October 15, 2010
TPMS: It's finally getting better
Manufacturers' PR efforts are paying off for you and your customers
By: Kevin Rohlwing
There are Web sites available that can help educate your customers on what to do when the TPMS dashboard light illuminates.
I have to admit that I struggle when coming up with titles for my articles. I’m so bad that the editors at MTD have my unconditional blessing to change the title and they usually do. But this one is different because I’m confident it’s the perfect synopsis of where the industry stands with tire pressure monitoring systems, or TPMS. I’ve waited a long time to say the words, “It’s finally getting better,” mainly because I didn’t want to mislead anyone or subject myself to professional and public ridicule. But I think we’re finally reaching the stage where things are improving, and some recent events support my optimism.
Let’s start with public perception. After years of beating my head against the wall trying to get the TPMS industry to recognize that there will be no market for replacement sensors unless the driver sees value in the system, it appears that some of the leading manufacturers are stepping up their public relations efforts.
Schrader International has launched a new consumer Web site that is designed specifically for drivers who have questions regarding TPMS: www.TPMSmadesimple.com. It’s incredibly easy to navigate, and I especially like the Bridgestone Technical Center Europe S.p.A. video that shows the difference in handling when the tire pressure is below the placard. It helps customers get a mental picture of the difference between proper and improper tire inflation.
Another section of the Web site that I think can be of great value to tire retailers is the Driver’s Forum. This is a collection of one-page testimonials that can easily be printed or e-mailed to customers. Consumers need repeated positive reinforcement regarding the benefits of TPMS, and this type of information is vital to changing public perception. Hopefully Schrader will continue to seek out stories like these so retailers can constantly update the messages in the showroom or the customer’s inbox. It should also spur a reader or two to implement the idea on a local level and get similar testimonials from customers who have had positive experiences with TPMS.
Tire dealers should be doing everything they can to promote these Web sites to every customer that comes in with a TPMS on the vehicle, even if they don’t require any maintenance on the system. If drivers are educated on the benefits of properly inflated tires and recognize that TPMS is the best protection against a grossly underinflated operating condition, then they will be more willing to purchase the replacement parts and sensors. It takes a little extra time and a little extra effort to explain why the service pack needs to be replaced and why the best insurance to protect an expensive tire from a run-flat condition is a new sensor. But the payoff is increased sales and better profits when the sales personnel can sell the advantages of TPMS to a consumer who is already educated to some degree.
While I will admit that it has taken some time for tire dealers to embrace the reality of TPMS and the fact that it’s not going away, there are still a significant of number of obstacles for the average business. Perhaps one of the most daunting tasks is to somehow manage the 120 different sensors for all makes and models. Looks are definitely deceiving in the TPMS industry, so the identical dimensions and color do not necessarily mean the electronics inside the sensor are identical. The Tire Industry Association (TIA) developed a reference chart that lists the part numbers for all makes and models of domestic and foreign vehicles. With this chart in hand, the technician has part numbers from the OE manufacturer and companies like Schrader International, Dill Air Controls Products, National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA), Orange Electronic Co. Ltd. and Myers Tire Supply Co.
None of this changes the fact that with multiple original equipment and aftermarket suppliers, one vehicle can have five or more different part numbers for the service pack and another five different part numbers for the replacement sensor. In most cases, the dealers are stocking sensors just like they stock tires; they carry enough inventory to handle the most popular models and then order the rest. Or, they don’t carry any inventory and rely on local suppliers to deliver the parts on an as-needed basis. Either way, it’s an imperfect and inefficient system that is destined to fail on any given day of the week and tie up thousands of dollars in inventory. And while TIA has made it a little easier with the TPMS Relearn Chart that lists the relearn summaries and part numbers, it still doesn’t solve the problem when the tire is off the rim and none of the local suppliers have a new sensor in stock.
Two sensor manufacturers have stepped to the forefront and created universal sensors that are capable of operating on a large number of different vehicles. Last year, Schrader introduced the EZ-Sensor, what the company calls “a programmable tire pressure monitoring sensor that can be programmed to function across different vehicle makes and models.” One of its largest competitors, Continental VDO, just recently announced the “VDO REDI-Sensor, a true multi-application TPMS sensor that offers the aftermarket a credible solution to the challenges of stocking and servicing TPMS.” While these prime examples of marketing-speak may appear to be two different companies offering the same thing, there are some distinct differences.
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