koolyce

Hello,
I'm looking to rent the new RDX 2018 and I'm wondering if the TPMS system is the same as Honda, which is using the ABS and wheel rotation. Or it is on the wheel, which means I will need to buy a set for the winter.
Also, is steel wheel compatible with the RDX or only alloy wheel? And get we go as low as 17" or 18 is the lowest?

Thanks

Madd Dog

Wander

Agree 2019 RDX probably has "direct" TPMS that requires sensors in the wheels. I'm still wondering if they are the same as what I took off another recent Honda vehicle. ( Winter wheels )

My daughter's new 2018 CRV has the "indirect" TPMS system that doesn't require wheel sensors, but it can not display individual tire pressures.

Steel winter wheel should be fine, but hard to find in larger diameters and may be heavy. 17" should be fine; compact spare is 17".

koolyce

Ok thanks. Can we run winter sheel without TPMS sensor? I was able to do this on a Rogue and only the light was on but no security system associted to.

Thanks again

Wander

Actually, I was being a little bit dense. My 2019 RDX definitely has TPMS sensors; I can see the threaded TPMS stems protruding from the wheels.

I'm pretty sure there will be an impact on driver assist systems if no TPMS sensors are detected. Other systems such as "agile handling assist" and "vehicle stability assist" may also shut down or be compromised. VSA is pretty important in winter. IMO it doesn't make much sense to cheap out on winter wheels and lose those capabilities. If necessary, consider doing seasonal tire swaps on one set of wheels and TPMS sensors.

But my preferred approach is to get cheap painted aftermarket aluminum wheels or refinished/replica Honda/Acura aluminum wheels. Discount Tire has some aftermarket wheel options for $120 or so each. But the lug nuts will be different from OEM and that's a bit of a pain to keep track of.

Current OEM TPMS sensors are only around $30 or so through online discounted sources; they have come down in price in recent years.

1st-gen MDX wheels should work, and those should be readily available and pretty cheap either used or refinished/replica. But I think they need to be from 2005-2006 to be TPMS compatible. Our 2003 MDX ( now retired ) didn't have TPMS; our 2005 MDX ( kid car / beater ) does. 2007-2013 MDX use 5x120mm lug spacing, so they are incompatible with RDX's 5x114.3 mm lug spacing, but 2014-2015 MDX are back to 5x114.3mm. 2016+ MDX is 5x120mm. Confused yet?

AFAIK any RDX wheel should work. Offsets vary, but for relatively narrow winter tires it doesn't matter very much. ( The +55mm offset of 2014-2015 MDX wheels could be a problem, but those wheels are larger and more expensive anyway ).

I need to start shopping for winter boots for my new toy. Never too early to start thinking about snow.

MTD

Also consider that the newer Acuras, TLX, MDX and the RDX use newer generation TPMS units because of the tire fill assist feature. So "older" sensors from the last gen RDX wont be compatible. All Acuras use the sensors within the wheels and they do not need to be programmed to work. The car will recognize the sensors within a few minutes of driving.

Wander

Good points. My recently retired 3rd-gen Pilot also had TPMS sensors compatible with the tire fill assist feature, but I don't know if they are cross-compatible with 2019 RDX. It would be nice. I know the winter wheels won't work ( 5x120mm lug spacing ), but I'm holding out a slim hope that the TPMS sensors will work.

Wander

Not looking good. 3rd-gen Pilot uses 433 MHz sensors, while most Acuras use 315 MHz. Except that NSX uses 433 MHz.

http://www.31inc.com/tpms.pdf

Wander

The plot thickens. I'm being told 2019 RDX uses TPMS sensors 42753-T6N-A01 ( 433 MHz ). My retired 2016 Pilot had 42753-TG7-A51 ( 433 MHz ).

These seem to cross-reference to the same physical Continental VDO Redi Sensor. Dunno if any reprogramming is required or if they will Just Work.

http://www.tpms.com/SE55915_Continen..._p/se55915.htm

I guess I have time to figure it out before winter.

BTW, the OEM wheels on my 2019 RDX Advance wheels are +50mm offset ( 19x8 inch ), as indicated on the back of the wheels.

Wander

On the subject of winter wheels, I test fit a 17" aluminum 1st-gen MDX wheel today. No problem with brake clearance on my 2019 RDX Advance, front or rear. That wheel is 17x6.5 inch, +45mm offset.

specie

Jopa

Wander

I ordered 42753-T6N-A01 ( 433 MHz ) from an online source, but ended up receiving 3 of that part number and one of 42753-T6N-A02 ( 433 MHz ), which supposedly supersedes it. All of them paired up automatically in about a mile of driving and are working fine.

I'm still not sure if 42753-TG7-A51 ( 433 MHz ) would have worked, because I would have needed to get worn-out tires unmounted to harvest those from wheels that won't fit the RDX. That might have cost almost as much as new sensors, so I didn't bother. Dunno.

My understanding is that all of these are Continental "smart sensors" that are pre-programmed for many vehicles, but there are several flavors of them with programming for different sets of vehicles. Any qualified tire shop should be able to determine which sensor is needed for 2019 RDX, now that it has been out for a while.