Tire Valve Stem Leak

Hi,

I have a 2004 Explorer and the passenger side rear tire stem has a leak in it. At first I thought it was the tire because it was old and I was going to get new tires anyhow. Last Saturday I got new Tire's put on the truck and the check tire pressure light came back on. Anyhow after checking it out last night with soapy water we found out its the tire valve stem that is leaking. We got the tires installed at BJ's and they said they don't mess with the tire stem because they don't want to potentially ruin the sensor.

Is this something I can fix on my own with a new part or will I have to take it in to the dealer to fix? I don't want to have to pay a fortune to fix this if its something I can do on my own.

Thanks
Jason

 

[jrford]

they sell a kit for rebuilding the stems, has a rubber o-ring and valve. I bought a used sensor for the spare, it leaked too. Kit was like $16 for one wheel (stealership). . .later i saw that fleabay had them too, saw one for a kit of 4 for about the same price.

I took mine in for a rebalance anyways. . .you might have to break the bead. . .shop.

 

[Jwilde1]

Hi,

I have a 2004 Explorer and the passenger side rear tire stem has a leak in it. At first I thought it was the tire because it was old and I was going to get new tires anyhow. Last Saturday I got new Tire's put on the truck and the check tire pressure light came back on. Anyhow after checking it out last night with soapy water we found out its the tire valve stem that is leaking. We got the tires installed at BJ's and they said they don't mess with the tire stem because they don't want to potentially ruin the sensor.

Is this something I can fix on my own with a new part or will I have to take it in to the dealer to fix? I don't want to have to pay a fortune to fix this if its something I can do on my own.

Thanks
Jason

I have a 2021 Explorer, and I have had two valve stems replaced, one at the dealership under warranty and another I had to pay for myself not near a dealership. There still seems to be a proble with Ford's valve stems, I have read you can buy a better quality stem but it's not OEM and the tire pressure monitor had to be replaced at $70.

 

[BKennedy]

Does the 2004 have a tire pressure sensor that's at the stem, or is it banded to the wheel/rim like my 2010 Ranger? If it's banded to the wheel, then the store should have replaced the stems when replacing the tires. If it's at the stem, the tire store should have told you it would need the sensors rebuilt with new stems. Stems should be replaced when tires are replaced. Cheap insurance against the type of failure you are experiencing.

 

[J_C]

I have a 2021 Explorer, and I have had two valve stems replaced, one at the dealership under warranty and another I had to pay for myself not near a dealership. There still seems to be a proble with Ford's valve stems, I have read you can buy a better quality stem but it's not OEM and the tire pressure monitor had to be replaced at $70.

I doubt this is true. Aftermarket stems can be had for about $4, but what exactly is wrong with the original stems? They're an age old design (AFAIK), just with a brass insert piece to screw the sensor onto.

It should not be a problem to replace the stem and screw the existing sensor onto it if using same design. The stem just has a tapped hole in the brass insert and the included screw, screws into that, so all the sensor needs to have is a hole to put the screw through to mount it. See linked picture below or see it at:

More Information for MOTORCRAFT TPMS60

More Information for SCHRADER 29036

Stem itself: More Information for MOTORCRAFT TPMS91


Sensor itself typically comes with a new valve stem, and can be had for around $25. However these are US prices, specifically what I saw on Rock Auto where I got the picture.