Weird TPMS Problem

canonmutant · #1 04-18-2011, 05:29 PM

I sold the stock wheels/tires and put 16s" on and had no problems at all. Suddenly driving home last night I get a TPMS fault. I've been driving this how many weeks with these new wheels/tires? Why would I just now get a TPMS fault? It is true, I didn't even know I had the feature so I did not put sensor stems in the new wheels but how could this thing go several weeks without a problem? It's pretty hard to miss. I noticed it the minute it came on driving down the interstate last night.

Weird . . .

mickblock · #2 04-18-2011, 05:38 PM

Does your new setup have TPM sensors?

Or maybe the tires that you sold need a bit of air. Call and ask them why the hell they're letting those tires you sold them run underinflated like that. You'll probably scare the bejesus out of em.

canonmutant · #3 04-18-2011, 05:46 PM

That's funny.

You know, they only live 2 hours from here. That would be funny if my truck was still detecting their sensors.

This just makes NO sense at all. There is no way I have gone weeks now not noticing that sensor light blinking at me. Especially at night which I have driven it a lot, it's impossible to miss. I was over 5 miles into my jaunt last night when it came on on the interstate and I noticed it immediately.

R E A L L Y S L O W C O M P U T E R algorythm?

richarddhoward · #4 04-18-2011, 05:52 PM

This may be a dumb question...did you check the air pressure in your tires?

Can I see a picture of this TPMS warning light as well?

Not all TPMS systems are based off a sensor in the wheel. Some are based off wheel speed as calculated by your ABS sensor. It reads the ring on the back of your brake, sends the signal up etc. If you have a tire that is low on air by however many PSI the system is set to go off at, the ABS sensor will sense that wheel move [I]x[I] amount slower, causing it to illuminate the light. These systems will also do that sometimes if a bearing is failing in your truck from what I hear. I can not confirm or deny that.

canonmutant · #5 04-18-2011, 06:48 PM

These new wheels don't have TPMS sensors. The tire shop asked me if I wanted the standard black or a nicer chrome and I went with the nicer chrome but they are plain valve stems. My Touareg has TPMS and has the warning light but also displays all 4 wheels showing you which wheel is low? This is just an idiot light and I can't seem to figure out how to tell what it means? The owners manual as usual is worthless.

Scottg · #6 04-18-2011, 06:57 PM

you're 08 would have band style tpms sensors that can't be seen without dismounting a tire. ford didn't do valve stem tpms until 01 or 11

however, when that shop switched your rims, they would have charge you for new clamps to hold the sensors to the new rims as the OEM clamps are not reusable.

Check your tire pressure before you do anything

richarddhoward · #7 04-18-2011, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottg

you're 08 would have band style tpms sensors that can't be seen without dismounting a tire. ford didn't do valve stem tpms until 01 or 11

however, when that shop switched your rims, they would have charge you for new clamps to hold the sensors to the new rims as the OEM clamps are not reusable.

Check your tire pressure before you do anything

x2

canonmutant · #8 04-18-2011, 07:32 PM

All 4 tires are at 36psi. These 16" Pirellis are 44psi max but I had them put in 36psi so it doesn't ride like a lumber wagon.

Problem is, what should they be? How do I tell which tire is low? Why has it taken 2 weeks to come on? This idiot light is meaningless at this point unless it just completely cluster-freaked the computer when I pulled off all 4 TPMS wheels 2 weeks ago and put on 4 non-TPMS wheels? Took it this long to "learn" there was no TPMS anywhere anymore?

richarddhoward · #9 04-18-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canonmutant

All 4 tires are at 36psi. These 16" Pirellis are 44psi max but I had them put in 36psi so it doesn't ride like a lumber wagon.

Problem is, what should they be? How do I tell which tire is low? Why has it taken 2 weeks to come on? This idiot light is meaningless at this point unless it just completely cluster-freaked the computer when I pulled off all 4 TPMS wheels 2 weeks ago and put on 4 non-TPMS wheels? Took it this long to "learn" there was no TPMS anywhere anymore?

you may have lost just one sensor, or it could have moved which may have also given it a false reading.

canonmutant · #10 04-18-2011, 08:09 PM

I don't have any sensors on these new wheels. I downloaded a newer rev of owners manual for the 2008 off the Ford site and found the following:

Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly.

This is exactly what it does. It comes on and blinks for a minute then stays on. The only question is why did it take 2 weeks for the computer to figure this out? Maybe I could have missed it during the day but I've driven this truck MANY times at night since I got it and this thing coming on and blinking and just being on period at night is VERY noticeable. Since it came on coming home last night driving down the interstate, ever since it comes on every time I start it.

richarddhoward · #11 04-18-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canonmutant

I don't have any sensors on these new wheels. I downloaded a newer rev of owners manual for the 2008 off the Ford site and found the following:

Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly.

This is exactly what it does. It comes on and blinks for a minute then stays on. The only question is why did it take 2 weeks for the computer to figure this out? Maybe I could have missed it during the day but I've driven this truck MANY times at night since I got it and this thing coming on and blinking and just being on period at night is VERY noticeable. Since it came on coming home last night driving down the interstate, ever since it comes on every time I start it.

Not every code will set off the computer right away. A code like this may log up to umpteen amount of times before it sets off the light. Compared to if you had say a knock in the engine that would result in a flashing light right away.

canonmutant · #12 04-18-2011, 10:26 PM

That must be it because when it came on last night I was like WTF? I don't even have TPMS on this vehicle. And, since it's been a couple weeks since I put the new wheels/tires on I had good reason to believe that. My manual "in the truck" says "your vehicle MAY be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system" and that's pretty much all it says. The updated manual I just got off the website is WAY better.

Anyway . . . need to go back down and get some sensors installed.

thanks all,

richarddhoward · #13 04-18-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canonmutant

That must be it because when it came on last night I was like WTF? I don't even have TPMS on this vehicle. And, since it's been a couple weeks since I put the new wheels/tires on I had good reason to believe that. My manual "in the truck" says "your vehicle MAY be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system" and that's pretty much all it says. The updated manual I just got off the website is WAY better.

Anyway . . . need to go back down and get some sensors installed.

thanks all,

lol no problem. You might do a "This is how you know you have TPMS" thread once you find out. It might help others in the same boat

canonmutant · #14 04-19-2011, 03:58 PM

Expensive Mistake, BTW.

Ford could have put a simple valve stem TPMS system that you can find for as little as $35 each but no they've got this clamp around the inside of the rim to hold a sensor in place nonsense that will be $325 + installation.

I think I'm yanking a bulb . . .

Oh well, learn some things the hard way.

Never even thought that a compact pickup would have TPMS.

BTW, I did confirm [As Richard suggested above] that when there is a system wide failure as opposed to just one sensor, it does do a number of retries before it latches the light which is why it took nearly 2 weeks to tell me there was a problem after I changed my wheels/tires. And a light is all it latches. My X3 isn't finding an actual code latched in the computer over this.

Just wanted to share for anyone out there that is equally ignorant . . .

But, boy don't those new wheels/tires look purdy?

DieHard4rd · #15 04-19-2011, 04:15 PM

All 08 & newer vehicles are required by federal saftey regulations to have the TPMS.

So anyone in the US. With a 08 & up. Has the TPMS system.