Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Just thought I would post impressions and a few pics of a new aftermarket, high pressure TPMS system that I installed in my truck earlier this week . I finally had the sensors installed on the wheels when my garage mounted new tires for me and then I took my truck home and simply mounted the small 2” x 4” LCD monitor on my dash and plugged it in to the lighter. Within minutes I was able to read the actual tire pressure and air temperature inside of each tire on the monitor inside my cab !! The monitor cycles through each tire of the configuration that you set up and reads the tire pressure and temperature as the tire location icon blinks.
Importantly, this TPMS uses valve stem sensors that mount on the wheel rim INSIDE the tire. I like this type of TPMS much better then the other aftermarket systems that use only valve stem caps as the sensors. While I personally have not read of problems with the stem caps coming loose and leaking air (unless they are stolen, which I HAVE heard of, but that is another problem entirely), it simply seems to me a bad idea to hold in ALL of the tire pressure with the threads on the valve stem and an o-ring, rather then the actual valve stem spring valve which is designed to do just that. I am not knocking other popular aftermarket TPMS systems that do use valve stem cap sensors, but simply chose not to use that approach myself. Also, unlike other factory TPMS sensors, these wheel mount sensors have a small wire antennae that helps them transmit to the monitor/module inside the truck. This is so they can be used on trailers behind the truck, as well as on the truck wheels. Overall, this system by Dill seems to have all the robustness of an OEM TPMS system, without the annoyances and problems some people have with a TPMS that is tied into a vehicle’s actual ECM and then gives off continual false alerts, like I HAVE heard about, even here on TDR !!
Simply put, I feel that this is a well designed, standalone TPMS system built by Dill Air Products. Dill is an OEM TPMS and tire product supplier and has been building valve stems and TPMS sensors for years. They have been around since 1909.
Dill Air Controls Products
From the kit owners manual:
Maximum Cold inflation Pressure : 144 PSI
Max, Sensing pressure: 180PSI
Pressure accuracy: ± 2 PSI in . 1 PSI increments
Sensor Battery Life: 5 to 7 years
This particular system #1506 can be configured from 4 to 10 tires, allowing the user to run the sensors on both the tow vehicle and the trailer, up to 10 tires. The 1506 kit comes with 6 sensors, the 1508 with 8 sensors and the 1510 with 10 sensors, but ALL use the same module/monitor and any of them can work with up to 10 sensors. Kit #1504 is ONLY for 4 sensors and cannot at this time be upgraded!!
Once the sensors are properly installed by a tire shop, the monitor/module is simply plug and play. It comes with either an articulated window mount or a dashboard sticky, but I chose to modify a random 1/4” by 2 “ bolt that I had lying around to fit to the back of the monitor, and then mounted the monitor securely in the center of my ashtray door. The ashtray still opens and closes and the power cord simply plugs into the cigarette lighter right below it. I can also loosen only one nut and remove the unit if I need to. This is an unobtrusive location in the truck that still allows for easy glances upon start-up or shutdown.
The monitor comes with either a stubby right angle antenna that unobtrusively attaches to its back, or it comes with a slightly larger 6” tall magnetic base antenna on a 19’ wire lead that can be mounted outside the truck. I have not yet installed the sensors in my trailers’ wheels, but so far the stubby antenna easily receives all the info from the truck’s wheel sensors. Hopefully it will also work with the trailer wheel sensors, but if not I will install the longer outdoor antenna somewhere on the truck, maybe underneath the rear bumper.
This TPMS system is easily programmed to accept different baseline pressures, for each tire if necessary. a warning beep will sound if the reading deviates by either 20% lower or 30% higher then baseline. Otherwise the unit remains quiet !!! As I am running my Toyo 285/75/17 cold inflated at 47 psi front and rear , when the pressure falls below 39 or gets above 61, a warning will sound. If I want to reset baseline pressure, for instance if I am loaded in the bed and want to run 65 psi, it is a simple matter to air up to the required psi, push one button on the monitor, wait a few moments while the system cycles through all the tires, then push another, and the baseline pressure is reset to the new pressure in each tire. Warnings will now sound only if pressure deviates by percentages from the new baseline settings. A warning will also sound if tire sensor temperature ever exceeds 176ºF. So far running temps have not exceed 85ºF.
While tire sensor location is obviously affected by tire rotation, Dill had come up with an easy to follow process of re programming the monitor for rotation without resorting to any sort of programmer. Simply, each tire sensor has a corresponding letter and a corresponding reciever with the same letter is plugged into the back inside of the module. When one rotates the tire, one simply removes the plastic cover from the back of the monitor and also “rotates” (ie unplugs and moves to the new location) the corresponding receiver. Obviously I have not yet to this, but it seems to be an easy enough to follow process.
One drawback to this kit is that there is no specific spare tire sensor, nor diagram programming on the monitor to see a spare. In other words, once you are using all 10 sensors (for instance in a Dually tow vehicle and dual axle trailer) you will NOT be able to use a sensor to monitor spare tire pressure. Since my truck is a SRW and I occasionally pull a dual axle flat bed trailer, I can always use the 2 spare sensors to monitor up to 2 spare tires (one for the truck, one for the trailer). That being said, the programable diagram on the monitor does NOT show a separate location for the spare tire sensor, so I have to simply assign one of the tire locations that I do NOT use in my configuration to work as the spare. While this is slightly bothersome, and I wish Dill would build in a “spare tire” feature, it is no big deal, as I CAN monitor spare tire pressure without climbing under the truck !! Those of you using less then 10 wheels can do the same, BUT those of you driving a DRW with a tandem axle trailer will still have to check your spare tire pressure manually!!!
