Tire Pressure Sensors gone bad...

[MtnDon]

Well, from my perspective it was those tires and those vehicles that had the huge volume of failures. The owners of Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, etc. vehicles are not any smarter than Ford owners, no matter what we Toyota owners think of ourselves.

[Redneck Teepee]

Well, from my perspective it was those tires and those vehicles that had the huge volume of failures. The owners of Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, etc. vehicles are not any smarter than Ford owners, no matter what we Toyota owners think of ourselves.

You are correct Don, the Ford Explorer became known as the "Roll Over King". I believe Firestone quit selling to Ford for the Explorer application stating that no matter what brand of tire suddenly deflated the explorer was extremely unstable. But Firestone was of course liable for a huge amount of defective tires they put on the road back then.

[celticquetzel]

First. You guys are the best. I`ve been so frustrated with the tire light issue. Keep checking and rechecking pressure. Totally paranoid. Good news is I need new tires and now I won't sound like and idiot. Also, a few years ago, when they worked, light went off and I searched and fussed until I found the nail. The week before a cross country trip. So, when the little buggers work they are great. Again, thanks!!!

[RonS]

Since the TPMS system is federally mandated, any removal or modification is against the law.

Got a citation of law to back that claim up? Best I could find the law only required that the be equipped at the time of manufacture.

PA. has an inspection yearly to get your plate sticker and the light has to be off to start the inspection, thus you have to maintain the system.

Yes, we have inspection in PA, but it not only has nothing to do with getting the sticker for your plate, the inspection procedure doesn't mention TPMS sensors/lights. If someone tells you the light has to be out to pass inspection, they're lying to you.

Fix-a-flat will kill a TPMS sensor, if you have a slow leak get the tire fixed. If you used fix-a-flat the chemical in the slop gets in the hole in the tire and stops the leak, but the chemicals are not compatible with the glue for patching, so that means you ruined the tire too, because you can't patch it.

Fix-a-flat should just be avoided, period.

[Padilen]

I was informed that by 2018 backup cameras are going to be required.

[Lesbest]

Ron, the best I could come up with now is Title 49, Section 30122 Making Safety Devices and Elements Inoperative.

I think I have a better notice at work, I'll try to get it tomorrow.
Thanks, Les

[Yak]

Since the TPMS system is federally mandated, any removal or modification is against the law. The early Corvette system had location specific sensors. A used wheel with a LF sensor on the RF would make the module go crazy---2 LF sensors and no RF sensor, you had to look for the problem. The new cars have smarter sensors that are programmable, after they are installed , the tech goes from wheel to wheel in a prescribed order to teach the sensor where they are. Since cars only have 4 wheels, and a spare the module will only read 5 inputs and a trailer wheel would be too far away for the module to read it. A tech walking thru the lot with the reader/programmer in his hand can by turning it on and going thru the wake-up sequence change the sensor on a car he is walking passed by accident. Don't know it happened till owner comes back with a stupid sensor (light on) and it reprograms ok.

The sensors are not universal, they can be car specific, wheel specific, and year specific. PA. has an inspection yearly to get your plate sticker and the light has to be off to start the inspection, thus you have to maintain the system.

Fix-a-flat will kill a TPMS sensor, if you have a slow leak get the tire fixed. If you used fix-a-flat the chemical in the slop gets in the hole in the tire and stops the leak, but the chemicals are not compatible with the glue for patching, so that means you ruined the tire too, because you can't patch it.




Look at the box or bag the sensor comes in, it's dated, New Old Stock, or NOS is not good for TPMS sensors, 6 years old when installed won't give you 5 years use. So watch buying online auctions.

You can thank the legislators for these added items, the manufacturers HAD to add them, helped along by the Ford Explorer debacle, from a few years ago.

Hope this helps,
Les

100% correct information

Even though I have 2 vehicles with the sensors I still before a long trip check tire pressure for peace of mind. Just me

At the most 50% right

I am a PA inspection mechanic and it's not in the PA inspection code for the light to be out

I am also a Ford tech and I don't know of any vehicle that you can walk by with a "hand held scanner" and wake up the sensors, the all need to be hard wired or a switch routine to program the sensors.

