Tpms - Grrrrrrrrrrr

mikea57 · March 22, 2011

Well I tried again to get my TPMS sorted out. I had put new tires on right before Xmas and realized then that the TPMS was not working right. I tried one time to get the tires reset but it wouldn't work. I tried again a couple of days ago and now things are even worse. Now, everytime I get in the truck I get a tire light on the dash and my dash computer tells me to "Service Tire Monitoring System." At this point I'd almost just go ahead and run without the system at all but I'd really like to get rid of all the warnings that are in plain view. Is there anything else I can do to try to revive this system? I liked it and I use it quite a bit but now that it's not working I figure it'll cost a couple of hundred bucks minimum to get fixed when I take it to the dealer.

Thanks guys...

Mike

Stevens03 · March 22, 2011

I'm lost. Whats the problem. Start over.

You shouldn't have any trouble with your TPMS in aftermarket tires/wheels. What pressure are you running?

Superperv23 · March 22, 2011

It sounds to me like the tire shop damaged the sensor, did it start almost immediately after the new tires? Usually thats what it means when you get a service tpms error not a low tire error.

mikea57 · March 22, 2011

OK, here's the whole saga. I put a leveling kit and new tires on just a few days before Xmas. When I got in the truck, I noticed it said that one of the tires was low on air. I checked it and it was fine but the message remained. I realized I needed to reset the system because I wasn't sure that they had put the same wheels back on at the same location on the truck. I tried resetting the TPMS and it wouldn't reset. (My fault, I wasn't doing the reset procedure correctly.) I just let it ride at that point.

In February, I noticed a problem with the front end (steering wheel suddenly not level when driving straight) and I went to get it checked out. I was told that Upper Control Arms had gone bad, along with one of the tie rods. I chose to just put a 3.5" lift kit on it ($500) as opposed to letting the dealer fix it ($1,000). The UCAs came with the kit and I ordered both new tie rod ends and replaced them as I put the lift on. I then had an alignment done and I rotated the tires at the same time. Now that, that all that was behind me I was ready to tackle getting the TPMS system back working again. Last week I started the procedure and got the drivers side front tire recognized. None of the other tires though would be recognized by it and at that point I started getting the message on the dash computer saying "Service tire monitoring system". I also get the tire inflation symbol in the instrument cluster.

I'm running 40 lbs of air in the tires.

Like I said, if it's going to cost me $200 to get this system back working, forget it. I've got several tire gauges and I know how to use them. If it's something I can do for a reasonable cost then I wouldn't mind getting it fixed. I liked using the system and it is easier but I don't have to have it. Is there any other way of maybe resetting this thing up so that it works? Would removing the fuse to it and putting it back in reboot it?

Superperv23 · March 22, 2011

Pull the negative off of the battery, give it 30mins or so and that might reset it but likely not

Stevens03 · March 22, 2011

What the possibility they where installed in the wrong position? You should have any trouble with them under normal circumstances. Heck, mine stick out from the wheels and work just fine. Dumb questions, but are you sure they put the sensors in all the wheels?

The sensors can be purchased for under $100 for all 4 and I suppose if everything is plugged in correctly after the 3.5" lift, then I suspect one of the sensors is bad. A dealer maybe able to tell you.

Ianf · March 22, 2011

If you are trying to reset the tires by letting air in and out, your probably running out of time getting the sensors to actiavte. Using an activation tool allows the sensors to be instantly recognized instead of the hit and miss manual method. If you go back to where you had the new tires installed the service manager will probably do it for nothing.

u118224 · March 22, 2011

What the possibility they where installed in the wrong position? You should have any trouble with them under normal circumstances. Heck, mine stick out from the wheels and work just fine. Dumb questions, but are you sure they put the sensors in all the wheels?

The sensors can be purchased for under $100 for all 4 and I suppose if everything is plugged in correctly after the 3.5" lift, then I suspect one of the sensors is bad. A dealer maybe able to tell you.

Where can you purchase TPMS sensors for $25?

old-chevy-dude · March 22, 2011

What the possibility they where installed in the wrong position? You should have any trouble with them under normal circumstances. Heck, mine stick out from the wheels and work just fine. Dumb questions, but are you sure they put the sensors in all the wheels?

The sensors can be purchased for under $100 for all 4 and I suppose if everything is plugged in correctly after the 3.5" lift, then I suspect one of the sensors is bad. A dealer maybe able to tell you.