Overall, while it is not an absolute necessity for me, I like having this TPMS kit in my cab because I like being able to check all 4 tire pressures simply by glancing down before I start to drive. While I used to check my tire pressures every week, anyone knows that a fast leak, or even a slow one, can drop tire pressure enough between weekly readings to cause a blow out. No longer... one glance tells it all !! Here are a couple pics installed...
Importantly, this TPMS uses valve stem sensors that mount on the wheel rim INSIDE the tire. I like this type of TPMS much better then the other aftermarket systems that use only valve stem caps as the sensors. While I personally have not read of problems with the stem caps coming loose and leaking air (unless they are stolen, which I HAVE heard of, but that is another problem entirely), it simply seems to me a bad idea to hold in ALL of the tire pressure with the threads on the valve stem and an o-ring, rather then the actual valve stem spring valve which is designed to do just that. I am not knocking other popular aftermarket TPMS systems that do use valve stem cap sensors, but simply chose not to use that approach myself. Also, unlike other factory TPMS sensors, these wheel mount sensors have a small wire antennae that helps them transmit to the monitor/module inside the truck. This is so they can be used on trailers behind the truck, as well as on the truck wheels. Overall, this system by Dill seems to have all the robustness of an OEM TPMS system, without the annoyances and problems some people have with a TPMS that is tied into a vehicle’s actual ECM and then gives off continual false alerts, like I HAVE heard about, even here on TDR !!
Simply put, I feel that this is a well designed, standalone TPMS system built by Dill Air Products. Dill is an OEM TPMS and tire product supplier and has been building valve stems and TPMS sensors for years. They have been around since 1909.
Dill Air Controls Products
From the kit owners manual:
Maximum Cold inflation Pressure : 144 PSI
Max, Sensing pressure: 180PSI
Pressure accuracy: ± 2 PSI in . 1 PSI increments
Sensor Battery Life: 5 to 7 years
This particular system #1506 can be configured from 4 to 10 tires, allowing the user to run the sensors on both the tow vehicle and the trailer, up to 10 tires. The 1506 kit comes with 6 sensors, the 1508 with 8 sensors and the 1510 with 10 sensors, but ALL use the same module/monitor and any of them can work with up to 10 sensors. Kit #1504 is ONLY for 4 sensors and cannot at this time be upgraded!!
Once the sensors are properly installed by a tire shop, the monitor/module is simply plug and play. It comes with either an articulated window mount or a dashboard sticky, but I chose to modify a random 1/4” by 2 “ bolt that I had lying around to fit to the back of the monitor, and then mounted the monitor securely in the center of my ashtray door. The ashtray still opens and closes and the power cord simply plugs into the cigarette lighter right below it. I can also loosen only one nut and remove the unit if I need to. This is an unobtrusive location in the truck that still allows for easy glances upon start-up or shutdown.
The monitor comes with either a stubby right angle antenna that unobtrusively attaches to its back, or it comes with a slightly larger 6” tall magnetic base antenna on a 19’ wire lead that can be mounted outside the truck. I have not yet installed the sensors in my trailers’ wheels, but so far the stubby antenna easily receives all the info from the truck’s wheel sensors. Hopefully it will also work with the trailer wheel sensors, but if not I will install the longer outdoor antenna somewhere on the truck, maybe underneath the rear bumper.
This TPMS system is easily programmed to accept different baseline pressures, for each tire if necessary. a warning beep will sound if the reading deviates by either 20% lower or 30% higher then baseline. Otherwise the unit remains quiet !!! As I am running my Toyo 285/75/17 cold inflated at 47 psi front and rear , when the pressure falls below 39 or gets above 61, a warning will sound. If I want to reset baseline pressure, for instance if I am loaded in the bed and want to run 65 psi, it is a simple matter to air up to the required psi, push one button on the monitor, wait a few moments while the system cycles through all the tires, then push another, and the baseline pressure is reset to the new pressure in each tire. Warnings will now sound only if pressure deviates by percentages from the new baseline settings. A warning will also sound if tire sensor temperature ever exceeds 176ºF. So far running temps have not exceed 85ºF.
While tire sensor location is obviously affected by tire rotation, Dill had come up with an easy to follow process of re programming the monitor for rotation without resorting to any sort of programmer. Simply, each tire sensor has a corresponding letter and a corresponding reciever with the same letter is plugged into the back inside of the module. When one rotates the tire, one simply removes the plastic cover from the back of the monitor and also “rotates” (ie unplugs and moves to the new location) the corresponding receiver. Obviously I have not yet to this, but it seems to be an easy enough to follow process.
One drawback to this kit is that there is no specific spare tire sensor, nor diagram programming on the monitor to see a spare. In other words, once you are using all 10 sensors (for instance in a Dually tow vehicle and dual axle trailer) you will NOT be able to use a sensor to monitor spare tire pressure. Since my truck is a SRW and I occasionally pull a dual axle flat bed trailer, I can always use the 2 spare sensors to monitor up to 2 spare tires (one for the truck, one for the trailer). That being said, the programable diagram on the monitor does NOT show a separate location for the spare tire sensor, so I have to simply assign one of the tire locations that I do NOT use in my configuration to work as the spare. While this is slightly bothersome, and I wish Dill would build in a “spare tire” feature, it is no big deal, as I CAN monitor spare tire pressure without climbing under the truck !! Those of you using less then 10 wheels can do the same, BUT those of you driving a DRW with a tandem axle trailer will still have to check your spare tire pressure manually!!!
Overall, while it is not an absolute necessity for me, I like having this TPMS kit in my cab because I like being able to check all 4 tire pressures simply by glancing down before I start to drive. While I used to check my tire pressures every week, anyone knows that a fast leak, or even a slow one, can drop tire pressure enough between weekly readings to cause a blow out. No longer... one glance tells it all !! Here are a couple pics installed...
