[vsrivatsa]

I had read about TPMS systems sometime back and had given a thought. Recently started following the TPMS thread related to SensAiry > (SensAiry : An app-based TPMS) on TeamBHP and was impressed with the capability and safety that a TPMS system offers.

I asked several questions about the SensAiry TPMS on TeamBHP and also emailed their support and planned to go for a TPMS system. Given that Sensairy comes with Internal Sensors I decided to go for it only when it was time for the next Wheel Balancing and Alignment.

In the meanwhile, I started gathering information about TPMS systems and the Sensor Types. I also came across some material which stated that TPM systems are mandatory for light motor vehicles in the USA since 2007. This further influenced my decision to go for the TPMS in a more positive way.

It looked to me that the External Sensors gave lot more convenience than the Internal Sensors. Here is a listing of Pros and Cons in my view:

Advantages of the Internal TPMS Sensor:

1. Accuracy of the Internal TPMS Sensor is higher
2. Internal TPMS Sensors are theft proof as compared to External.
3. Refilling of Air/Nitrogen is easier, as one does not have to remove the Sensor which is needed in case of External Sensor.


Advantages of the External TPMS Sensor:

1. Truly D-I-Y, one does not need the help of any Tire Shop for installing these.
2. One can manage the show with 4 sensors even if we plan to rotate all 5 tyres as the sensor can be swapped as needed.
3. Replacement of Battery is easier and can be done as D-I-Y.
4. More economical in comparison as one does not need to invest in Wheel Balancing.

After evaluating the pros and cons of each, I felt it was a safe bet to go with the External Sensor based TPMS. Also if I went for the External TPMS then I would not have to wait for the next round of Wheel Balancing as well. With this direction, I started exploring TPMS options on AliExpress.

After browsing thru multiple options and the ones that other BHPians had also reviewed, I zeroed in on the Deelife External TPMS with Display.
Here is the AliExpress Link to the product: URL

Reasons for choosing the Deelife TPMS:

1. This has the option of both Internal Sensor and External Sensor - so in future I could swap to Internal sensors by ordering just the sensors.
2. The company sells just the sensors as accessory. It is possible to buy a single sensor as well. They also have a pack of 4 sensors at a discounted price. This meant that I could potentially replace a sensor in case it went bad or was stolen.
3. The AliExpress Page for the Product was quite descriptive and provided a comparison of why this TPMS is better compared to others in terms of the chip used (Infineon Chip) and better Battery (Seiko).
4. Dual charging option of either the Solar Panel or the Micro USB connector.
5. Auto Wake up & Sleep Feature. The TPMS system switches on based on the Vibration of the Car Door Opening/Closing.



Comparison Provided on AliExpress Site



Order and Delivery Process

I ordered using the AliExpress website. I did not want to go with the default China Post and opted for Turkish Post - I had no prior experience with this option but had tried Singapore Post before it had taken 20+ days for delivery. The total order value including the shipping came to: USD 47.97 after some Store and Seller discounts. (Do note that post my purchase and feedback my cousin ordered 2 sets for USD 90.92) - so do check AliExpress coupons to get the best deal)

Tracking was provided for the Order and it did show some updates. Given my earlier experience with AliExpress I did not expect the order to reach me before 20 days. But Lo and Behold I was in for a surprise when I saw the package delivered on the 12th day itself!

The TPMS Arrives:

The Product arrived well packaged with good amount of Bubble Wrap. The Name Deelife is not mentioned anywhere on the Product and there is no mention of any brand on the Product except for the Serial Number.


The Package Arrives



Box Packing



Unboxing



The LCD Display Unit

The display unit is very compact is shaped like a triangular pyramid.



The Components Provided - 4 Sensors & Locking Spanner

The complete list of items that are included in the box are as follows:

1. 1 x Monitor
2. 4 x External Sensor
3. 4 x Anti-theft Nut
4. 1 x Hex Wrench
5. 1 x Anti-slip Pad
6. 1 x English User Manual
7. 1 x USB Cable for Charging

As can be seen there are markings on the External Sensors to denote which tire they need to be mounted on as FR for Front Right, FL got Front Left, RR for Rear Right and RL for Rear Left. The sensor is made of Nylon Glass Fiber and is IPX7 in terms of water proof level and comes with its own battery. The battery on each sensor can also be replaced as a D-I-Y. As per the manufacturer the battery (CR1632) on the sensor should last 2-3 years.

Note: The Font Size on the Printed manual is too small but the Store Support sent me a soft copy of the Manual as an Image which made life easy.


