Top Three TPMS Problems

 

As is known to all, TPMS has brought significant progress in driving security, however, there remain some challenges. It is important to understand the different TPMS issue, and how to deal with them. After reading this article, you may be aware of why these problems occur and how to fix them. Here come top 3 problems you may encounter.

 

Problem 1 : There is no alert when TPMS failed 

Many vehicles do not immediately warn the driver of a failed sensor or failed battery. The situation is usually something like this: A technician just completed a tire rotation for customer’s car. Just a rotation. Keep other parts unchanged. The vehicle was just sent out from auto service shop. After a while, the customer is back complaining of a flashing TPMS light.

So What’s the problem? 

It’s not the technician’s fault, it’s very likely that one or more TPMS sensor batteries are flat or the sensor(s) were already dead before the vehicle arrive at the shop.

 

You may not aware that when a sensor “dies” or stops working, it could take days or a week [depending on daily driving habits] before the TPMS would register the fault and display a MIL. Thus, customers can (and will) arrive at service shop with dead TPMS sensors. Technicians can save themselves so much aggravation if they would simply check the sensors with an activation tool before they begin work. It would be better if they can test the sensors and connect to the OBD and check for TPMS-related DTCs. Not only does this easy first step prevent them from inheriting a bad situation, but it’s also a great way to begin a TPMS conversation with the customer.

Problem 2 : The TPMS display not light up

Note that if you’re dealing with a pressure-by-position system and you don’t perform a relearn, the vehicle will not provide an indication to let you know. As a result, The TPMS display will not light up.

A relearn is the process outlined by the vehicle manufacturer that needs to be done whenever a sensor is replaced, moved or rotated. Relearning a vehicle is the process of telling the vehicle which sensor is located in each tire. This ensures the vehicle is reading the correct pressure and displaying their proper locations. A step of relearn is necessary and here are Steps to a more efficient relearn process:

 

1.Make sure you follow the relearn entirely and in the proper sequence. Double-check as you go that the steps are done correctly. There are no shortcuts to the relearn process.

2.Call right away. Don’t waste time. If you try everything and still can’t turn off the TPMS light, don’t wait to give your sensor manufacturer’s tech line a call and let them walk you through it.

3.When you call, make sure you have the tenth character of the VIN number ready to share. It symbolizes the model year and will be needed by your service representative.

4.Have your Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) ready to share with the service representative at the time of the call.

5.Make sure you know which sensor was originally removed from the vehicle and have it ready.

Problem 3 : Did not process relearn tools properly

Regarding relearn process, the most common problem is that technicians fail to periodically update their TPMS relearn tools with the latest software required for new vehicle sensors. The tool companies often offer these updates, but many technicians don’t update frequently, resulting in missing upgrades and new features.

TPMS tool updates are very important because of the fast-paced nature of change within TPMS. New sensors, new vehicles, programmable sensors and new relearn procedures are always being released. Updating tool is the only way to keep up.

Another relearn process problem is that the relearn tool doesn’t work after relearn two or three times. If you’re working on a vehicle and you’ve attempted a relearn two or three times, don’t keep wasting your time working on it. This indicates that something is wrong. You could be performing an incorrect relearn procedure, Granted, if you are sure that you’re following the relearn that’s correct for the specific vehicle, it’s likely that the sensor is broken. Replacing the sensors all day long won’t fix the problem. Make a habit of checking for recalls.

vehicles that feature auto-relearn and pressure-by-position systems has seen a great increase and continue to grow. If you switch wheel positions on a vehicle that has a pressure-by-position system, you must have a tool to do a relearn, but with an auto-relearn system, no tool is needed.

Last but not least, remember to follow the correct relearn procedure for the specific make, model and year of vehicle. Never assume that the procedure is the same for different years of the same make and model. Always refer to the VIN to accurately determine the year, as opposed to the build date. TPMS tools are now available that allow you to scan the VIN bar code to obtain the year.