How to disable tpms in a 5th gen 4runner

[charlesanborn]

If anyone is curious how to disable tpms in a 5th gen it’s super easy. I noticed there were write ups on 4th gen’s but not 5th gens. The idea is simple and can be acccomllished in many ways but you basically just send a 12v ign to the dash bulb keeping it from grounding, so the light never comes on. Just take off the lower instrument panel, which requires you pull off the piece circled in orange, remove 2 10mm bolts (red arrow), there’s another one on the left you can’t see, it’s behind the little kick panel that you need to mostly remove to get to. Then it’s just the clips in green. Then you just Find the tpms module. There are 4 modules/rows of connectors. This is just left and below the steering wheel. The farthest right one, it’s brown/grey with a black connector, is the tpms module. It’s bolted to the dash with a single bolt on a silver bracket. Grab the plug and cut the green wire in pin 5 (Count from left to right, looking at the back of the connector, starting with the blank space) and connect it to the green wire in pin 7 and done. You can use a quick tap, or strip and solder. And bam. Your done. Now the tpms light will never come on. I’m just not a fan of the expense that comes with tpms. Tpms is a safety feature as a significant percentage of accidents are attributable to flats ad. Low tire pressure but I’m a grown ass man

Question: How do you get those 5 red clips out?

 

[charlesanborn]

Question: How do you get those 5 Red Clips out? To drop down the lower instrument panel on a 2012 4Runner to gain access to the TPMS Module?

 

[Coyotegray]

My solution...

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I like the technology used in other manufacturers that use the ABS system for TPMS, it doesn't check the actual pressures in the tires, but uses the rotational speed differences in the tires - seems like quite a simple system to just set the rotational speed range that's allowed and if one or more tires goes outside of that range, turn on a MIL.

Battery operated TPMS sensors are so old school - just like the 4Runner.

You have that a bit backwards, the old school method of indirectly measuring tire pressure via the wheel speed sensors came first. Toyota implemented that system on early Highlander, Sienna, and I want to say Avalon/Camry? (we don't get a lot of those out here so I could be wrong). It was a clever way to save money and complexity, but it came with a lot of caveats.

-Rotating tires and not recalibrating the system would set the light..
- The tires wearing too much between calibrations would set the light
-Different tires/brands would set the light (i.e. changing only your two front tires or replacing one due to a nail) with no real way to calibrate it properly. I've had to chase my tail on that a few times...
-Temperature affecting the tire rubber could cause it to set the light because it affects the diameter somewhat.

In tire sensors were the best improvement to that system, they also were legally mandated in the US in all models starting in '07 IIRC. The newest version Toyota uses (which other brands have used for a few years now) uses the combination of the TPMS sensor itself and the ABS wheel speeds to figure out which tire is located where (no need for a silly tire dance Ala GM!)

I'm ambivalent about TPMS systems myself. When I threw new wheels and tires on my 4th gen I bought aftermarket Pacific sensors (same brand Toyota uses) my old ones worked fine after over 10yrs and 100k. I'm not sure what the actual life span is for these things, but it seems like with good habits and care 10yr/100k should be easy for them. The batteries drain quicker if you're always driving around with the low pressure light on or flashing as the system ups the frequency it will ping the sensors, also the sensor with a low pressure will ping much more often until the pressure is corrected. That combined with techs/people not paying attention when they change tires results in a lot of dead/damaged sensors (rather glad Toyota finally is switching to sacrificial stems so the sensor is more likely to survive).

All that being said, if you're being a responsible owner and checking/adjusting your pressures once or twice a month and/or around large temperature swings then a TPMS system is just redundant. So I get why some people want to save some future maintenance costs and just disable the system.

Neat way to turn the light off, though make sure you mention it to the tech so they don't end up chasing it as a problem! Lol

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

You know if you keep your spare tires with TPMS next to the truck in the garage, when you start it up you have around 20min or so of driving before it does the recheck and notices the sensors arent with the truck anymore.

When you start it up if they are close (i keep mine on a rack next to where i park in the garage) it shows that they are all good to go! For me I drive to work and i get just near my office before sensor pops on. So maybe 20 miles worth.

