Brand New $30 TPMS Sensors on EBay

[RedRambler]

Has anyone purchased one of the TPMS sensors listed on EBay for $30?  I just wondered if it came with an ID number sticker on it.  I bought one and it appears to be brand new just as advertised, but it does not have an ID number with it.  Seller cannot or will not provide one, and it costs about $30 to ship it back to China, so I'm holding on to it for now.

RR

[gPink]

I think they operate on a different frequency than our oem sensors.

[RedRambler]

I have one from Kawasaki and this cheap one.  So I have them both, and they appear to be identical, even have the exact same stickers.  Both are marked 315MHz...

[maxtog]

You should probably provide a sample link.

Sounds kinda sketchy to me.  Chinese companies are known for reverse engineering all kinds of stuff, but it can be really hit-or-miss.  Without an ID number, you are screwed, anyway.... well, unless you want to follow this thread:  http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=20213.0  and hope it develops more.

If you have an old-style sensor with just a dead battery, it is covered under primary or extended warranty... but they will replace it with one that CANNOT have the battery replaced (it is potted).  Or you can replace the battery in the old-style one for a LOT less effort than pursuing the China thing.  Just a thought.

[SilverConnieRider]

Or you can replace the battery in the old-style one for a LOT less effort than pursuing the China thing.  Just a thought.

 

Yup, that is what I plan to do next spring when I change tires.  Change the batteries in the TPMS sensors.
Waiting to buy the batteries until next Spring hoping they will be newer then if I bought them now and hung on to them until Spring.

My bike will be 5 years old next year and I have seen the low battery warning come on when starting out especially if I haven't ridden
it for a few days, but after a few miles it has always come back to normal and shows the pressure.  I know it won't keep doing this forever,
hence my plan to change them next year.

[RedRambler]

Here is a Link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPMS-Tire-Pressure-Monitor-Sensor-315-MHZ-for-Kawasaki-Concours-21176-0748-/252069950025

Note the pictures do not show an ID sticker.

RR

[zarticus]

I just sent the seller a question if they supply the id code

[maxtog]

Here is a Link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPMS-Tire-Pressure-Monitor-Sensor-315-MHZ-for-Kawasaki-Concours-21176-0748-/252069950025

Note the pictures do not show an ID sticker.

Examining the photos closely, to me, it looks like pull.  A pull is a used piece of equipment.  It might be good, it might be bad.  Might be they replaced the battery in a disposed unit.  This would also explain why they have no ID.

[gPink]

looks different than my old style....
this was borrowed from the other forum ( thanks )
compare the stem to the picture on ebay
old style in hand
ebay pic may be the new style?

[maxtog]

looks different than my old style.... this was borrowed from the other forum ( thanks )
compare the stem to the picture on ebay old style in hand. ebay pic may be the new style?

Indeed it does look very different.  And not just the stem.  All three have different stems, though... so the Ebay one can't be just the new model, either.  This lends credibility to the idea of a knockoff (which doesn't explain why the one on Ebay clearly looks "used").  Unless there is a third style out there we don't know about?

Also, here is the same thing on "aliexpress" (direct purchase china stuff)  http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Monitor-Tire-Pressure-Sensor-315-MHZ-Sensor-for-Kawasaki-Concours-21176-0748-211760748/32460744960.html with identical photos.

[gPink]

Max it looks like a long shaft hex nut on the new style which would cover most of the stem on the ebay pic. Have to look up the new nut on the parts fiche since they are sold separately.

[VirginiaJim]

Definitely different, but no id no workee.

[SilverConnieRider]

The difference appears to be in the product (part) number.

Looking it up at my dealers site it has a part # of 21176-0125 and is labeled as discontinued.


The eBay listing shows a part number of 21176-0748 so not exactly the same.

I would be very leery of them working - so probably would not risk it as the eBay listing says not returnable if you ordered the wrong part ........etc.

[RedRambler]

Here are pics of the two sensors side by side.  The one of the left is the $30 part from Ebay.  The one on the right is a factory part from Kawasaki.  Both appear to be identical and have the same part numbers stamped on the case: 21178-0748.

I'm convinced the one I got from China is authentic and brand new, but I'm still not convinced it's useable.  I have read that manufacturers can put these devices in a sleep mode for storage (to save battery), and then activate them with a tool when they are ready to be used.  The Kawasaki distributor could be activating them before sending to the dealer, as well as affixing the ID label.

I've tried to get it to transmit by spinning it in a variety of ways, but no luck so far.  I will try again when its time to replace my tire.  I know how to capture the ID number on the CAN bus if I can just get it to transmit.

RR

[just gone]

I've tried to get it to transmit by spinning it in a variety of ways, but no luck so far.

It seems that it takes longer than one would think it should to transmit. When I've tested my battery replacements (on the older model of course) on the wheel balancer it usually takes two minutes of spinning for it to show up on the dash with a pressure. I'm sure I've heard that it can be swung around on a string or cord, but I'm not sure how long folks are spinning them that way before they get results.
I've always assumed that they went into "sleep mode" when ever they were not spinning.


Are you sure those aren't the ID numbers above the bar codes? Granted they are longer numbers than the old ones were but just maybe that's them.
My older style TPMS the bar code matches the ID number, makes sense that the new style would too even if its a different format. I've not heard of any TPMS units that didn't have the ID number on the unit, unlike passive FOBs which reportedly only have it on the outer baggie.

There is also another possibility, when you strip the leading 5200 off of the bar code numbers and convert the remainder to hex, you get the same 8 digit format that are on my old style sensors. ...yeah, I guess that's a stretch.

Regardless, keep up the good work there Red'.

[gPink]

Have you tried taping it to a bicycle rim and spinning it?

[zarticus]

I got a reply from the ebay seller, They said that the "code" comes with them to program into the ecu. They said they are currently out of stock but more are on the way. I might have to get one to try since I have a kds system,

[VirginiaJim]

This is getting interesting..

[RedRambler]

Yes, I did try exactly that:  I taped it with electrical tape to a bicycle rim and spun it with the pedal to a sufficient speed that it should have transmitted something.  While it was spinning I was monitoring the CAN bus for the sensor message.  If you put the bike on the center stand and turn the tire with the engine, the rear sensor will almost immediately transmit, and it transmits several times before anything is displayed on the dash.

But I could not get anything out of either the Kawi sensor or the cheap one from Ebay using this approach.  It led me to believe that the sensor needed pressure in order to transmit.  Maybe I was just not holding my mouth right.

RR

[B.D.F.]

The first, second and third generation C-14 TPS sensors will transmit w/out any tire pressure. Every year I solder in a bunch of batteries into these sensors for other folks and typically test the front sensors by swinging the sensor on the end of a string..... it transmits to the bike, reads normally, and instantly trips the 'Low tire pressure' warning 'cause the pressure is less than 32 PSI (it actually reads -0- on every single one I have tested).

Brian

Yes, I did try exactly that:  I taped it with electrical tape to a bicycle rim and spun it with the pedal to a sufficient speed that it should have transmitted something.  While it was spinning I was monitoring the CAN bus for the sensor message.  If you put the bike on the center stand and turn the tire with the engine, the rear sensor will almost immediately transmit, and it transmits several times before anything is displayed on the dash.

But I could not get anything out of either the Kawi sensor or the cheap one from Ebay using this approach.  It led me to believe that the sensor needed pressure in order to transmit.  Maybe I was just not holding my mouth right.

RR