Where can you purchase TPMS sensors for $25?

he said a set of 4 for under $100, most places charge less when you buy the set instead of just one:

ebay has them for under $100 for the set of 4 all over.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksi...-All-Categories

ChevyTech77 · March 22, 2011

If the service message is on, you have a faulty sensor or receiver. Getting the receiver to read the sensor's signal with aftermarket wheels and/or tires is hit and miss. I've had plenty work and plenty that would not. The problem is, if the sensors are in a different position than the last reconginized position by the receiver than you are guess at which sensor is faulty unless you have access to the GM tpm sensor tool.

This system is actually really simple to work on once you understand how it works.

mikea57 · March 22, 2011

I would hope that they are in different positions since I paid for a tire rotate when I got the alignment done. But, I thought that was the point of letting the air out of the tires in a specific order; so the system could learn where each sensor was and be able to tell which tire was dead on/high/low. Was I wrong about that?

I guess I'll just take it up to the dealer and have them try to reset it. The tire place I got the tires from acted like it wasn't their responsibility to make sure that part of it worked. I disagree, but it's been 3+ months since I got the tires so I doubt he's gonna do anything for me now. It's a shame too, because I liked him up to that point. I just tried to not make a big deal out of it. I figured I was a big boy and I could reset the sensors myself. How hard could it be???

Stevens03 · March 22, 2011

So to get this straight.....

On the dash, your setting the truck in the learn mode... you should get a confirmation beep/chirp you entered the learn mode.

then starting at the drivers side front, you let out air for 5-10 seconds or till you get the beep

then move to the front passengers side, letting the air out till it beeps,

then passenger rear

then drivers rear.

After that you exit the mode and you should get a 2 beep/chirp to confirm exiting the learn mode for your truck.

The 2011's have a different procedure.

CLASSIC87' · March 22, 2011

I HATE this system so much... I actually just had mine in the shop last week... I ended up giving the dealership permission to disengage the system. No more light, no pressure readings... and no more annoying signals and headeaches. I love my truck so much more now thats "fixed" to my liking.

ChevyTech77 · March 22, 2011

So to get this straight.....

On the dash, your setting the truck in the learn mode... you should get a confirmation beep/chirp you entered the learn mode.

then starting at the drivers side front, you let out air for 5-10 seconds or till you get the beep

then move to the front passengers side, letting the air out till it beeps,

then passenger rear

then drivers rear.

After that you exit the mode and you should get a 2 beep/chirp to confirm exiting the learn mode for your truck.

The 2011's have a different procedure.

Still the same as you describe, on the '11's.

Pressure increase/decrease has to be done on each tire for 8-10 seconds, then stop and wait for the horn to chirp. The horn chirp may occur before or up to 30 seconds after the 8-10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached.

The problem for the OP is, if the service message is on in the dic, you now have a problem with the receiver seeing the sensor. Now, that could be because the sensor is no longer transmitting (failed sensor), there is interferance in the signal (aftermarket equipment/tires) or the receiver just don't get the sensors signal (failed receiver), that's it.

old-chevy-dude · March 22, 2011

So to get this straight.....

On the dash, your setting the truck in the learn mode... you should get a confirmation beep/chirp you entered the learn mode.

then starting at the drivers side front, you let out air for 5-10 seconds or till you get the beep

then move to the front passengers side, letting the air out till it beeps,

then passenger rear

then drivers rear.

After that you exit the mode and you should get a 2 beep/chirp to confirm exiting the learn mode for your truck.

The 2011's have a different procedure.

Still the same as you describe, on the '11's.

Pressure increase/decrease has to be done on each tire for 8-10 seconds, then stop and wait for the horn to chirp. The horn chirp may occur before or up to 30 seconds after the 8-10 second pressure increase/decrease time period has been reached.

The problem for the OP is, if the service message is on in the dic, you now have a problem with the receiver seeing the sensor. Now, that could be because the sensor is no longer transmitting (failed sensor), there is interferance in the signal (aftermarket equipment/tires) or the receiver just don't get the sensors signal (failed receiver), that's it.

this is the part everyone screws up.. they let the air out, and expect the horn to chirp within 10 seconds, but you have to wait, it can take up to 30 seconds AFTER you stop letting the air out, and if you let the air out for 30 seconds you have to start over because you missed the window..

I have done it on several vehicles from 2007 to 2011 including my own, and not had it ever fail once.. when it fails it is 100% a user issue IMO..