TPMS questions

[tomvcrc]

I just purchased a set of aftermarket wheels and tires and opted not to get a second set of TPMS sensors. I read on the forum somewhere that you can expect to drive 100 miles before the dash light starts blinking. I also read that if my stock wheels are left in the garage, that the TPMS computer module will pick up their signal.

My questions is this...how much of this is true? Will my truck pickup the TPMS signal and can I expect to drive up to 100 miles before seeing the light? Just out of curiosity, how far away can the wheels be for the system to pickup the signal?

 

[chaz]

at night just park somewhere near them, i leave mine in the garage & park right outside, not sure about leaving them in say, the basement or far away storage shed in the backyard. i dont drive that far away anymore, & my light never comes on unless a tire/s get low on air. its also an estimated 100 or 1hr, ive driven 1/2 hr or so away, parked for awhile then driven home & it didnt come on, ive also driven from place to place all day or during the night & its never come on, but in between them, these drives have most often taken back to my town or near my home so maybe it picks up the signal during that time. but im pretty sure if u drove over an hr to work the light would come on when driving home, no worries, if u parked near them at night, it would just reset & be off in the morning. thats been my experience with it, but theres only one way for u to find out for sure.

 

[camdz]

Why not just bypass the light all together? Or put the sensors inside of an enclosed PVC pipe and pressurize it. Then just stash it in a rear compartment.

 

[chaz]

My TPMS Sensor DIY - Tacoma World Forums u can also do the bypass. TPMS disable, I hope - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum

 

[ALLEGRO]

Not trying to hijack your thread, but I believe the TPMS to be a necessary part of our safety while driving. I have three cars with the system and understand the challenge that changing them brings. $$$ But, I also very much enjoy knowing that I have a tire a bit low when even a visual inspection would have not alerted me.

Unless you just can't afford to do so, I do recommend everyone that travels on the highway to maintain the system and allow it to do its job to avoid a time-consuming flat or even worse.

JMHO

 

[Synister]

When I changed my wheels I would go about 40 or 50 mi before the light would come on. Sometimes the old wheels in the garage would reset the light and sometimes not. I sold the wheels and now its always on. I don't even notice it.

 

[chaz]

i kinda agree with allegro, but i dont exactly like the way it functions, so i went with an inexpensive aftermarket system in my new wheels that gives a readout of exactly what pressure each tire has. its much better than just waiting for a light to come on when a tire gets to 26psi. this is what i use >

 

[Doozi]

Don't these sensors go to "sleep" when motionless to conserve battery power? If they are stacked in a corner of the garage, how would they reset the system?


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[DaveS]

Don't these sensors go to "sleep" when motionless to conserve battery power? If they are stacked in a corner of the garage, how would they reset the system?


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Have no idea how they work but my 4th Gen senses the summers in the garage from outside when I have my non-TPMS winters on. Drive over about an hour round trip and the systems starts complaining it cannot find the tires. Only problem is making sure the spare is pumped up as well or it starts to go low with the cold and brings on the light. The dealer whines every time I make them take the spare up to 36 in the fall to avoid this issue but it works.

TPMS is good for catching a leak before you run the tire low enough to damage the side wall but it's dangerous to rely on it to confirm your pressures are correct - there's no replacement for checking pressures by hand on a regular basis.

 

[chaz]

its based on pressure & works when the 4r is turned on & off, if it went to sleep when motionless, when the spare got low it wouldnt set off the light, & we all know low air in the spare does this often. if in doubt, go outside, turn the 4r on without moving it , air a tire down below 26 & see what happens.

 

[toto]

When the car is new and shipped from the factory, the sensors are in sleep mode to save power. When the dealer puts the car on the lot, they're supposed to go through the process of waking them up. (That involves reducing the pressure in the tire by 6 PSI or more within 30 seconds. Nothing to do with movement.) Toyota's system expects the sensors stay on after that until their battery dies.