Will Schrader show its Wireless Auto Locate (WAL) Technology in Bologna?

Schrader International, a company well known for its direct TPMS sensors and which has an even longer history with valves reaching back decades, makes one of its first appearances on the European aftermarket trade show circuit following the company’s acquisition by Sensata in October 2014. With this in mind Tyres & Accessories asks what the firm is likely to be showing in Bologna.

One thing that is likely to make an appearance either directly or indirectly is Scharder’s WAL technology. WAL is a unique and patented Schrader protocol that allows a vehicle’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to automatically locate and identify each sensor’s specific location and each tyre’s specific pressure. This fits well with Schrader’s portfolio of both OE replacement sensors and programmable EZ-sensors that are fully WAL-compatible – both of which offer increasing potential as a retail income stream following the implementation of rules mandating the fitment of TPMS on all new cars since the last quarter of 2014. According to the company, this is particularly important as WAL is now standard on many vehicle platforms in the market today.

WAL enables OEM vehicle manufacturers to provide automatic and advanced pressure-by-position displays for the consumer driver. Writing in a customer and employee newsletter, Schrader representatives explain that this is becoming a more sought after new feature to enhance the driver’s understanding of which tyre may be significantly underinflated:

“Other, non-Schrader replacement sensors that may claim to function with Schrader’s WAL technology are not automatic in nature. This means that when the tyres are rotated, the system will not automatically place the sensors in their positions on the display. In fact, the system may not even notify that the sensors need to be reconfigured to their new locations. Having the system display the pressure in the wrong location is not what the OEMs intended to achieve when the systems were developed and started appearing on vehicles”.