Its an orange light.. who cares :horn:

The only place one should be accustomed to orange warning lights is British and German autos


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[2021nightshade4x4]

I like the technology used in other manufacturers that use the ABS system for TPMS, it doesn't check the actual pressures in the tires, but uses the rotational speed differences in the tires - seems like quite a simple system to just set the rotational speed range that's allowed and if one or more tires goes outside of that range, turn on a MIL.

Battery operated TPMS sensors are so old school - just like the 4Runner.

What’s so old school about a set-it-and-forget-it system in which the batteries last 10 years before you even have to think about changing them?

Also, if you REALLY want to talk about antiquated systems, how about Chevrolet’s TPMS where you have to MANUALLY let it know where EACH tire is again after a rotation? Let a little air out, honk, go to the next tire, let out a little air, honk…


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[Maunmaun]

Regardless of whether I will do it or not, it is a good writeup and we can never have enough of these!

Thank you for taking the time to document it :thanks:

 

[bdbull]

i used one of these when i disabled mine. easily removable if you change your mind later.

Just did this on my son's 2011. FYI, I had to use a red connector instead of blue. The slots in the connector on the blue were too big and they didn't puncture the wire. The red worked perfectly.

 

[Jakeepoo3]

Had my TPMS light come on a couple weeks ago. Thought I caught a nail or something.
All four tires were 28 psi. Curious as I haven't aired down in a while.
I've kept them at 35 this summer (30 in "winter")

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Dead battery in one of the sensors.

 

[Jakeepoo3]

If anyone is curious how to disable tpms in a 5th gen it’s super easy. I noticed there were write ups on 4th gen’s but not 5th gens. The idea is simple and can be acccomllished in many ways but you basically just send a 12v ign to the dash bulb keeping it from grounding, so the light never comes on. Just take off the lower instrument panel, which requires you pull off the piece circled in orange, remove 2 10mm bolts (red arrow), there’s another one on the left you can’t see, it’s behind the little kick panel that you need to mostly remove to get to. Then it’s just the clips in green. Then you just Find the tpms module. There are 4 modules/rows of connectors. This is just left and below the steering wheel. The farthest right one, it’s brown/grey with a black connector, is the tpms module. It’s bolted to the dash with a single bolt on a silver bracket. Grab the plug and cut the green wire in pin 5 (Count from left to right, looking at the back of the connector, starting with the blank space) and connect it to the green wire in pin 7 and done. You can use a quick tap, or strip and solder. And bam. Your done. Now the tpms light will never come on. I’m just not a fan of the expense that comes with tpms. Tpms is a safety feature as a significant percentage of accidents are attributable to flats ad. Low tire pressure but I’m a grown ass man

I did the same after dead sensor battery except I tied a single pole switch into it. Mounted in an available blank which is conveniently right where you'll be working. This allows you to have it factory for morons that don't check their tires. Or switch it off for people that air down frequently and can't stand the stupid light. These guys know how to use a tire guage durp.

 

[Jakeepoo3]

You have that a bit backwards, the old school method of indirectly measuring tire pressure via the wheel speed sensors came first. Toyota implemented that system on early Highlander, Sienna, and I want to say Avalon/Camry? (we don't get a lot of those out here so I could be wrong). It was a clever way to save money and complexity, but it came with a lot of caveats.

-Rotating tires and not recalibrating the system would set the light..
- The tires wearing too much between calibrations would set the light
-Different tires/brands would set the light (i.e. changing only your two front tires or replacing one due to a nail) with no real way to calibrate it properly. I've had to chase my tail on that a few times...
-Temperature affecting the tire rubber could cause it to set the light because it affects the diameter somewhat.

In tire sensors were the best improvement to that system, they also were legally mandated in the US in all models starting in '07 IIRC. The newest version Toyota uses (which other brands have used for a few years now) uses the combination of the TPMS sensor itself and the ABS wheel speeds to figure out which tire is located where (no need for a silly tire dance Ala GM!)

I'm ambivalent about TPMS systems myself. When I threw new wheels and tires on my 4th gen I bought aftermarket Pacific sensors (same brand Toyota uses) my old ones worked fine after over 10yrs and 100k. I'm not sure what the actual life span is for these things, but it seems like with good habits and care 10yr/100k should be easy for them. The batteries drain quicker if you're always driving around with the low pressure light on or flashing as the system ups the frequency it will ping the sensors, also the sensor with a low pressure will ping much more often until the pressure is corrected. That combined with techs/people not paying attention when they change tires results in a lot of dead/damaged sensors (rather glad Toyota finally is switching to sacrificial stems so the sensor is more likely to survive).

