[carbon02]

Has anyone ordered the GM Orange TPMS reset tool from China as a clone? I'm looking at ordering a few keyfob cases from a seller, and I can add it to an order for $10.

I realize it's China, it doesn't last for ever, but I'm asking if anyone has tried these imported tools. Yes it's a gamble I understand that. I have a fair amount of small engine equipment that I maintain. I've always been a fan of factory OE carburetors and gaskets for rebuilds.

I just finished my second direct china order for an entire carburetor for the price of just the gaskets. Yes it required fine tuning, but I saved a lot of time vs. trying to rebuild. I'm all about buying locally.. But when I went to work on my new ECHO blower I noticed o-rings missing in the carb. This was sent from the factory this way. Sure ECHO would have maybe fixed this under warranty, but goes to show quality of the OE supplier parts is falling. And ZAMA has gone to all overseas production and manufacturing. Used to get USA parts, but haven't in a long time..

Last I looked this kind of orange GM TPMS reset tool was over $60. I currently don't do my own rotations, but the last two times for rotations this has been missed, and I've had to go back to have them set the positions.

Any thoughts?

I think @Taxman and some of the other salvage rebuilders have discussed Chinese diagnostic tools. Anyone got this one?

 

[Taxman]

I think the ubiquitous EL-50448 is now under $15 from places like Amazon.
I bought one last year for about $11 from a Chinese seller, that link now goes to this for $7.80.

I've used mine a couple of times, it does what it's supposed to do, I hold it near the stem and push the button, and the car horn beeps to confirm it worked.

I bought a copy of a Mercedes SDS C4 box from an Aliexpress seller, but that didn't work as well, especially the wifi feature. Should have saved some money and gotten the C3 copy instead, the Chinese have the bugs worked out of that.

 

[carbon02]

Thanks for the input. I've been researching Strattec key Fobs for the Cruze. My buttons wore out, and I ordered a chinese key with the new circuit board. Plan on removing the roll pin and swapping the cut key.

I was actually thinking of buying a used fob but it appears that the key FOB might actually lock to the car upon programming? Not worth it for me to get a key programmer, but that must be why some cheap keys program, and some don't. It's clear that there's a lot of people taking used FOB's, replacing either the key blank, or the entire case, and then listing as a refurbished unit.

We'll see how the $10 unit goes. That's with US shipping, so I'm not expecting it to last forever, but my car is 7 years old. I won't have it forever!

 

[Blasirl]

I have one but still have not used it. When I bought my two sets of tires they came with lifetime rotations and balancing.

 

[Blancmange]

I, too, bought the EL-50448 off of Amazon. It did not work.

Didn't work on my Cruze, my Malibu, my company car - nothing. I tried for an hour, all different positions as described in countless YouTube videos - did not work.

I returned it.

 

[mechguy78]

I have had no problems with the EL-50448 I bought on Amazon. I have used it several times on the Cruze and a couple times on the wife’s town and country. Mine was made by VXDAS