Master-Blaster Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Hello Everyone, With winter quickly approaching, more and more Escape owners are thinking about winter tire choices. There are several choices out there and several tire sizes are available. I have a Escape SE 4WD with the stock 17" alloys. I am downsizing to 16" steel wheels and tires. The tire sizes that most dealers recommend are 215-65-16, 225-65-16 or 235-60-16. The tires I am considering at the moment are General Tire Altimax Arctic, Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 or Yokohama Geolander I/T G072. The first 2 tires choices are not available in a 235-60-16 which is the size that best matches the stock 235-55-17 tires. The 215-65-16 are the lowest cost tire. Which size would be the best fit for winter performance on snow and ice? TPMS Question? What are your thoughts on Tire Pressure Monitoring sensors for Winter wheels? Should I buy a set for the winter wheels or just put up with the TPMS light being on all winter? Are there any other tire choices I should be considering? Good thread life and cost is important to me and there are better tire choices out there, but most of them will wear out after about 3 or maybe 4 winters with average use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted September 30, 2012 Share Posted September 30, 2012 Much like oil and wax, there are as many opinions on tires as there are people... The important thing is to try and maintain the overall height of the tires if you are downsiding. I use this tool: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalcold.html Overall diameter of the stock 235-55-17 is 27.2 inches, 215-65-16 is 27 inches, which would give you a 0.6% error in speedometer reading, meaning it will read higher than you are really going, but it will also make the mileage go higher, so it would add 600 kms at 100 000 kms! 225-65-16 is 27.5 inches tall, 235-60 is just about right at 27.1 inches, but you will not have the benefit of a narrower tire in the snow. Also, depending on the design of the wheels, 16'' might be a tight fit with the calipers (see my pics in the ''wheel'' post). As for tires, I've had good experience with TOYO GO-2 tires on cars, don't know how that translates on a SUV, even though our Scapes are basically more station wagons than trucks. I think the Geolander are more of a SUV/truck tire, so they might be stiffer/less comfortable than passenger car tires. I am curious to see how the TPMS system reacts to not having sensors in tires. On my Charger, the light comes on, and stays on, but there is only one chime and that's it, so you learn to ignore the light... if there is a chime or buzzer that comes on regularely, then it's harder to ignore... Anyone has experience on this? I'm still shopping for a good set of 17" Volvo XC mags... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Much like oil and wax, there are as many opinions on tires as there are people... Check TireRack. They do actual tire testing, plus have feed back from real customers. Going down on wheel size is good. You also want to go less (narrower) on tread width (first number) and up on aspect ratio (the second number). Lastly, I highly recommend getting 4 winter tires on a FWD or AWD vehicle. AWD it is obvious. If you only put winter tires on the front of a FWD vehicle, you can still slide a lot (NASCAR term "loose"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Anyone has experience with this particular TPMS warning system? If there are no sensors, does it give regular buzzes or bells, or just at start-up? I can live with the light being on all the time... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 The local tire shop I spoke with said that the TPMS sensors are Schrader brand (mounted on the valve stem) and this is also the OEM sensor. I would like to believe these are less money on the aftermarket than through the parts counter at the dealer. Put the Escape on jack stands, remove the wheels (and move them a ways away) and start it up to see what happens. After reviewing the section in the owner's guide, I see no mention of an audible warning, only illumination of a light as either solid or flashing. The guide also has a list of audible warnings and the TPMS is not listed. It states that a flashing warning light indicates the spare tire is in use or there is a malfunction of the TPMS. I would venture to guess that having no sensors in the wheels might lead to this flashing light which would be extremely annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 (edited) ... nothing that a strategically placed piece of tape cannot fix until Spring ! ;-) Ben Edited October 2, 2012 by benlavigne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master-Blaster Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 HI All, My local Ford dealer ( Montreal ) is offering 4x Goodyear "Ultra Grip Winter" 235-55-17 with Ford OEM 17" steel wheels and 4 TPMS sensors for $1,100 plus taxes. This includes installation, wheel balancing and TPMS programing. Sounds like a good deal. Just not sure about these new style Goodyears. They are a new design and are considered a budget tire. I haven't found any reviews on this tire yet. I checked on www.tirerack.com and there are no reviews there either. TPMS light: I don't mind the TPMS light being on throughout the winter. The thought of having to replace a burnt out TPMS light due to extended use does bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Anyone has experience with this particular TPMS warning system? If there are no sensors, does it give regular buzzes or bells, or just