Even for great products such as slime sealant, irrespective of the magical solution they provide for flat tires, there is still the concern of whether they are safe for TPMS-enabled cars or not.
Individuals who share this concern have the right to do so as the application of the sealant involves injecting it through the tiny TPMS into the valve stem. So, is slime safe for TPMS?
Thankfully, you do not have to worry about the safety of the TPMS following the application of the slime sealant.
The company understands the significance of the TPMS, especially seeing how its introduction has made a lot of difference in the statistics of tire blowouts on the roads, and would not do anything to jeopardize it.
On your dashboard is an indicator light that tells you the state of your tire pressure. This has not always been the case. The TPMS came to be part of the care system around the year 2007, September 1st to be precise.
This is following the ruling by the regulatory body known as the “national transport safety authority that all vehicles starting from the above-stated date must possess a TPMS to prevent traffic accidents caused by tire blowouts.
Irrespective of how life-saving a tire sealant is, or how efficient they are in fixing a flat tire, when such sealant is discovered to be harmful to the TPMS, then other methods of fixing the flat tire should be sorted after.
Cars and trucks with TPMS are more likely to have their TPMS messed up by tire swap than by tire sealants such as slime. When the tires are swapped without the necessary recalibration of the TPMS, it erroneously flags the tire pressures as under-inflated.
Read Also: Can I Use Fix A Flat For A Slow Leak?
Will slime mess up your TPMS?
There are uncountable testimonies out there about slime sealants and their magically and timely acts of literally saving you put off a dear situation when your tire goes flat. However, there are still those who consider never making use of slime sealants out of fear of having their tires messed up or having to get a new tire.
This is most likely on account of what some mechanics may have made them believe about slime sealants or what other drivers may have said about the sealant.
when it comes to the TPMS, you can only tell that the monitoring system is not working efficiently when the tire pressure is greatly reduced, detectable by the naked eye and yet the sensors failed to pick that up.
A good percentage of those who point accusing fingers at slime sealant most likely have their TPMS messed up from other causes and not the sealant.
To dissuade this thought, the slime package reads ” TPMS safe” or has a sign of the TPMS on the labeling, indicating its safety with TPMS enabled cars. This sign is proof of the doubting Thomas who would rather believe hearsay over what is truly obtainable in reality.
Most cars following the 2007 ruling adopted the installation of TPMS. it is commonly found in the rim where it is attached to the valve stem through which air gets into the tire.
It is efficient in monitoring the pressure of air in the tire and comparing this with what each different manufacturer has preset as the normal or optimal pressure. Values about 25% below this optimal pressure are automatically flagged.
In essence, what is normal for your tire may not be for another type of vehicle. The normal tire pressure varies between the four tires of the same car, therefore, when these tires are swapped, the TPMS may no longer give an accurate reading.
The TPMS is wired such that its reading is transmitted through a wire which connects it to the central computer system displayed on the dashboard.
With such a close eye, chances of blowouts, damage to the rim as a result of driving with a low-pressure tire over a speed bump or pothole, swindling off the road as a result of a flat tire, and other similar aftermaths of low-pressure tires or flat tires are greatly reduced.
Would you have to replace your TPMS after applying slime?
TPMS does not come ship, when the car:s follow come is damaged, getting a replacement could cost considerably. Therefore, it is understood that some persons are concerned over the safety of their car’s TPMS following the application of slime sealant. This concern is totally in order and is in no way unnecessary. (Read Also: Does Tire Size Affect Alignment?)
However, the fact rains that you do not have to replace the TPMS after the sealant is applied. Yes, the slime sealant may be noticed to have clogged the TPMS, but this is only temporary. Amongst the factors which could cause permanent damage to the TPMS, the slime tire sealant is not one such.
The method of applying the sealant involves making use of a hose to pour the sealant into the valve stem, from where it enters the tire to be carried by the air pressure to The site of punctuated or by the centrifugal force of the rotating tire.
Its initial movement involves passing through the relatively tiny passage in the TPMS.
Given the physical properties of the sealant which is composed of solid parities, fibers, and binding agents, the likelihood of the TPMS getting clogged with this liquid is therefore considerably high.
The ideal situation is for the liquid seals to maneuver their way through the tiny passage in the TPMS, get into the tire, and migrate to the point of the defect within the tire. There, it is expected that it should be able to form an effective plug that can successfully seal off the hole and prevent further loss of air out of the tire.
So, is slime sealant tiny enough to get through this tiny passage and yet seal off holes efficiently? Yes, it is, and that explains the declaration of the sealant as a TPMS safe tire sealant.
Its technology, the fiber seal technology affords it the ability to undergo this maneuver and remain effective against holes of less than 0.25 inches. As long as the TPMS symbol os found on the label of the sealant, the user should rest assured that neither the tires nor the TPMS will need replacement when the sealant is used.
How do you clean out slime from the TPMS?
Central to the notion some persons have about the slime sealant and its supposed destructive side-effects on the tire and TPMS is the statement of some car mechanics and tire specialists when making blanket statements such as ” the sealant has ruined your TPMS, it will require a replacement, it’s un-fixable, etc.”
However, should these statements be taken with a pinch of salt or should not cause us great concern? After all, they are in the position to understand the tire and TPMS better than anyone.
To take this further, you will every once in a while, find mechanics who will refuse to help fox your tire following a previous history of the application of tire sealant.
Some believe such tires require tremendous effort in getting the sealant out first, while others are simply concerned about the health and safety of handling such chemical agents.
Slime sealant is free of any of these accusations. The sealant must be cleaned out of the tire when you can get to a mechanic. Failure to do so, some of its residue may damage the TPMS, and cause disbalance of the wheel amongst other consequences.
Removal is however considerably easy because the sealant is of a water base. With ordinary water, it is possible to flush out the remnants of the sealant which got into the TPMS. The skepticism of those who suspect the sealant to be difficult to remove is unfounded and should be discarded.
You do not have to replace the TPMS, not should you avoid using tire sealant on account of any of these insinuations.
Spares are perhaps the best solution to a flat tire when you can afford the long duration of going through a tire change, have the required tools, a functional spare tire, and have the skills required to unmount the leaking tire and replace it with a spare.
Being an aftermarket product, it’s compatible with chemical substances such as slime sealant which are frequently used in car tires had to be tested several times by the different manufacturers of TPMS to satisfy it is safe for their device.
Be it the direct type of TPMS, or the indirect type that makes use of the speed of rotation of the tire, slime is usable with either of the two.
Read Also: Can I Leave A Flat Tire Overnight?
How do you reset TPMS?
Avoid using a sharp object to unclog the TPMS, water and perhaps some soap pr detergent may be more than enough to get the job done. Afterward, the monitoring system will need some resetting to get it back to its former working state.
This involves pressing pf the reset button located behind the steering wheel. Your finer should hold this button down until you see the booking of light about 3 times.
Conclusion – Is Slime Safe For TPMS?
The belief of some regarding the harm slime sealant poses to the TPMS is not the same as reality. The sealant may temporarily cause the TPMS not to function optimally, however, following the simple cleaning process with water, the sensors are immediately restored.
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I am passionate about all things automotive and have a deep understanding of the topic. As a mechanic, I use my free time to share knowledge of everyday challenges that any car owner can experience – helping you make informed decisions about tires.