All that being said, if you're being a responsible owner and checking/adjusting your pressures once or twice a month and/or around large temperature swings then a TPMS system is just redundant. So I get why some people want to save some future maintenance costs and just disable the system.

Neat way to turn the light off, though make sure you mention it to the tech so they don't end up chasing it as a problem! Lol

Yep a battery died at exactly 100,000 on mine. I integrated a single pole switch when I did this fix so I can switch the system off/on mounted in a switch blank. So it's factory but even better..

 

[Jakeepoo3]

Yep a battery died at exactly 100,000 on mine. I integrated a single pole switch when I did this fix so I can switch the system off/on mounted in a switch blank. So it's factory but even better..

My dorky video on this haha.
登录 Facebook | Facebook

 

[Gclark949]

Question on this procedure. OP used the word “cut wire” but I also see a “wire tap” being used. Can I literally just cut both of these wires and connect them together or do I splice in and put a jumper across them?

Getting new tires tomorrow and going to have them remove TPMS and use rubber valve stems.

 

[richanz]

Worked !

Many thanks for the info to disable TPMS. I have battled with an unknown entity that is causing my TPMS light to flash and stay on. Replaced the sensors on my 2018 4Runner and TPMS still randomly goes on.
Very easy to access the unit and spllce the two wires with a quick spllce wire tap. Worked like a charm. I added Tire Pressure Monitor Valve Stem Caps to each tire to keep an eye on pressures without needing TPMS.

Note this link for removing the lower dash panels and HVAC cover .Hidden Midland Radio Step-By-Step Install for 5th Gen 4Runner

 

[Mabeldog]

Different wires or reading Pins wrong?

Working on disabling tpms now. When OP mentions left to right, I'm thinking that you read across the top 1-2 being top two pins and then the next row down being 3-4 etc Reading like that's gets me other colors than green and green. If I read down the left side then the 5th one down is green (last one on the bottom left, if looking at the back of the connector while it's plugged in). then 6 would be top right and 7 the second one down on the right side. If I count down the left starting at the top and then down the right from the top I get two green wires. That would be good enough for me if there weren't 3 green wires on the harness. My biggest fear is tapping the wrong two together and causing some expensive problem over $300 worth of tpms sensors. If anyone can chime in on this relatively old thread, I would greatly appreciate it, while I have it torn apart. Thank you!

 

[Jer-2013SR5]

After nearly a decade of staring at that damn TPMS light...

Thank you for the clear and easy to follow post. TPMS light has been registering an error (flashing for 60 seconds then coming on) ever since I got my lift and Toyota wanted an arm and a leg to just diagnose the problem. My son is about to take his license test and was told a TPMS light on in the vehicle was an automatic fail so it finally motivated me to make the 'fix'. Now i just have to teach the boy how to feel a low tire when driving.

 

[richanz]

If you look at the pics, it is pretty clear...Here is the link . Pin 7 is all by itself..Pin 5 is last in line of the white, red, pink wire ...The furthest green at the corner is not one you want to splice,,,

How to disable tpms in a 5th gen 4runner

 

[RICKWILSON]

May I ASK

May I ask has anyone made a video of this procedure? Thanks for letting me ask.

 

[<<<<]

Had my TPMS light come on few days ago. One wheel had bad OEM sensor. I went to Discount Tire (I bought tires from them one and and half year ago). They replaced all 4 sensors (spare doesn't have one in 2013) for $61 each plus programing with no labor charge for dismounting, rebalancing and replacing. No more dash light and OEM monitoring still intact with aftermarket sensors. DT has 7year/75,000mile warranty on them as well. Before disabling entire system I'd say give this option a shot. It worked for me. GL

 

[13-4Runner]

Many thanks to the OP for these instructions. I finally gave up on my cluster idiot light since I want to sell my 4run and didn't want any issues, real or not.

My scan tool told me which sensor was bad but I didn't feel like going to Toyota and spend perfectly good money on this BS.

My hands are larger so this operation was somewhat more difficult but I got through it with expected results: No more TPMS idiot light!! Took about thirty minutes.

Thanks again!