TPMS and swapping tires

[badhabits]

Bah! I just put my snow set on (sans TPMS's) and ignore the silly light for a few months.

What did everyone do before TPMS. Why spend all this money on cloning sensors when all you need to do is to do it the old fashioned way of checking the pressure once a week, you should do this anyway. If it is low then add air. How many of us carry an air compressor around anyway. I think that [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] has the right idea on this.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

What did everyone do before TPMS. Why spend all this money on cloning sensors when all you need to do is to do it the old fashioned way of checking the pressure once a week, you should do this anyway. If it is low then add air. How many of us carry an air compressor around anyway. I think that [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] has the right idea on this.

I think you would be suprised at the number of people that have air compressors on board. Either way, the light is annoying, esp at night.

Its all personal preferance. some people could care less about tpms, others like it. Neither is right or wrong its just a preferance.

 

[badhabits]

I think you would be suprised at the number of people that have air compressors on board. Either way, the light is annoying, esp at night.

Its all personal preferance. some people could care less about tpms, others like it. Neither is right or wrong its just a preferance.

I should have said: Most of us carry around air compressors.
A point you made earlier about sleep mode with the sensors. Is it a timer in the computer that keeps the light from coming on when you start the vehicle and before you move? If so I wonder if this could be used to eliminate the light through Techstream or some other programing method. Just a thought.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

I should have said: Most of us carry around air compressors.
A point you made earlier about sleep mode with the sensors. Is it a timer in the computer that keeps the light from coming on when you start the vehicle and before you move? If so I wonder if this could be used to eliminate the light through Techstream or some other programing method. Just a thought.

Unless i can figure out how to re code modules with the tech stream(like i can with BMWs and audis) i dont think it will be possible.

 

[Yotta]

...the TPMS sensors send readings for the tire pressure, tire temperature, and battery status.

I wonder if that's accessible through CANBUS and so can be displayed on Torque screen...

 

[1000MPH]

Here's a screenshot of TechStream TPMS info.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

Here's a screenshot of TechStream TPMS info.

look at you and your 37.3 psi exactly in all 4 tires!!!! You fancy

 

[Newf4R]

What did everyone do before TPMS. Why spend all this money on cloning sensors when all you need to do is to do it the old fashioned way of checking the pressure once a week, you should do this anyway. If it is low then add air. How many of us carry an air compressor around anyway. I think that [MENTION=51186]philsey[/MENTION] has the right idea on this.

Like Scott mentioned... I hate the light. But I also hate having a Useful piece of equipment on my 4Runner not working.

That's like me saying What did everyone do before airbags. Sure we never had them many years ago, but if mines not working I'm gonna get my a$$ to the shop and get it fixed right away. lol

 

[philsey]

Like Scott mentioned... I hate the light. But I also hate having a Useful piece of equipment on my 4Runner not working.
. lol

You big baby - I'm gonna send you a little piece of black electrical tape.

 

[badhabits]

Like Scott mentioned... I hate the light. But I also hate having a Useful piece of equipment on my 4Runner not working.

That's like me saying What did everyone do before airbags. Sure we never had them many years ago, but if mines not working I'm gonna get my a$$ to the shop and get it fixed right away. lol

I think that we are not talking about a system not working, but temporarily bypassing it to use different tires for 3 or 4 months out of the year in a manner that is not annoying. If you are willing to go through all this trouble to extinguish a dash light more power to you. Personally I think that it would be a pain to do this just for the short time needed. Just my opinion. Yes I know the saying about opinions!

 

[1000MPH]

look at you and your 37.3 psi exactly in all 4 tires!!!! You fancy

Yeah, maybe they are broken. Yesterday I measured with a gauge and three were at 37.5 and the one closest to the water heater was at 38. It was a little warmer out.

Newf4R: I think you will find a painless and reasonably priced solution but it might take a little bit more research.

As for philsey and badhabits: don't come crying when...

More info...
http://www.partsandpeople.com/node/4414

 

[msommers]

The ATEQ TPM Quickset tool seems like the cheapest way to go. Are the TPMS ID's readable on the sensor itself, ie: if I dismount my winter tires I just put on, I can find the number on there and punch in the IDs on the tool and voila, TPMS lit off?!

 

[Scott@Hightech]

I think that we are not talking about a system not working.....

No actually if the sensors are not present the system CAN'T work. Its supposed to read those sensors, thats the whole point of the system.

Now as far as dealing with it for the winter time frame, That may be different for different people. NewF4r Lives way up north winter for him may be 6 months(dont quote me on that). So if the system is non functional %50 of the time thats easily enough to warrant a remedy.


Yes the Sensor ID is printed on the sensor itself, You have to have that number to program into the Techstream. If you have a bartec style tool, it will read the sensor and then program it in itself.

 

[badhabits]

No actually if the sensors are not present the system CAN'T work. Its supposed to read those sensors, thats the whole point of the system.

