Wheels - STS v. CTS and TPMS

[MacMuse]

OK, so my '06 actually came from the factory with 4 x P235/50R17 and NO Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). I am in the market for one replacement Cadillac wheel (Chicago pothole, meet my left front wheel - WHAM, crack).

I have a 'V Line' V906 (NTB Store brand wheel) on it right now as the event happened on a Friday night (in April) and I couldn't get a Cadillac replacement on short notice. That's also when I learned my local dealer's service hours are Mon-Fri ONLY. I'd like to get back to a matching set, even though I like the V906.


My question(s):
- do CTS wheels work on an STS? what year(s) match size & style?
- what year STS wheels match the '06 style?
- can my car accept a wheel with TPSM hardware? do I have to remove the TPMS hardware? does my car have electronics to work with a TPMS wheel?

Why the weird questions? I'm seeing CTS take-offs with TPMS offered in my area and I'd like to know if I should look into them or wait for STS '06 wheels to appear.

On a side note, should I have gone the insurance route (didn't even think of reporting it at the time)? I have no-deductable Comprehensive. Would a wheel claim push a major carrier (State Farm) to bump my rates next time?

P.S. I'm really impressed by the type & variety of people on this site - this is one of the best open forums I've encountered.

[EChas3]

I'd be very surprised if State Farm bumped your rates over one claim. I once hit a deer (common in WI) and State Farm paid the $5k claim without any hesitation and my next renewal was actually a bit lower. (I think I even got a distribution check that year - typical as long as I've been with State Farm's Mutual Division.) The rates you pay for living in Chicago include provisions for such common problems. If you knew the pothole that caused the problem, there is recourse with the City, County or State responsible entity if the hole had been reported to that resposible party more than 48 hours after it was reported.

I'm surprised that your STS came without TPMS stems in the wheels. If so, I'd expect the receiver (RR?) to be missing, too. Does your DIC skip past the TPMS readings? I thought TPMS was standard on all STS trim levels... What's the dealer say?

If the receiving hardware isn't present, any wheel with the proper bolt pattern, offset and clearance for your brake hardware should work fine. I don't believe DTS wheels would work as the offset is more extreme due to FWD.

Good Luck!

[MacMuse]

I did't feel I was getting a straight answer from the dealer on the TPMS question, and I asked multiple times. I even hit up the service department and they weren't convincing (didn't look up anything on-line or show me a hard print).

I managed to get a VIN report / build info and I don't see any mention of TPMS in the codes. What is the RPO code for TPMS? The report does show I have 4 tires of the same size (QKP - P235/50R17 MICHELIN S-RATED) and not the V-Rated offsets that all the marketing literature I found indicated would be on the car. What I find odd is the stems don't look original - they all have oddly colored blue caps. Of course, I realize changing caps is not a high-end mod by any means :wink:

The DIC does not show any TPMS related info when I cycle it.

[EChas3]

UJ6 is TPMS and the Manual does say, "If your car has this feature..."

So if you you don't have it, you can use wheels without concern about TPMS.

[z06bigbird]

There are at least two types of air pressure systems on Caddies. One system uses the TPMS, which can be identified by the (total) metal valve stems. Inside each rim is a module that transmits the air pressure.

The other air pressure system works by counting the revolution of each wheel. A certain diff in wheel speed will throw a message on DIC indicating low tire pressure.

I am not sure, but I think the second system is buried in an option package. My 04 and 05 LeSabres have it, and my 04 CTS had it.

[MacMuse]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Now I feel like I'm driving a brand new car! Another reason for looking for an OEM wheel was the vibration in the steering wheel from 55-70mph. I was concerned the off-wheel was messing up the handling. I even took it back to NTB and had them realign all 4 wheels (with just 200 miles left in the 6K mile warranty). That didn't help.

So I asked my neighbor that runs a very good tire shop to rotate (it was time) and balance all 4 tires. For 30 bucks I feel like I'm driving a different car. From 0-80 mph & back to 0 the steering wheel is solid without a hint of vibration or unpleasant feedback. I just want to crawl into this car and drive it for hours!