Just wondering about replacement options. I tow my Smart behind a motorhome, and I use an aftermarket TPMS system on it with a receiver display in the motorhome to be sure I am not dragging the car with a flaming shredded tire for miles unknowingly. The sensors for this system are small external screw-on units with replaceable battery inside. This setup has performed well for me for years.
The auxiliary receiver works well and gives me a continuous nicely lit LED display of all tire pressures and temps at the valves continuously updated. I use it in the car as well and have a much better handle on actual tire pressures than the factory TPMS does.
So my question is, if/when the OEM sensors reach their end life, can I just not install new sensors, or just use regular valve stems, and disable the Smart TPMS? I like my aftermarket one much better, and if it fails, I can replace the whole system for the price of two factory sensors. I really hate it when the manufacturers put in "improvements" that tie us to their expensive and not so wonderful systems. Kind of like ink jet printer ink is the most expensive liquid in the world, so are factory TPMS systems and entertainment systems and electronic displays when they crap out.
End of editorial.
