check your pressures. I’m fortunate enough to have tire servicing equipment at my home, so it’s easier for me.
I can report that the sensors do install properly into late Gen 2 wheels, and into Gen 1 wheels with no issues. I cannot confirm that the sensors will fit the early Gen 2 wheels, or the ACR wheels, but I’m pretty sure they will.
The exterior capture nut requires a 12 mm socket, and the deep socket I used just fits into the valve stem hole to tighten them down, without rubbing on the wheel surface.
I’ve included pictures identifying the kit and seller, what the installed sensor looks like in a Gen 1 wheel, and some kit components.
Hope this helps any of you who were contemplating doing it. It’s a nice little addition, and completely reversable, without involving any of the vehicle’s systems. Even better, the instructions include how to program the sensors, but they come marked with wheel position, and are pre-programmed to that location, so you don’t even have to worry about that. Bolt the tires back on and you are all set.
