tire pressure monitoring

[rossmon1]

after 3 weeks of owning my new truck, the warning lite started blinking permanently last Sunday. So I check the air pressure and it is 38 cold all tires as set from the dealer. The spare is at 50.
So I leave the spare alone as I've read this is good to do for the sake of this sensitive system but lower all the tires to 34 thinking maybe the dealer knows something i dont know and 32 is too low. The system still blinks so as we had to leave the truck at the dealer anyway for an alarm system install, i have them check the tpms. My wife says that they lowered the tires to 32 and the problem is solved. Is that reasonable? I thought the system detected a lower tire and alarmed you, does it monitor for 32psi specifically? and if so why would it take 3 weeks to fail.
Sounds imponderable to me!!

BTW its so far the only real disappointment on the truck 4me that the t4r seems to have the more expensive type of pressure monitoring system but doesn't report which tire is bad or give out the individual air pressure per tire like on all the cars i'm familiar with that have individual radio transmitters in each rim.

 

[EDGE]

How can 1 remove this system

 

[rossmon1]

I have seen an earlier thread on this site that goes in2 that. I think that disabling the warning lite is the most effective way cause removing the transmitters from each rim will only cause the lite to blink annoyingly all the time.

 

[AZRunner]

If it is blinking, it is because the system is not working properly. Had this happen and it was because one of the sensors was not reporting properly. If the light is steady on, then it is the tire pressure. Had that happen with two screw incidents.

 

[benhar]

I'm having the same problem. My pressure light has been on for 2 months now. Unfortunately I can't take it to the dealer because it is an hour away, and I can't get off work in time to take it down there .

As far as 32 lbs, I've heard that the system looks for a certain amount of difference in pressure between tires, not a particular pressure. But if it is looking for 32 lbs, it might explain my problem, since I'm running 35 in all 5.

I also agree with AZRunner; the light should be steady if it's indicating a pressure problem.

 

[TRD04RUNNER]

wow you have 38 cold psi = 41 psi hot. in your tire! is that safe? how the ride with 38 psi in them??

 

[AZRunner]

The system checks for differences with all 5 tire sensors. I believe that the difference needs to be within 4psi. If one isn't, then a steady light will come on. If one of the sensors is not working, after a certain amount of miles it will start to blink. This usually occurs after a trip of 50 miles or more. I suggest that if the spare tire was originally set to 50psi and you didn't have an immediate steady light, then that sensor was probably not working properly. They probably switched it with another vehicle at the dealer and didn't program the new sensor info into the computer.

 

[rossmon1]

The system checks for differences with all 5 tire sensors. I believe that the difference needs to be within 4psi. If one isn't, then a steady light will come on. If one of the sensors is not working, after a certain amount of miles it will start to blink. This usually occurs after a trip of 50 miles or more. I suggest that if the spare tire was originally set to 50psi and you didn't have an immediate steady light, then that sensor was probably not working properly. They probably switched it with another vehicle at the dealer and didn't program the new sensor info into the computer.

thanks 4 the explanation, it sounds right, of course the dealer didnt tell my wife anything concrete, always trying to make it sound like theres nothing wrong or overlooked,

someone asked what did 38psi feel like, well nothing really, the truck only has 500 miles on it mostly done by my wife.
I commute all week on my motorcycle, no bridge tolls, free parking, $10 filll ups, and the hov lane!

 

[dcampen]

If one of the sensors is not working, after a certain amount of miles it will start to blink. This usually occurs after a trip of 50 miles or more.

Hmm, I drove around with a flat spare tire for about a week and I don't remember the light ever blinking, it was always solid on.

 

[AZRunner]

Hmm, I drove around with a flat spare tire for about a week and I don't remember the light ever blinking, it was always solid on.

That's because the sensor was working properly. If it (the sensor) was not working properly (i.e. not communicating) then it would have been blinking. If the tire is flat, and the sensor is working, the light will be solid.

 

[krosno3]

Mine light has started blinking today..I took a small trip (about 50 miles) and at the end it what do I see? Blinking light. I'm not sure if that is a problem but I have no spare tire. I don't know if that system can see how many sensor are installed or not because I've been driving without spare for some time now but never longer than 30 miles until today and the system worked fine.... I'll go to dealer tomorrow and see what is wrong with it.

 

[krosno3]

I'll go to dealer tomorrow and see what is wrong with it.

I went to a dealer today to find out more about mine blinking sensor light. When I told a guy, that I don't have my spare tire (because it was stolen) he right away answered that this is the problem and it is going to cost me....900$ !!!!!!!!:bash: Funny thing is that some time age I went there to a parts dept. and asked for price for all parts I needed to replace spare and it was 620$ total. First thing that came to my mind was that this guy tried to scare the hell out of me giving me that 900$ estimate. It's kind of stupid for me because I would think that he should try to get some business instead of scaring it away......

Now I have question. Does anyone know how exactly those sensors are programmed and could I do it by myself if I got one?

Also maybe someone has a picture of that sensor and could post it for me. Or even had one for sale??? If so I would be interested......

 

[rossmon1]

some advice

find the sensor at a cheap price. it may work in many rims. i was getting a number of custom wheels made up for free for a sl65 a hi end m/b and it has these sensors in the rims. The sensors were part of the tire valve and we could either use our originals from the oem wheels or buy new m/b ones. they were arround $200 a piece for a 140k car. I would search this site for some less expensive internet suppliers. After u get the sensor, u probably don't need the wheel to make the flashing go away. Find a dealer to help u out and program the thing or by a shop manual and do it yourself. Shouldn't take more than a minute unless its based on the windows os:arrow: Toyota would never be as stupid as to run their cars with the windows OS, so programming it should be a snap. carry the thing arround in the glove box until u find a wheel at a reasonable price and finish it off.
Oh yeah, put a piece of dark tape over the lite if it annoys u much.

 

[krosno3]

Re: some advice

find the sensor at a cheap price. it may work in many rims.

Thanks for your advice.....However I would really like to get orginal sensor or I won't put any sensor in spare.


Now..Does anyone have a picture of tire pressure sensor? I saw one today at tire shop and guy claimed that it's from Toyota but there was no Toyota name on it..I think it was "Pacific" or something like that...

Maybe someone has one and could post a pic of it here????:awais:

 

[AZRunner]

Re: Re: some advice

Thanks for your advice.....However I would really like to get orginal sensor or I won't put any sensor in spare.


Now..Does anyone have a picture of tire pressure sensor? I saw one today at tire shop and guy claimed that it's from Toyota but there was no Toyota name on it..I think it was "Pacific" or something like that...

Maybe someone has one and could post a pic of it here????:awais:

There is a picture of the sensor in this thread.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5428&highlight=tire+sensor

 

[Bill42]

You know I think part of the problem is skill based. When I had my tires switched out to 70's I went to a tire specialist who deals daily with swapping out new car tires with these sensors on them. I haven't had one single problem.

Also, I was told by the dealership that if the air pressure is not nearly the same in all five tires then it will alert you. I do not know what the difference has to be. But they said it is not a minimum pressure such as 32psi.