Oppopinions - TPMS

"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
10/04/2016 at 07:52 • Filed to: None

It’s starting to get cold out in the great northern states and TPMS light are illuminating and then turning off again.

So Oppo? TPMS: Fight it or Forget it.

DISCUSSION (36)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 07:55

Its a useless feature to me. Cars we owned that had it, all had broken TPMS.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 07:56

Well when the weather gets cold enough to drop my tire pressure, I usually start running at a higher pressure to keep it at or above the recommended, even when the temperature dips. I would think the TPMS is just telling you how it is dropping lower than recommended and then it is going back up. You could ignore it but I would think adding more air could be a good idea. I have never had TPMS though so I am only guessing that is what is happening.

CalzoneGolem > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/04/2016 at 07:59

Yeah, on of my wife’s sensors (or maybe all of them at this point) broke and I’m not interested in paying for a new sensor.

CalzoneGolem > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/04/2016 at 08:00

This is exactly what is happening.

functionoverfashion > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:05

PVC pipe, seal one end, removable cap on the other. Install Schraeder valve. Put sensors inside pipe, pressurize, put pipe in trunk, forget about it.

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:06

I haven’t had TPMS in my car for awhile now. I just ignore it, keep an eye on my pressures, and run them a bit higher in the winter.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:09

Forget it.

Stapleface > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:10

I usually forget it. One of the reasons is because I have a set of winter wheels so when I swap them the light is on for the next 4 months anyway. So the daily fluctuations of the set with the TPMS in it doesn’t even bother me. I’m actually rather surprised the bulb hasn’t burned out yet.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:16

My dad just uses it as a indication to turn of TC in his BRZ.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Stapleface
10/04/2016 at 08:17

LEDs will go basically forever in that type of application.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:17

To me its like digital oil level read outs. Youre still guna want to check it manually to be sure, so why bother shelling out to keep the system working.

CalzoneGolem > functionoverfashion
10/04/2016 at 08:22

This is like the mad scientist approach.

Boxer_4 > functionoverfashion
10/04/2016 at 08:41

That only works for some systems; others, like what Subaru uses, need the sensor to be rotating above a certain speed (~15-20 mph or so) to prevent the sensor from “falling asleep” (the sensors go to sleep after ~15 minutes of not rotating to save sensor battery life.

There are other methods to defeat these systems that I’ve been looking into, but the TPMS hasn’t gotten to that level of annoying yet .

Boxer_4 > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 08:44

I have a sensor that has been intermittently dying in cold weather for the last 3 years...

...about 10 minutes into the first drive of the day, the light blinks for a minute, stays solid for about 3 minutes, and then goes out for the rest of the day.

CalzoneGolem > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 08:45

This is exactly how mine behaves.

TheRealBicycleBuck > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 09:01

The light appeared in the WRX this morning. Gave me fits until I confirmed there were no flat tires.

mazda616 > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 09:32

Mine usually come on once at the start of winter and I add 1-2 PSI and they’re fine again until next year.

BigBlock440 > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 09:35

Pretty sure that’s not a sensor dying, but you’re air pressure dropping.

wiffleballtony > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 09:49

Mine went off this morning.

functionoverfashion > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 09:59

Interesting, I guess that makes sense. My wife’s 2007 X3 has a system in place, and I just add a little air when it lights up, which is really only when it gets very cold like below 10F.

functionoverfashion > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 10:01

I guess it doesn’t work on some systems (disclaimer, I haven’t tried this myself on our car that has TPMS because it hasn’t been problematic yet). Apparently some require the sensor to be in motion for it to read, or else it will “sleep” which kind of makes sense.

Justin Hughes > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 10:16

Check and maintain your tire pressure just like you would if you didn’t have TPMS. Otherwise, forget it.

Ironically, it’s my winter (OEM) wheels that have TPMS sensors, not the summer (aftermarket) set. So I spend the summer months with the light constantly on, because I’m too cheap to buy sensors that do what I’m perfectly capable of doing on my own.

Tristan > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 10:35

I once owned a 2007 F-150. At 50,000-ish miles the light came on. I ignored it for the remainder of my ownership.

My WJ had the system that actually displays the pressure of each tire, which is neat. But, every time I start it, the system beeps at me and says “SERVICE TIRE PRESSURE SYSTEM”. I have no idea why, and the system still works perfectly aside from that. But in the WJ, I actually like having it since the Quadradrive II is very susceptible to damage from improper inflation, mismatched tires or unevenly worn tires.

CalzoneGolem > Tristan
10/04/2016 at 10:39

Having it display the pressure at each tire would make me want to maintain it. Hell having a a light for each tire would be way more useful.

Boxer_4 > BigBlock440
10/04/2016 at 11:00

If the air pressure was dropping, the light would come on steady.

As per the owner’s manual, when the TPMS light blinks for a minute before coming on steady, that indicates that the system has lost detection of at least one of the wheel sensors. The same thing would happen if the spare or another wheel without the sensor was used.

The odd thing is that the light goes out about three minutes after it says it can’t detect the sensor.

Boxer_4 > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 11:15

Is this on the ‘08 Forester, by any chance? Just curious.

It seems to be a common occurance across many makes and models.

Boxer_4 > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 11:16

Unless it’s the system that Toyota used in the Camrys for a while...

Kinja'd!!!

Tristan > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 11:18

Thanks, Toyota! That’s so helpful! lmao...

CalzoneGolem > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 11:28

Yup.

CalzoneGolem > Boxer_4
10/04/2016 at 11:29

What? Why?

Boxer_4 > CalzoneGolem
10/04/2016 at 20:01

I was asking the same question when the last Camry I had as a rental had the TPMS light on...

BigBlock440 > Boxer_4
10/05/2016 at 09:32

When you start driving it, the air heats up and the pressure goes up. I’d assume a sensor would be faulty in the warm weather also, at least some of the time. But, maybe it is, I’m glad none of my vehicles have them.

Boxer_4 > BigBlock440
10/05/2016 at 10:19

That would be the case if the TPMS light started out on, and then turned off after the tires were brought up to temperature. However, the light starts flashing after ~15 minutes of driving, then turns solid for a few minutes, then turns off.

After doing some further research, it appears that what I’m experiencing is an undocumented (at least in the owner’s manual) “feature”. What I’m experiencing appears to be pointing to a low sensor battery warning. It only happens in cold weather, which makes sense (battery performance degrades in cold weather).

I fully intend on disabling the TPMS when the sensors do finally fail. I’m not paying to replace those sensors.

Boxer_4 > CalzoneGolem
10/05/2016 at 10:20

Looking into it further, I believe that indicates that the battery in at least one of your sensors is low. I’ve heard it starts warning at 10% life remaining, but I don’t know for sure.

BigBlock440 > Boxer_4
10/05/2016 at 21:40

I re-read your original post, ok. I thought it said it turned on, started flashing after 10 minutes, then went off. I now realize it is off until 10 minutes into the drive. Oops.

Boxer_4 > BigBlock440
10/05/2016 at 21:44

No worries!