TPMS Display Unit Connected to Phone Charger

I was not sure how much charge the Monitor Unit comes with and decided to charge it for a while but I realized that it was shipped with full charge. Battery life for the Monitor/Display Unit is claimed to be about 1 month as per the reviews. Need to validate this as time passes.






The Monitor/Display Unit when inverted has some concealed buttons which doubles up as a leg for it as well. When these are moved it reveals 3 buttons which are marked as "+", "M" and "-". Pressing the M toggles thru the different settings available. It toggles thru all the 4 tires and long pressing the M button selects the specific tire.

For each tire there is a provision to set the alarm for the Low Pressure as well as for the High Temperature. One can also change the Unit that gets displayed for the Pressure such as kPA, Bar etc as well as the Unit for Temperature (F / C).

The picture above also shows the Circular Anti-Slip Mat provided with the kit.


Installation

The Anti-Theft Nut needs to be threaded onto the nozzle on the tire. Once that is in place, the external Sensor is then threaded onto the same nozzle. After the Sensor has been tightened to a good level, one needs to start threading the Anti-Theft nut in the reverse direction. After it is beyond what can be done manually with hands use the Hex Wrench to tighten it further. This overlaps onto the External Sensor and does not allow the External Sensor to be removed easily.

Note: I pulled the Spanner of the same size from the Spanner set but could not use it as a replacement for the Hex Wrench as the one I had was thicker in size and could not get an approach angle. So, it possibly is not that easy for someone to steal these.



TPMS External Sensor Mounted on the Tire



TPMS External Sensor - Additional View



TPMS Display Unit Placed on the Dashboard of the Honda City



TPMS Display Unit Placed on the Dashboard - Additional View


Alarm and How it works



In order to check how the Alarm works, I removed the External Sensor from one of the tires (Front Right in this example). Within 10 seconds of removing the sensor the Display Unit starts to beep and also the specific Tire which has low pressure starts to blink in the display unit along with the pressure reading. The background color of the Display Unit also changes color to Orange from its original Green Color.


Wrapping Up - Summary
In Summary, I am happy with the purchase. Durability is something I need to wait and watch for. I think more manufacturers need to offer this as standard equipment since it does not cost much and offers an additional level of safety. I would personally recommend a TPMS to everyone.

Likes:

• The D-I-Y feature is what I liked the most. Being able to remove it and put it back on your own makes it very easy to maintain.
• The Battery on the sensor can also be changed as a D-I-Y as compared to some other brands where the sensor needs to be replaced.
• The overall design looks neat and the quality felt good for the price paid - as compared to products like Sensairy - this is very cost effective. For the same price I would be able to get 2 pieces. Of course, there is no Android/iOS app support but the app based approach did not look convenient to me.
• I also liked the fact that they supplied an anti-skid mat as well.

Dislikes/Wishlist:

• Not sure if this is possible and I have not really compared the size of the external sensor but if companies could somehow make it even smaller then it would not be noticeable and less prone to unwanted attention.
  
• The background color should have been configurable I liked the Orange color and would have liked to toggle the colors since the LCD display anyway supports it.
  
• The Printed Manual supplied is useless as the font size is too small. They should plan to provide a better Printed Manual although a soft copy was shared.
  
• The concealed button in one of the legs also means it may not make sense to stick the base to the dashboard with something like a double sided tape. The anti-skid mat is holding up fine for now.

NOTE: Do go through the AliExpress Product link (URL) thoroughly to get additional details. They have provided detailed information on the product and also compared the Internal and External sensors as well.


Some Additional Pictures from within the Car

[SmartCat]

Moving thread from Assembly Line to Modifications and Accessories forum. Thanks for sharing, Srivatsa!

[nitnab]

Thanks for the nice detailed write-up about the external TPMS.
Curious to know how it works out on the ground as far as air-filling at local gas stations is concerned. Do we have to personally monitor removing of the sensors before filling or the attendant is aware of it and removes and puts it back on his own?
One more negative point about this system is that there is no spare tyre sensor. I wonder why these external sensor systems do not have the spare tyre covered. I am sure the addition of one more sensor and it's display on the dashboard unit would not be a difficult task. IMO, the spare tyre sensor is a must as we tend to neglect filling the spare tyre at the gas stations out of laziness.

