this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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A local city proudly mentioned on the news that they had a system that could track TPMS sensors. Pretty much all cars after 2008 uses TPMS sensors that each broadcast a unique identifier to the car. They aren't hard to remove, and you can buy valve stems that fit your car (0.452 hole) at any auto parts store.
EDIT: The sheer amount of replies to this post days later that basically state "This is too hard to do, and it won't work anyway, so you are stupid to try and shouldn't do it", all from people who clearly have no real idea how the TPMS system on a car works, have confirmed for me that I was correct in spending a half hour removing these devices.
By "aren't hard to remove" you actually mean requires dismounting the tire from the rim, remounting it, and then balacing it. This is far beyond the capabilities not to mention equipment of the typical layperson. Plus, your state is likely to conveniently fail your car on its next inspection for a nonfunctioning TPMS system, same as your check engine light.
If you're going to go the distance anyway, get your tire shop to mount aftermarket Autel sensors in your rims. Using the readily available diagnostic tool, you can occasionally reprogram those (wirelessly!) with a set of random IDs and then also program your car to use them. You'll be a lot tougher to track if your signature is different every week.
I'm not about to do this just yet, but I do have the tool for more mundane purposes and I only paid around $200 for it several years ago.
It certainly doesn't require removing the tire from the rim. I removed each wheel, broke the bead on the side that has the valve stem, pried the tire back away from the rim, remove the sensor (mine had a convenient little part you can push to release them) then air the tire back up and put the wheel back on the car. Didn't even have to re-balance them.
If we want to take steps to protect ourselves from such tracking, we cannot afford to simply say "It's ToO hArD!!!!1!" with a multi-paragraph reply that took more time to type out than it took for me to remove one sensor. Can't do it? Learn how. Defeatist replies belong on Reddit with all the other propaganda.
Hope y threw ur phone away and got rid of ur head unit while u were at it. Tpms tracking is just about the last fucking thing I'd ever worry about especially with the lack of range those transponders have. Nobody is tracking you via tpms 😂
You know that you can leave your phone at home, right?
EDIT: Also, another Defeatist reply.
I'm honestly not trying to be defeatist, I just want to convey how idiotic of a concern this is. You sensor id needs to be tied to the car somehow for it to be remotely useful, never mind the atrocious reception of them in the first place it's just a non issue. And if u reprogram sensor ids, how will it know what vehicle just went by its radar? It would also need a camera to tie the plate or something else which means your already being surveyed. The concern that ur TPMS is going to be used to track you is just so idiotic I cannot fathom the stupidity of telling people to go out and remove their pressure sensors. Hopefully u don't own any vehicle made after 2002 cuz good Lord when you find out about key transponders and radio frequency security keys ! Good luck deleting your immobilizer 😂😂😂