NorthwoodsRunner
New member
Would you be willing to take a photo of your spare tire (close up around the stem) and post it. If the spare stem is the metal type like your normal four wheels then you have five TPMS sensors.
The Spare Tire!
- Thread starter flyrv9
- Start date
Would you be willing to take a photo of your spare tire (close up around the stem) and post it. If the spare stem is the metal type like your normal four wheels then you have five TPMS sensors.
Boyds4Runner
New member
Interestingly enough the TPMS radio is in the rear of the truck in the roof liner just before the opening for the rear hatch.
So the rear swing out tire is closer than the other 4 tires to the receiver.
My 2004 SR5 4Runner had 5 sensors. The 2015 only has 4 TPMS. I didn't realize a 5th could be added?
TK-422
New member
I read up on this before I upgraded my tires. Since I knew my 2015 would not have a TPMS in the spare I purchased a matching wheel and had my 5th tire mounted with no TPMS sensor.
I will treat it like a stock spare and only use it when needed. If I do need it while off-roading it will be the same size as the other tires and not compromise the 4 wheel drive system.
I will treat it like a stock spare and only use it when needed. If I do need it while off-roading it will be the same size as the other tires and not compromise the 4 wheel drive system.
NorthwoodsRunner
New member
Per manual LE (with 20" wheels) model maintains five TPMS sensors but everything else holds only four TPMS sensors. I don't know why American Tire made the other guy buy five sensors when you only need four sensors. The described behavior on the spare tire with TPMS sensor is not consistent if the fifth TPMS sensor were indeed programmed to the ECU. Based on the description, perhaps a TE model (non LE) ECU is ignoring the fifth TPMS whether it is written or not written to ECU.
Boyds4Runner
New member
I read up on this before I upgraded my tires. Since I knew my 2015 would not have a TPMS in the spare I purchased a matching wheel and had my 5th tire mounted with no TPMS sensor.
I will treat it like a stock spare and only use it when needed. If I do need it while off-roading it will be the same size as the other tires and not compromise the 4 wheel drive system.
A little known story as to why I always put the spare underneath the truck with the "nice" side facing the bottom of the truck rather than facing the road...With the nice side facing the road it creates a nice little nest area for animals.
Years ago in my Chevy Blazer the spare was held in the same place and it had the nice side facing down. One night out on the 30 minute drive home my friend and I kept hearing the sound of a kitten, we dismissed it thinking it was in the music we were listening to at the time. Sure-enough the next morning in the garage I hear the same kitten meow. Turns out in the cold, snowy night the kitten found refuge in the nice, warm and protected pocket the upside down spare created.
Also, when off-roading that nice side is going to get scraped up pretty good when sliding off the rocks.
Just my $.02 and yes, I occasionally drop the spare to check the tire pressure. I like doing that to make sure the spare-tire release crank works too in addition to checking the tire pressure.
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Good discussion. Since the spare does seem to fit fine with the stem facing down, I'm curious why Toyota (and the owner's manual) seem to think it needs to face up.
Coincidentally, I did lower a spare in my garage to check it about a week before taking a long trip and, yes, having that dreaded "low pressure" light come on. Fortunately, weather was good and it was short distance to an interstate exit with a nicely paved place to pull off. I think Toyota (and the other manufacturers) just assume two groups of consumers. Those with AAA who would wait hours to avoid getting their hands dirty, and others who will be able to figure it out.
Coincidentally, I did lower a spare in my garage to check it about a week before taking a long trip and, yes, having that dreaded "low pressure" light come on. Fortunately, weather was good and it was short distance to an interstate exit with a nicely paved place to pull off. I think Toyota (and the other manufacturers) just assume two groups of consumers. Those with AAA who would wait hours to avoid getting their hands dirty, and others who will be able to figure it out.
hereinhelena
Junior Member
So does this sound about right (From reading this thread and my Owner's Manual). For at least 2014-2017:
Non-Limited Models only (e.g. SR5, Trail, TRD)
1. Stock 4-Runner spare doesn't have TPMS (this is clearly stated in my manual)
2. Older (2010-2012?) 5th gen's only have 4 TPMS slots in the computer - they are incapable of monitoring the spare.
3. ROCHMPR's 2015 Trail was successfully programmed to monitor the spare.
So it appears, perhaps, that it will monitor the spare - if the spare is programmed in. Otherwise it ignores it. Does this sound about right?
I have a 2017 TRD-Pro & am thinking it would be nice to monitor the spare also, particularly since I probably don't check it as often as I should.
Pringles Mcingles
Member
My 2013 Trail has TPMS. It's not an active system to where the dash monitors air pressure and gives you readings, but it'll tell you if your air pressure gets low -- though not sure to what threshold.