[freak]

Originally Posted by nitnab

Thanks for the nice detailed write-up about the external TPMS.
Curious to know how it works out on the ground as far as air-filling at local gas stations is concerned. Do we have to personally monitor removing of the sensors before filling or the attendant is aware of it and removes and puts it back on his own?
One more negative point about this system is that there is no spare tyre sensor. I wonder why these external sensor systems do not have the spare tyre covered. I am sure the addition of one more sensor and it's display on the dashboard unit would not be a difficult task. IMO, the spare tyre sensor is a must as we tend to neglect filling the spare tyre at the gas stations out of laziness.

Yes it is us who will have to personally monitor this as local gas station attendants would not know how to remove it and put it back in due to the locking mechanism .


The other challenge is that the time it would take to unlock , remove, put it & lock it back will be of concern. The better way here would be to go to the trusted independent puncture shop to get this done.



I am contemplating myself to put this as most of the times my car now is being driven by my wife & she would do a pit stop at the gas station while traveling to work, and I just don't want to add this as weekend activity for myself as I do keep traveling and weekends anyways are too busy for me with a 15 Month Old.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by nitnab

Curious to know how it works out on the ground as far as air-filling at local gas stations is concerned. Do we have to personally monitor removing of the sensors before filling or the attendant is aware of it and removes and puts it back on his own?

At the regular Gas Stations, yes we would need to attend to it on our own is my initial guess. If we explained what needs to be done then I am assuming the attendant would be able to understand and do it - will have to try and see if they manage to follow the instruction.

Other alternative is to refill the air in Tire Shops that have experience in installing these TPMS systems - there I am sure the folks would have the know-how to do this. For example in Bangalore, Tyre Professionals are authorized installers for the Sensairy TPMS - so I am sure if I went there they would be able to refill by removing the sensors. That was just one example, there are several listed for Bangalore. I am sure in all major cities we should be able to locate one with easy access.

Originally Posted by nitnab

One more negative point about this system is that there is no spare tyre sensor. I wonder why these external sensor systems do not have the spare tyre covered. I am sure the addition of one more sensor and it's display on the dashboard unit would not be a difficult task. IMO, the spare tyre sensor is a must as we tend to neglect filling the spare tyre at the gas stations out of laziness.

True this is a limitation and they could have easily accommodated it. The SensAiry TPMS accommodates 5 sensors - so that is one potential solution for the 5th Tyre but this would shoot the cost upwards almost 2x. Most of the other options present on AliExpress support only 4 sensors.

Originally Posted by freak

The other challenge is that the time it would take to unlock , remove, put it & lock it back will be of concern. The better way here would be to go to the trusted independent puncture shop to get this done.

I agree with your concern but after having played around with removing and fitting back the sensor a few times - I did not feel it to be too time consuming. What worried me though was that the anti-theft nut - which could be easily lost due to its small size.

Would like to add that the same Seller also provides the same Display Unit with Internal Sensors as well. So for folks who are worried about the "remove it-put it back" approach of the External Sensors, that possibly is a better approach.

[GeeTee TSI]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

One can manage the show with 4 sensors even if we plan to rotate all 5 tyres as the sensor can be swapped as needed.

It is as easy as drag and drop in Sensairy to accommodate tyre rotation/swap after reassigning the sensor.

That said I will admit that not too many tyre shops were interested in inserting this device (Sensairy) and it needed convincing plus a close watch so as to not damage the sensors during each of the 5 installations

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

It is as easy as drag and drop in Sensairy to accommodate tyre rotation/swap after reassigning the sensor.

That said I will admit that not too many tyre shops were interested in inserting this device (Sensairy) and it needed convincing plus a close watch so as to not damage the sensors during each of the 5 installations

Yes Sensairy has a selling point in terms of the 5th sensor but we are talking about an additional Rs.1,500/- for the Sensor. That is almost 40% the cost of the entire Deelife TPMS Kit with 4 Sensors and Display Unit.

Another option is to buy an additional Sensor which Deelife Store sells separately and add that to the 5th Tire. In order to view the data from the 5th Sensor we would need to change the Bluetooth pairing in the Display Unit and re-pair back to the Tire in use. This does seem cumbersome however.

This above workaround makes me wonder if anyone has seen generic Android Applications in the market place that can pair with Sensors of any brand and display data. This might be helpful for the people particular about the 5th sensor and they could just pair the 5th Tire alone in the App and use the display unit for the rest of the tires. My understanding is that the Bluetooth sensor cannot pair simultaneously with multiple devices.

[aakash1412]

Nice thread!! These external sensors look fairly easy to install but my only concern is the accuracy of these as compared to the internal ones. Any inputs from our experienced members on this would be much appreciated.

