Hopefully this is a quick dumb question-

I recently installed (non-OEM) TPM sensors on an old set of wheels so I can use them for winter. Everything went fine with the install and (as far as I know) they've been working fine.

then a few days ago it got really cold, and I got the "low tire" warning, for all 4 tires.

I assume it's just the cold weather, so I just went through the reset process.

so I go to the menu in the nav screen and get to the TPM section, and hit 'reset' while the car is running (but stopped). it says "resetting" as I drive, for a couple miles, then it just goes straight back to "low tire".

Do I have to actually put air in the tires? why can't I just reset?? I tried about 5 times.

and similarly- when the temp comes back up, can I expect it to resolve?

thanks!!!

 

Have you actually measured the pressure in the tire. I presume it's notifying you for a reason… in my 2006 you have to reset it before you start the engine.

 

I'm going to go check/fill them all this afternoon- I just wanted to know if anyone is familiar enough with the system to know if it's possible to reset the indicator without adding air. (in my '03 you could, but this is different technology).

and yes I know it's telling me for a reason, but the fact that it's all 4 tires and that it happened when the temp dropped to 15 makes me doubt that I actually have 4 flat tires.

 

oh and the reset procedure seems to going as it should- the car has to be on to get to the menu, and the 'reset' option isn't available unless the car is stopped. I've done it with the engine running and with it stopped. it says "resetting" for a few miles, then just back to "low tire". so I don't know if that's what it's supposed to do, or if it could be a problem with the sensors.

 

Ah ok, I am not familiar with the reset procedure in a 2nd gen .

Fwiw the tire pressure drops 1 psi per 10 degrees and if your tires were already low, that may account for the drop in pressure making your alarm go off.

 

well, I checked pressures and they were all a little low. I put air in them all, and then it finally let me reset. Doesn't answer my question, but, turned the light off.

 

on the old ABS based system (GEN1) you could 'reset' at any time - you just retrained the system to what was 'now' - I believe this is one of the reasons that system did not meet the current US requirements.

On the newer "active" TPMS - yes you actually have to add air otherwise the reset just tries to reset but then immediately still reads a low number . . . on my Honda with active TPMS I don't even need to reset. With the cooler temps the TPMS came on the other morning. I quickly checked and added about 3 psi per wheel - restarted the car and the TPMS was out. No fuss, no muss.

 

We have been having up and down temps here and I get the light on when that happens and sometimes it's just the one tire but I check all of them and then I can reset. If the car doesn't have the right pressure then it won't let you reset.

 

Why would try to reset something a warning and not do anything about it? If it says low pressure it means low pressure not have a nice day. I mean it takes all of 5 minutes to check your air pressure. I guess putting this feature in cars was really a waste of time because there are still people who are going to ignore it.


Oh on a side note for every 10° drop in temperature it normally equates to 1 lbs drop in psi.

 

not my experience at all with my 2012 cms all4

i run 42 front 36 rear with my summer tires and 40 front 35 rear with my winters

no problem with the tpms at all

i do not believe there is a "correct" pressure, a reset sets the current pressure in memory and if it drops a certain amount from there it alarms

i check tire pressure weekly and if i add air to any tire i do a reset

have not had a false alarm, even at sub zero F temps

scott

 

It bases itself off of rotation. Meaning that if it detects that the rotation of the wheel and tire are in a certain spec set up by the factory it will trigger. It works even if you over fill your tires too.

 

not in the usa version, we have pressure transducers and transmitters inside the tires and a receiver mounted to the car body ... no rotation necessary

what you are describing is the euro/world version

scott

 

because of the temp swing in the midwest you would be filling and unfilling the tires every other day chasing 2 -3 lbs ,its a pain in the butt

 

I agree that if you get a warning light, you should at least check to see what it's warning you about.

Here in the midwest we get these huge swings in temps too, the first time it goes from 70* in the day to 30* at night I get a warning on all 4 tires, I top them back up and that's it for the rest of the winter - no more temp swing warnings. I also do not have to do a reset unless I rotate the tires, and sometimes not even then.

But I do check my tires about once a month or so....

Remember, 1st and 2nd gen cars have a completely different TPMS setup, and there was a change in the TPMS sensors in 2011 (I believe) too, so those are not interchangeable with 2007-2010 cars.

 

correct

GEN1 hard tops (let's not get hung up on the date differences for the 'vert!), and very early GEN2 hard tops had a pressure monitor system that sensed wheel rotation speed thru the ABS system to determine a low tire. During the model year 07 - aka early GEN2's - the "active" TPMS system with sensors in the tires came into play. {my 07-s does NOT have sensors in the tires}

BUT

I live in a part of Florida where we think 60 degrees means break out the electric blankets so I don't see big variations due to temp changes ....it has happened, but if it is cold that's the first thing I check for. Wife's Honda with active TPMS can go off for a 10 degree change .... {when it warms back up, don't forget to bleed that extra psi . . }

having a compressor in the garage and being retired means I check pressures and adjust regularly . . .