Slime and TPMS

Can TPMS tolerate Slime?

TPMS, or tire pressure maintenance system, is the system in cars which alerts the driver when the pressure is low in one or more of the tires. It would be a nice convenience, and it might have been a nice option for car buyers to consider. But thanks to the Clinton administration, it's not an option. It's required by law in new cars sold after 9/1/2007 because nanny lawmakers thought drivers shouldn't have to check their tire pressure the old fashioned way.

I had some Uniroyal tires with a factory installed sealant in them called "Nailguard" that stopped up any holes that developed. That was a great feature, and I never had a flat while I owned those tires. On one occasion I pulled out a screw, the sealant plugged the hole, and I was on my way. But those tires are no longer available because sealants would ruin the TPMS in any tire that had it.

I've complained about this before in case this particular rant sounds familiar. See Things we didn't need -- Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems in our cars.

So here's the reason this comes up again today. Walmart sells a tire sealant called Slime which says on the label that it's OK to use on tires with TPMS. This is from the Slime website:

Does your vehicle have a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)? Use our yellow label sealants with the TPMS Safe icon. They are specially designed for use in tires with these systems.

Hooray for American ingenuity. It's just a shame that so much effort has to expended to get around useless laws.

Comments

[TPMS Sensor]

Drivers should always check the tire pressure of their cars. Under inflated tires can cause poor fuel efficiency and an increased chance of tire failure. Over inflated tires can lead to dangerous blowouts and a noticeable loss of handling.