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by aakash1412

Nice thread!! These external sensors look fairly easy to install but my only concern is the accuracy of these as compared to the internal ones. Any inputs from our experienced members on this would be much appreciated.

I have been using the external sensors on a similar unit, but not the same. The external sensors in my cars report 2 psi less than actual. This is true for both cars where I installed the TPMS. It almost 2 years and I just replaced the coin type battery in all 8 sensors after about 2 years. The unit otherwise is flawless and works fine. Being solar I have never had to charge it as well.

[aakash1412]

Originally Posted by Traveler

I have been using the external sensors on a similar unit, but not the same. The external sensors in my cars report 2 psi less than actual. This is true for both cars where I installed the TPMS. It almost 2 years and I just replaced the coin type battery in all 8 sensors after about 2 years. The unit otherwise is flawless and works fine. Being solar I have never had to charge it as well.

Thank you for your inputs. Would you mind sharing the details of your TPMS?

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by aakash1412

Thank you for your inputs. Would you mind sharing the details of your TPMS?

This is what I got. Two units for both of my cars. Been two years and they are going strong.

Rs. 2,697.28 43%OFF | TUAO Car TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System Solar Power charging LCD Display External Sensor Auto Alarm System Car electronics
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/3lswJCy

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Advantages of the External TPMS Sensor:

4. More economical in comparison as one does not need to invest in Wheel Balancing.

After evaluating the pros and cons of each, I felt it was a safe bet to go with the External Sensor based TPMS. Also if I went for the External TPMS then I would not have to wait for the next round of Wheel Balancing as well.

Thanks for your review of the TMPS sensors.

I had a query about the wheel balancing not beign required part, following installation of the external sensors. I was checking a youtube video for a TPMS sensor from a different brand where one of the comments did mention wheel balancing would be required post installation.

Did you notice any additional weights being required later for balancing? Considering the extra weight introduced by the sensor on the tyre, i do think balancing may be required.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by aakash1412

Nice thread!! These external sensors look fairly easy to install but my only concern is the accuracy of these as compared to the internal ones. Any inputs from our experienced members on this would be much appreciated.

I am yet to calibrate the reading shown fully. As someone else also quoted it showed 2 PSI less than what was recorded in the Petrol Pump. I measured using the Michelin Tyre Gauge [URL] and the difference was 1 PSI less.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Did you notice any additional weights being required later for balancing? Considering the extra weight introduced by the sensor on the tyre, i do think balancing may be required.

I would seek comments from other experts on this topic. I made the statement about not requiring Wheel Balancing based on the instructions provided on the AliExpress link - URL

If you read thru the installation instructions provided (Search for "Installation Steps" on the link provided), they have provided two separate instruction set for Internal Sensor and External Sensor - for the Internal Sensor they mention that Wheel Balancing needs to be done and for the External Sensor they do not mention this.

I will email the Deelife Store folks and check what they recommend. Will also see if I can actually weigh a single sensor and see how many grams it weighs.

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

I am yet to calibrate the reading shown fully. As someone else also quoted it showed 2 PSI less than what was recorded in the Petrol Pump. I measured using the Michelin Tyre Gauge [URL] and the difference was 1 PSI less.



I would seek comments from other experts on this topic. I made the statement about not requiring Wheel Balancing based on the instructions provided on the AliExpress link - URL

If you read thru the installation instructions provided (Search for "Installation Steps" on the link provided), they have provided two separate instruction set for Internal Sensor and External Sensor - for the Internal Sensor they mention that Wheel Balancing needs to be done and for the External Sensor they do not mention this.

I will email the Deelife Store folks and check what they recommend. Will also see if I can actually weigh a single sensor and see how many grams it weighs.

I have not got balancing done for both my cars. A Polo GT Tsi and a Pajero SFX. The sensors are quite light and possibly don't offset the balance too much. I haven't felt any wheel balancing related issues like steering bubbling or vibration after using the external sensors. I have driven on all sorts of speeds on highways and there was zilch effect or issues after installing the external sensors. The internal sensors are pretty heavy and therefore may warrant balancing.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by Traveler

I have not got balancing done for both my cars. A Polo GT Tsi and a Pajero SFX. The sensors are quite light and possibly don't offset the balance too much.

The Deelife Store Support person answered my questions. Below are his responses to all my questions:


Responses from Deelife Store Support

So, the Internal Sensor weighs roughly 3 times more than the External Sensor.
As per the recommendation from the support team, the External sensor does not require Wheel Balancing as 11 grams should not offset the balance too much.

I had also asked them if these can be paired with any 3rd party Apps and the answer was a negative.