Can't fill tire - TPMS?

[lockerc18]

I looked here and couldn't find an answer, so here goes....

My low tire pressure light came on over the winter, as it always does. I've found that my spare tire is the cause as it loses pressure when the temp goes down. Well, now it's warm out, and the light is still on. I checked the pressure in all the other tires, and they were fine, so I thought it must be my spare again. But when I tried to check it, nothing would register on my pressure gauge, and I know that's good. I could let air out of the tire, and when I pushed on the sidewall, there was enough resistance there to indicate that at least SOME pressure was in the tire, and enough to make the gauge move. I tried to pump the tire up with a plug-in compressor, and it kept on kicking off every time I turned it on. I tried with a high pressure bike pump, too, with the same results. I couldn't get any air into the tire at all.

So, this may just be a clogged valve stem. I cleaned it as best I could, but no joy. Now I'm wondering if this might be connected to the TPMS somehow.

When the TPMS battery fails (and I don't know if that's the case here, just asking) does it lock the valve stem up so you can't put air in the tire? That seems silly to me, but you never know. Or do I just have a bad valve stem here?

Thanks.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

No the TMPS does not have any physical way of preventing you to put air in or out of the tire other than the valve stem core. I would reccomend getting a hold of a valve stem core tool and find a replacement valve stem core to swap it out with, chances are yours is just crusty/clogged.

 

[TBoliv]

Yup, probably just a bad valve core. I know I've seen valve core removal tools at like Autozone, or you should be able to stop by a tire shop and have them replace the core. As long as it's not corroded in place it should be a simple unscrew the core, screw a new core in.

 

[harper7]

I looked here and couldn't find an answer, so here goes....

My low tire pressure light came on over the winter, as it always does. I've found that my spare tire is the cause as it loses pressure when the temp goes down. Well, now it's warm out, and the light is still on. I checked the pressure in all the other tires, and they were fine, so I thought it must be my spare again. But when I tried to check it, nothing would register on my pressure gauge, and I know that's good. I could let air out of the tire, and when I pushed on the sidewall, there was enough resistance there to indicate that at least SOME pressure was in the tire, and enough to make the gauge move. I tried to pump the tire up with a plug-in compressor, and it kept on kicking off every time I turned it on. I tried with a high pressure bike pump, too, with the same results. I couldn't get any air into the tire at all.

So, this may just be a clogged valve stem. I cleaned it as best I could, but no joy. Now I'm wondering if this might be connected to the TPMS somehow.

When the TPMS battery fails (and I don't know if that's the case here, just asking) does it lock the valve stem up so you can't put air in the tire? That seems silly to me, but you never know. Or do I just have a bad valve stem here?

Thanks.

Some valve stems caps have a little rubber 0-ring that comes off. It jams down in and around the valve core and it's hard to tell it's even in there as it looks normal. Won't let the core go in to let the air in. Pick it out.
Just sayin ......because it happened to me before more then once.

Or you might have a bad valve core, not stem. A tire shop can change that easy if you don't have the removal tool.Couple of bucks is all for that.No tire removal and subsequent balance charges that way,like changing the stem would entail.


TPMS that goes bad will not effect letting air in.

 

[lockerc18]

Thanks for all the help, folks.

I finally fixed this today. I figured that since I could depress the stem and get air out of the tire, there's probably just some crud someplace in there that's blocking things up when I try to pump air in. So, I got a pick out and cleaned the gunk out out of inside of the stem sleeve (?) and then jiggled the stem up and down and all around a number of times, and let some more air out, and then it worked. I could pump as much air in as I wanted to. And I put a cap on the stem to keep dirt out, too.

But my warning light wouldn't go off. I waited and waited and it wouldn't go out. I checked the air in the other 4 tires, and son of a gun, the left rear was low. Guess the TPMS was doing its job. Pumped that up with no problem, the light went out, and I'm in business.

I don't post here often, and it seems that every time I do, I always say how impressed I am overall with this vehicle. That hasn't changed a bit. 101K miles, and the only things which have ever gone wrong are that a seat belt buckle was bad on delivery, and the hood struts had to be replaced. That is it. I've always keep up on maintenance, and I don't drive like a maniac. Not all the time, anyway. I've only taken it off road once, to the beach, and it worked flawlessly there. I may do that again this summer. What a hoot.

But this truck has been absolutely everything I could have ever wanted in a vehicle. Decent mileage, outstanding reliability, and it fits my fat ass just perfectly. And I love seeing all the older 'Runners on the road. I expect to keep this truck for quite a while yet.

But, I digress...