I picked up a nail and had a slow leak which I didn't notice. One day I had a new light on the dash alerting me to the tire pressure loss.
interesting and useful thread.
I went investigating my TPMS light more thoroughly today. The light came ona week ago when the temperature took a drop; perfectly normal. I aired up all four drive wheels but the light never went away. So I assumed spare was the culprit.
Fast forward to today. I grabbed a TPMS scan tool from work today and went to read my sensors (and see if the spare had a sensor at all). When I got to the driverside rear, the tool gave me an error that the sensor had a duplicate ID. It did actually read the sensor, gave me a reading of 37psi, which i verified with an air gauge that tire was slightly lower than the other 3 which had 38psi. I also tried reading the spare (the tool asked me if I have 4 or 5 sensors, i guessed 5). I was unable to read the 5th sensor at all, but with the wheel mounted upside down I don't know where the sensor is located.
I did this all wirelessly with an Autel MaxiTPMS TS601. It has provisions for OBDII, so I'm going to try that shortly.
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I'm mostly curious how a TMPS sensor could change it's ID on its own randomly, causing a duplicate sensor reading. Should be covered under warranty anyway with only 11k miles.
I went investigating my TPMS light more thoroughly today. The light came ona week ago when the temperature took a drop; perfectly normal. I aired up all four drive wheels but the light never went away. So I assumed spare was the culprit.
Fast forward to today. I grabbed a TPMS scan tool from work today and went to read my sensors (and see if the spare had a sensor at all). When I got to the driverside rear, the tool gave me an error that the sensor had a duplicate ID. It did actually read the sensor, gave me a reading of 37psi, which i verified with an air gauge that tire was slightly lower than the other 3 which had 38psi. I also tried reading the spare (the tool asked me if I have 4 or 5 sensors, i guessed 5). I was unable to read the 5th sensor at all, but with the wheel mounted upside down I don't know where the sensor is located.
I did this all wirelessly with an Autel MaxiTPMS TS601. It has provisions for OBDII, so I'm going to try that shortly.
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I'm mostly curious how a TMPS sensor could change it's ID on its own randomly, causing a duplicate sensor reading. Should be covered under warranty anyway with only 11k miles.
well, nix most of what I wrote... I decided to not be lazy and move my truck away from all the other vehicles in the parking lot. Had no issue activating and reading all 5 sensors.
4x drive wheels 38psi (the 37psi tire got to sit in the sun when I moved the truck), and spare is 25psi. A previous poster said his spare was inflated to 50psi from the factory. I hope mine wasn't because that'd be a 25psi drop. If it was like 32/34, I could see it changing from 32psi in NC in the summer, to 25psi where I am in northern MD now.
If anyone cares, my spare is mounted with the TPMS sensor pointed directly towards the back bumper. Stem looks accessible with a flexible air chuck.
4x drive wheels 38psi (the 37psi tire got to sit in the sun when I moved the truck), and spare is 25psi. A previous poster said his spare was inflated to 50psi from the factory. I hope mine wasn't because that'd be a 25psi drop. If it was like 32/34, I could see it changing from 32psi in NC in the summer, to 25psi where I am in northern MD now.
If anyone cares, my spare is mounted with the TPMS sensor pointed directly towards the back bumper. Stem looks accessible with a flexible air chuck.
AK Mule
New member
I have had a lot of trucks over the years, and the first thing I do is take the spare out from underneath the truck and put it in the back of the bed (SUVs, not pickups).
In Alaska, there is no way you can get that thing out in the dark and snow from underneath. The tire pressure drops too much from the cold, too. Also, over the years, the chains and cranks, and lowering devices rust (as well as the wheel).
They are also stolen a lot on pickups up here.
On our 2017, it took me quite a while to take it out on a sunny warm day. So I removed it, tied up the chains underneath, and placed it in the back. Takes up some room, but it is warm and available when I (or my wife) need it.
I told a guy at work I did this, and he looked at his 2015 Ford pickup spare. It was flat, rusty, and very hard to drop down, since there was 4 years of road grime on everything.
In Alaska, there is no way you can get that thing out in the dark and snow from underneath. The tire pressure drops too much from the cold, too. Also, over the years, the chains and cranks, and lowering devices rust (as well as the wheel).
They are also stolen a lot on pickups up here.
On our 2017, it took me quite a while to take it out on a sunny warm day. So I removed it, tied up the chains underneath, and placed it in the back. Takes up some room, but it is warm and available when I (or my wife) need it.
I told a guy at work I did this, and he looked at his 2015 Ford pickup spare. It was flat, rusty, and very hard to drop down, since there was 4 years of road grime on everything.
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