at start-up? I can live with the light being on all the time... Ben I put winter tires and wheels without TPMS on my 2012 Focus. The light only came on twice through the entire winter and both times I was more than 20 miles away from my house. I had the summer tires stored in my garage and my guess is everyday I pulled in, the sensors on the car were able to read the sensors on the stored wheels. Anyway, all it was on the Focus was a light, easily hidden behind a small piece of electrical tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 The thought of having to replace a burnt out TPMS light due to extended use does bother me. This ^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 HI All, My local Ford dealer ( Montreal ) is offering 4x Goodyear "Ultra Grip Winter" 235-55-17 with Ford OEM 17" steel wheels and 4 TPMS sensors for $1,100 plus taxes. This includes installation, wheel balancing and TPMS programing. Sounds like a good deal. Based on this: http://www.fordparts.com/Commerce/PartDetail.aspx?n=TXh%2bg1y2mi4Rj7%2b6g5fArw%3d%3d&id=208995504&m=2&search=true&year=2013&make=Ford&model=Escape you either have to be getting the tires for free, or they are using a wheel other than OEM steel. I have every reason to believe this is a correct MSRP based on the price I was quoted at the dealer for the 19 inch Titanium wheel. And yes, it does sound like a good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 HI All, My local Ford dealer ( Montreal ) is offering 4x Goodyear "Ultra Grip Winter" 235-55-17 with Ford OEM 17" steel wheels and 4 TPMS sensors for $1,100 plus taxes. This includes installation, wheel balancing and TPMS programing. Sounds like a good deal. Just not sure about these new style Goodyears. They are a new design and are considered a budget tire. I haven't found any reviews on this tire yet. I checked on www.tirerack.com and there are no reviews there either. TPMS light: I don't mind the TPMS light being on throughout the winter. The thought of having to replace a burnt out TPMS light due to extended use does bother me. I've had those Goodyears before, kind of old-school, agressive tread, good in snow, not the best on icy conditions, depends on which conditions you have to face more often, I guess... but that deal sounds good, which dealer was that from? As for the TPMS light, I don't think it's life would be shorter than the one for the flashers or dash lighting... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timf Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Aren't they using LEDs for all the indicators now anyway? These should outlast the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Aren't they using LEDs for all the indicators now anyway? These should outlast the car. I'm not sure. LEDs come on and go off abruptly as there is no "warm up" time that an incandescent filament has. I have not noticed this on the instrument cluster. These indicator lights look to me like they have forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Well someone at my local tire place thinks that the TPMS sensors might be linked to the ABS and stability control programs, as is supposed to be the case for the 2012 Focus, so running without TPMS sensors would not be a good idea. Still need confirmation on that? I also was told that 215-55-18 tires are almost the same height as 235-50-18, 27.31'' vs 27.25'', and are much more widely available, and narrower to boot... So I might end up keeping the 18's for this winter. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Aren't they using LEDs for all the indicators now anyway? These should outlast the car. Should, but may not. I have a 2007 Mercury Montego, which has an LED brake light cluster in the back. Driver's side died last year. So the LED's may be fine, but there's always all the components behind it that can fail. I got lucky and found a "like-new" tail light off Flea Bay for a reasonable price. I think they were close to $300 from the dealer, IIRC. And they are sealed units. So no repairs that I can find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Should, but may not. I have a 2007 Mercury Montego, which has an LED brake light cluster in the back. Driver's side died last year. So the LED's may be fine, but there's always all the components behind it that can fail. I got lucky and found a "like-new" tail light off Flea Bay for a reasonable price. I think they were close to $300 from the dealer, IIRC. And they are sealed units. So no repairs that I can find. I have seen way more than I can count Cadillacs with "missing" LEDs in their arrays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boudhaquebec Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Well, yesterday I put my brand new winter wheels on, without TPMS sensors, and ......nothing... No warning, no light... Went to work today, 8kms, still nothing... Does the system works at all ?... Or maybe my tire guy put them on and forgot to charge me (I didn't want them) ... I'll deflate a tire and start the car and see what happens... Mmmm...Weird... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Well, yesterday I put my brand new winter wheels on, without TPMS sensors, and ......nothing... No warning, no light... Went to work today, 8kms, still nothing... Does the system works at all ?... Or maybe my tire guy put them on and forgot to charge me (I didn't want them) ... I'll deflate a tire and start the car and see what happens... Mmmm...Weird... Don't worry about it. Last winter I had winter tires, w/o TPMS on my 2012 Focus and it took several weeks for my light to finally come on amd I was 30 miles from my home. My theory, every night when I pulled into my garage the sensors on the car detected the sensors on the wheels, basically resetting the system. I wouldn't worry about it, and put a small piece of electrical tape over the light if it comes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boudhaquebec Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 After 3 days of driving, not only did I get my warning about the TPMS fault, but I got 2 lights on now. The tire sign light plus I get an "i" in the bottom middle of the MFT screen again with the TPMS fault warning.... The tire light, I can live with or hide it, but I think the "i" is too important since it shows everything wrong with the car... So you can't really hide that one.. Not sure I can live with that one on all the time smack in the middle of my steering wheel..... We'll see.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Can you reset the "I" each time by pressing the left side OK button? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 The ''i '' wil disappear after a few times and only come back from time to time... Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolverineone Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 I'm awaiting my Escape to be delivered and I'm moving to Alaska and I want to prep for the winter (as they are long there). They allow studded snow tires and of course non studded like Bridgestone Blizzaks are also a fan favorite. What are the big pro/cons of studded vs non studded and what is the big benefit of downsizing the wheel size for 16"s in the winter. Seems it'd throw Speedometer and Odometer out of whack as well as having to get new TPMS sensors. Also, should I have dedicated rims or just get them mounted on the factory rims? I'm a cold weather newbie so please don't flame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 Nokian WRG2 SUV tires, made in Finland, are all-season tires with excellent snow traction--they have the extra star for that. I have them on my 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD--they are very quiet, comfortable, and provide excellent grip in all conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) I'm awaiting my Escape to be delivered and I'm moving to Alaska and I want to prep for the winter (as they are long there). They allow studded snow tires and of course non studded like Bridgestone Blizzaks are also a fan favorite. What are the big pro/cons of studded vs non studded and what is the big benefit of downsizing the wheel size for 16"s in the winter. Seems it'd throw Speedometer and Odometer out of whack as well as having to get new TPMS sensors. Also, should I have dedicated rims or just get them mounted on the factory rims? I'm a cold weather newbie so please don't flame. They banned studs in Minnesota years ago due to the damage they do to the roads and I'm surprised they still allow them in urban areas of Alaska. Anyway, if you install studded tires, when the roads are clear of snow and ice, they make A LOT of noise. Studded tires were legal and popular prior to FWD cars, because you install them on the drive wheels, my thought is you may experience some front end sliding on dry roads due to the lack of surface contact, just a thought. The benefit of a smaller tire is there's less tire to push through the snow and of course cost. I don't think it will make more than a 1-2 mph difference in the speedometer. I would invest in a set of quality snow tires and mount them on steel or inexpensive alloy rims. As far as the TPMS, MN law now requires them on all rims, even temporary winter rims, don't know about AK. I didn't install them on my Focus and a small piece of electrical tape tool care of the dash light. Edited May 27, 2013 by transitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benlavigne Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 They were using studded tires before they started to develop good dedicated snow tires, and good AWD systems with stability control. They are noisy and can be dangerous in the dry, as you are driving on steel instead of rubber! So unless you are never driving on paved roads, you should stay away from studs... Maybe on a RWD pick-up that stays in the country, but that's about it... Good quality SNOW tires (with the snowflake symbol on the sidewall) will get you through most anything, especially if your Escape is AWD. Ours is FWD, with TOYO Observe GO2 on all corners, and we got through a lot of snow last Winter! Hakkapellita tires from Nokia are also usually recognized as the best Snow tires. You can go down wheel diameter and get a narrower tire, as long as the overall diameter of the tire is close to the original, there will be no effect on the speedometer/odometer. As Transitman said, the theory is that a narrower tire goes easier through snow and is less prone to aquaplaning on slush. I went from a 235-50-18 to a 215-55-18 last winter, to get a narrower tire, and keep 18's, and there was no problem, as the overall diameter is basically the same. I used Volvo wheels, which have the same odd wheel stud pattern as our Escapes (5 holes x 108mm). So, if the local weather warrants it, dedicated wheels/tires for Winter can be a life-saver (I think we can assume Alaska gets a bit of snow...). Stay away from All-season tires in the Winter, if you will see snow more than a couple of times, as they are at best a compromise, neither good Winter nor Summer tires.. Plus you get half the wear on your Summer tires and won't have to replace them as soon. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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