Now as far as dealing with it for the winter time frame, That may be different for different people. NewF4r Lives way up north winter for him may be 6 months(dont quote me on that). So if the system is non functional %50 of the time thats easily enough to warrant a remedy.


Yes the Sensor ID is printed on the sensor itself, You have to have that number to program into the Techstream. If you have a bartec style tool, it will read the sensor and then program it in itself.

You are correct in NewF4r's case he has a point. The winters in his area can be quite long and having the TPMS system on another set of tires would be good. My point is are we dependent on this system and not checking tire pressure manually as we should. I know this is probably an isolated indecent but I had a flat on my RAV4 and the sensor never went off. I do not trust TPMS to give me accurate information and could live without it.
I also understand where you are coming from as licensed shop you have to follow the law when doing repairs.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

You are correct in NewF4r's case he has a point. The winters in his area can be quite long and having the TPMS system on another set of tires would be good. My point is are we dependent on this system and not checking tire pressure manually as we should. I know this is probably an isolated indecent but I had a flat on my RAV4 and the sensor never went off. I do not trust TPMS to give me accurate information and could live without it.
I also understand where you are coming from as licensed shop you have to follow the law when doing repairs.

Personally i agree with you, I think TPMS is a waste of time, Ive been staring at a light since march in my bmw. my factory wheels have tpms sensors in them and are going back on soon. at this point im looking forward to the light being out. When i get next years summer wheels(still not sure what im gonna get) i plan on putting sensors in.

 

[phillyd2]

The ATEQ TPM Quickset tool seems like the cheapest way to go. Are the TPMS ID's readable on the sensor itself, ie: if I dismount my winter tires I just put on, I can find the number on there and punch in the IDs on the tool and voila, TPMS lit off?!

Yes. They are written on the side of the sensor but the ATEQ TPM Quickset tool will also read them after they are installed. Once done it takes seconds to upload the new numbers.

 

[msommers]

Sounds pretty painless. So if I use the tool now with winters on, should I bother inputting the codes for the summers since the tool will scan and install the new sensors itself?

 

[sven]

The ATEQ TPM Quickset tool seems like the cheapest way to go. Are the TPMS ID's readable on the sensor itself, ie: if I dismount my winter tires I just put on, I can find the number on there and punch in the IDs on the tool and voila, TPMS lit off?!

The $29 Techstream cable/software is the cheapest way to go, but you have to manually rewrite the TPMS ids. The $144 ATEZ TPM Quickset tool automates rewriting the TPMS ids. If you use the Techstream cable, remember to write down and save the TPMS id numbers for the set of wheels that you are removing, because you have to re-input them when you put that set of wheels back on. You don't have to do this with the ATEZ TPM Quickset tool.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

That's exactly what I don't like about Toyota's implementation of TPMS on the 4Runner. The TPMS light is a dummy light. It tells you something is wrong with the TPMS, but not what is wrong. Your sensor could have stopped working (ie dead battery) or the pressure in one or more tires triggered the sensor by falling to 26 lbs. or lower. The TPMS systems in some other cars give you readouts of the tire pressure and temperature in each wheel. I've used the Techstream cable to confirm that on my 4th gen T4R the TPMS sensors send readings for the tire pressure, tire temperature, and battery status. Toyota should have upgraded the TPMS on the 5th gen to show the individual tire pressure, tire temperature, and battery status on the 4Runner's infotainment screen since the sensors are already collecting this information. Instead, Toyota stuck with the dummy light.

Actually if you understand how the TPMS system works its not that hard to tell what's wrong.

Almost all TPMS systems that use a direct TPMS system work this way:

-If the light is on solid from start up, the system has an issue with tire pressure too low/too high (This is what training literature for many systems say, but I have yet to see a TPMS set a light in any vehicle for being too high)

-If the light blinks for close to a minute or so when the vehicle is turned on (after about a minute it will go solid) there is a DTC related to communication and/or system failure stored in the TPMS module. This is normally caused by a failed/broken sensor, but there could be a module failure or something else (I have only seen this once on a brand new Sienna so far, these TPMS systems tend to be pretty solid otherwise)


While I agree that a small screen or tie-in to a Navigation head unit like some of the Sienna, Highlanders, and so on wouldn't be a bad idea. Many customers still don't understand why the light is on even on vehicles that have that.

For example I regularly get customers in Highlanders who say "My tire light is on! I don't know why!" and the small screen on their Highlander is going "HEY! look I got all your PSI read outs and one is low!!!" But the way Toyota's system is designed you can't tell WHICH sensor is reading what (I posted earlier in this thread about how it works). Which is a compromise in my eyes. Because if Toyota went the GM route, MANY people would have wrong sensor locations because rarely anyone actually reprograms the system on those GMs after doing tire changes and rotations.

 

[eddiebx]

Someone with techstream and some balls, tell me what happens when you fill on all "0"s for each TPMS ID. I wonder if that could disable it, lol.