At SP300, we don’t just carry out car servicing and repairs – we also want to help our customers avoid expensive mistakes.
Today’s blog post isn’t a job summary, but a very important warning for anyone thinking of customising their car.
This week, we had a job come in that turned out to be far more expensive than it needed to be. The customer had fitted fancy metal dust caps to their tyre valves – a simple and popular modification.
However, what many people don’t realise is that metal dust caps can cause serious issues over time. After exposure to rain, road salt and general weathering, these caps can oxidise and fuse to the valve stem. When you try to remove them to check your tyre pressures, the valve can snap or get damaged.
That’s exactly what happened here. To make things worse, many modern cars – including this one – have sensor valves (TPMS) that constantly monitor tyre pressure. Once damaged, they need to be completely replaced and reprogrammed to the vehicle.
The result? A set of £7 aluminium dust caps ended up costing the customer £150+ in parts and labour to replace the sensor and re-code it.
Our Advice: Stick to Plastic Dust Caps
There’s a reason car manufacturers fit plastic valve caps from the factory – they’re safe, practical, and won’t corrode to the valve. If you’re looking to personalise your car, we strongly recommend avoiding metal caps.
For reliable and honest car repairs, MOTs, and servicing in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, SP300 is here to help. We’re always happy to offer advice to help keep your car safe – and save you money in the long run.