Stuck valve stem caps

huntb · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:15 pm

So two of my valve stem caps are stuck on (old style alloy TPMS valve stem) and I'm afraid if I try to force them off my valve stems are going to break. Has anyone had this problem and how did you remedy it? Thanks for the help guys

lfhoward · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:26 pm

huntb wrote:

So two of my valve stem caps are stuck on (old style alloy TPMS valve stem) and I'm afraid if I try to force them off my valve stems are going to break. Has anyone had this problem and how did you remedy it? Thanks for the help guys

My condolences... I had the same problem last week on a trip from Philly to Boston. I stopped at a rest area to check the tire pressures, couldn't get one cap to budge by hand, so I used pliers and the end snapped right off. I ended up spending 3 hours at a Jeep dealer getting this fixed. The unit isn't like a regular valve stem. It is a tire pressure monitor on the inside, so it is like a $75 part. The dealer replaced it with an updated TPMS that didn't have the metal cap because this seems to be a common problem. The caps rust on. The tech advised to use Vaseline on the threads of the others to prevent corrosion. In the meantime, I think I would try spraying your two stuck valve stems with PB Blaster or WD40 and letting them soak for a while before trying to twist off the caps. Good luck.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:30 pm

You replaced the plastic gray caps with steel or aluminum ones didn't you? That is why no TPMS sensor comes with metal caps.A few did when they 1st came out but that was reversed pretty quick when issues like stuck caps started appearing.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:32 pm

We both have 2008's. The early KK's came with metal caps.

huntb · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:32 pm

Yeah good call with the WD-40. I'll give that a try. If that doesn't work I'm gonna get all surgical with a dremel on that bad boy

huntb · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:33 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

You replaced the plastic gray caps with steel or aluminum ones didn't you? That is why no TPMS sensor comes with metal caps.A few did when they 1st came out but that was reversed pretty quick when issues like stuck caps started appearing.

Nope. Still the original grey plastic ones. I would never put metal caps on any valve stems

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:41 pm

lfhoward wrote:

We both have 2008's. The early KK's came with metal caps.

The metal caps have not been used since like '04 and that was mostly honda and toyota that used them.If you have the plastic caps just break the caps off and put new ones on.

lfhoward · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 1:55 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

lfhoward wrote:

We both have 2008's. The early KK's came with metal caps.

The metal caps have not been used since like '04 and that was mostly honda and toyota that used them.If you have the plastic caps just break the caps off and put new ones on.

Oops, thought those were metal. And mine are aftermarket metal caps because several of my OEM caps came off on the highway after the garage didn't tighten them enough. I'll be switching back to plastic now.

huntb · **Posted:** Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:04 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

lfhoward wrote:

We both have 2008's. The early KK's came with metal caps.

The metal caps have not been used since like '04 and that was mostly honda and toyota that used them.If you have the plastic caps just break the caps off and put new ones on.

I think maybe he was thinking that the early (08-09) KKs had the metal TPMS sensors/stems. I know you already know this because when searching for this issue over on JF you seemed to be the TPMS guru lol.

Also, I will probably end up breaking them off I just need to figure out how I'm going to do it without damaging the stems.

Stuck valve stem caps

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