Valve stem question

[Harry]

Hello all;
My daughter has a 2009 Dodge Charger with those "smart" valve stems. I was putting air in a tire when the end of the stem broke off. They are chintzy aluminum. My question is...do I really need one of those "smart" valve stems? Can an ordinary valve stem go in? Our local big box auto, quoted $150 to order the stem from Chryser, install it and re-program the car. I asked the neighborhood tire repair guy and he said he could do it for $75. Are all those smart valve stems the same? I see a few on some wheels at the local lads shop. Can he use one of those? Does it have to be from Chrysler?
Again, thank you for any information.
You're a good group.
Dave J.

[kb426]

I found this:
http://www.tpmsdirect.com/TPMS_Replacement_Valve_Stem_p/kit-20020.htm
And this was a site I read: http://www.carcomplaints.com/Dodge/Charger/2009/wheels_hubs/tires-pressure_monitoring_and_regulating_systems.shtml

[wayne petty]

there are issues with the tire and wheel washing solvents used at some car washes dissolving the aluminum and when you look at it hard.. its breaks.


i know of one wholesale tire supply shop down in gardena ca.. who sells various brands of these TPMS valves.. i don't keep track of TPMS stuff as i have to keep so much other stuff up in the air..  if you need a contact. pm me..

somebody got angry as they got sent on a beer run and then got locked out of the security gate.. so they attempted to attract attention by lobbing full cans of brew over the back fence..  it was not my party..

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb476/waynep712/beercanvalvestemtest.jpg

[58 Yeoman]

Smart valve stems??  Smart for the mfr. maybe, as they can charge stupid prices for this crap. We bought an '08 Subaru, and it had nitrogen in the tires with the stupid green valve stem caps.  Salesman said the greatest thing since sliced bread (the car was bought used w/ about 30k miles, two years old).

StupidLight comes on on the dash, so I check the tire pressure; one tire was a couple pounds low.  I aired it up with (GASP) air and got rid of the green caps.  The light has come on once since, and again I used air.

Remember around 1966 when the feds said that you couldn't have glass covers over the headlights?  VW and Jag XKE's had to lose the covers over the headlights, because (GASP) they might restrict light coming from the headlights.  What do we have now?  Plastic that in just a couple years goes opaque.  Nice move.

Looks like I'll be driving the '58 and '63 for DD's when I retire in a year or so, and let them keep making crap cars for everyone else.

PM me, and I'll tell you how I really feel...

[phat46]

I'd check a local auto recycling establishment (junkyard) and see if they have a wrecked Dodge.

[enjenjo]

Yes you can install a regular valve stem, but it disables the tire pressure warning system, and it keeps the light on.  It does not hurt the drivability of the car.

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Tire pressure monitoring was just to get you ready for automatic brake applications.  TPMS could be the biggest rip off ever backed by the Gov't.

After buying a new set that I  and my tire guy could never get the Trailblazer to accept I just put a piece of tape on the dash to cover the warning, but it still tells me in the drivers information center.

[papastoyss]

Tire pressure monitoring systems are a result of people riding around in their SUVs on half flat tires & when the tire overheats & blows wrecking them. They then get a lawyer & blame the auto mfg.,tire maker (see Ford Explorer, Firestone) instead of taking care of their vehicles as they should. Rant over!

[58 Yeoman]

They should teach people to take care of their cars instead of letting the cars take care of people.

[Harry]

Thank you for all the replies. The local tire lad had a stem that worked.
My daughter asked, "what would happen if we didn't fix it with the proper stem?"
I told her we would do what we have been doing for the last 100 years. Look at your tires once in a while.
All is well.