[Redneck Teepee]

Since the TPMS system is federally mandated, any removal or modification is against the law. The early Corvette system had location specific sensors. A used wheel with a LF sensor on the RF would make the module go crazy---2 LF sensors and no RF sensor, you had to look for the problem. The new cars have smarter sensors that are programmable, after they are installed , the tech goes from wheel to wheel in a prescribed order to teach the sensor where they are. Since cars only have 4 wheels, and a spare the module will only read 5 inputs and a trailer wheel would be too far away for the module to read it. A tech walking thru the lot with the reader/programmer in his hand can by turning it on and going thru the wake-up sequence change the sensor on a car he is walking passed by accident. Don't know it happened till owner comes back with a stupid sensor (light on) and it reprograms ok.

The sensors are not universal, they can be car specific, wheel specific, and year specific. PA. has an inspection yearly to get your plate sticker and the light has to be off to start the inspection, thus you have to maintain the system.

Fix-a-flat will kill a TPMS sensor, if you have a slow leak get the tire fixed. If you used fix-a-flat the chemical in the slop gets in the hole in the tire and stops the leak, but the chemicals are not compatible with the glue for patching, so that means you ruined the tire too, because you can't patch it.




Look at the box or bag the sensor comes in, it's dated, New Old Stock, or NOS is not good for TPMS sensors, 6 years old when installed won't give you 5 years use. So watch buying online auctions.

You can thank the legislators for these added items, the manufacturers HAD to add them, helped along by the Ford Explorer debacle, from a few years ago.

Hope this helps,
Les

100% correct information

Even though I have 2 vehicles with the sensors I still before a long trip check tire pressure for peace of mind. Just me

At the most 50% right

I am a PA inspection mechanic and it's not in the PA inspection code for the light to be out

I am also a Ford tech and I don't know of any vehicle that you can walk by with a "hand held scanner" and wake up the sensors, the all need to be hard wired or a switch routine to program the sensors.

Yak, my Chevy dealer has a hand held scanner that they walk around my truck and reprogram the sensor's new positions when the tires get rotated. They have done it several times for me. I did it myself at first by following the owners manual instructions....letting the air out until the horn honks and then refilling to proper pressure until I was informed of the hand held device.

[Redneck Teepee]

http://www.otctools.com/products/obdii-tpms-tool

[Yak]

Since the TPMS system is federally mandated, any removal or modification is against the law. The early Corvette system had location specific sensors. A used wheel with a LF sensor on the RF would make the module go crazy---2 LF sensors and no RF sensor, you had to look for the problem. The new cars have smarter sensors that are programmable, after they are installed , the tech goes from wheel to wheel in a prescribed order to teach the sensor where they are. Since cars only have 4 wheels, and a spare the module will only read 5 inputs and a trailer wheel would be too far away for the module to read it. A tech walking thru the lot with the reader/programmer in his hand can by turning it on and going thru the wake-up sequence change the sensor on a car he is walking passed by accident. Don't know it happened till owner comes back with a stupid sensor (light on) and it reprograms ok.

The sensors are not universal, they can be car specific, wheel specific, and year specific. PA. has an inspection yearly to get your plate sticker and the light has to be off to start the inspection, thus you have to maintain the system.

Fix-a-flat will kill a TPMS sensor, if you have a slow leak get the tire fixed. If you used fix-a-flat the chemical in the slop gets in the hole in the tire and stops the leak, but the chemicals are not compatible with the glue for patching, so that means you ruined the tire too, because you can't patch it.




Look at the box or bag the sensor comes in, it's dated, New Old Stock, or NOS is not good for TPMS sensors, 6 years old when installed won't give you 5 years use. So watch buying online auctions.

You can thank the legislators for these added items, the manufacturers HAD to add them, helped along by the Ford Explorer debacle, from a few years ago.

Hope this helps,
Les

100% correct information

Even though I have 2 vehicles with the sensors I still before a long trip check tire pressure for peace of mind. Just me

At the most 50% right

I am a PA inspection mechanic and it's not in the PA inspection code for the light to be out

I am also a Ford tech and I don't know of any vehicle that you can walk by with a "hand held scanner" and wake up the sensors, the all need to be hard wired or a switch routine to program the sensors.

Yak, my Chevy dealer has a hand held scanner that they walk around my truck and reprogram the sensor's new positions when the tires get rotated. They have done it several times for me. I did it myself at first by following the owners manual instructions....letting the air out until the horn honks and then refilling to proper pressure until I was informed of the hand held device.

Yes, as do Fords but the car still has to be put in the learning mode first, plus the range of the handheld device is short, a few inches at most. My point was that you can't accidentally reprogram another vehicle near by.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKmRkgMB9rE