Trailer TPMS Issues

Scott Surges · June 4

Anyone have issues with their Trailer TPMS. Recently I replaced my Fifth Wheel Trailer installed TPMS sensors with the GM TPMS, and ever since then I have no monitor system. The issue is two of the 4 sensors show up as a fault. One of two issues then occur, either after the second sensors goes into a fault mode, the entire system will go blank and nothing will be monitored. The annoyance is all the pop up messages on the IFCU that need to be cleared while driving (I understand, but when the system faults 30 times in a 5 hour drive, kindof bothersome). The second issue that possibly occurs is when I go beyond the "Target Pressure" by 11 PSI, the system goes blank. One of these two causes the system to go blank and stop monitoring the remaining tires. Either way the system should never go blank... If 2 sensors are still functioning shouldn't the system continue to display the data.

Now for the dealership. In Wisconsin, I know of no good dealer that truly understand how these system work, how to troubleshoot them or fix them. Instead I get a blank stare, with no ideal on how to fix it, no one at GM to call to discuss this with, nor any follow-up from my dealer. I am hoping there is someone out here that might know more about how this ill thought out system works.

Major Tom · June 13

Had the same problem with a tri-axle fifthwheel. Solution was to create another trailer profile, relearn the TMPS and delete the old profile. Record mileage and any other stuff from the old profile before deleting.

Edited June 14 by Major Tom

64BAwagon · June 13

The dealer has resources through GM. Dont let them tell you otherwise. What they typically dont have is anyone at the dealer level that is knowledgeable because that costs money since smart people dont work for free and avoid poorly managed business with mountains of feckless middle managers.

MG386 · June 14

I had a blowout on 1 of my 6 trailer tires, showed error, then the whole thing turned off. Frustrating because you still want to monitor the rest after a flat/spare changout. After getting tire replaced, initially had trouble re-learning sensors as my learn tool was low on battery. I reset the trpms and relearned all 6, and it worked fine after that.

64BAwagon · June 14

the system will relearn sensors by choosing the alternate method of letting some air out of the tires. For some reason the left front sensor on mine will not wake up with my tool. All of the others will but it requires I let air out of each since that first one wont wake up.

Chuck FB · June 14

8 hours ago, 64BAwagon said:

the system will relearn sensors by choosing the alternate method of letting some air out of the tires. For some reason the left front sensor on mine will not wake up with my tool. All of the others will but it requires I let air out of each since that first one wont wake up.

Probably an odd question but if that tire was placed at another location on the trailer I wonder if the system would work as intended then once you relearned the positions or if that sensor would throw a wrench into everything regardless. Its stupid how much they want for those sensors at GM over the parts counter but at the time of ordering the truck they charge a fraction of the price. I don't know what the shelf life is as per the battery life when not being used but I had ordered the set of four at the time I ordered my truck just in case I ever did get a trailer and wanted to throw them in.

64BAwagon · June 14

Typical battery life of 5-7 yrs on most.

I ordered a set with my new truck even though I had a set already on my trailer. The price was only $55. I ended up selling them to the guy that bought my 2024. He bought my truck to pull his new trailer so it worked out well for him.

I think its just that that sensor doesnt like to wake up and that its just a coincidence that its the first one in the sequence. I went to the LR, RR and RF and they all came online with my tool.

If you do some research its likely you could find a generic set instead of needing the GM ones. I did that on our Cruze a few years ago. I found a set on Amazon made by Schrader who makes them for OEM's. Same sensors for 1/3 the price.

Chuck FB · June 15

I've had no hands on prior experience with sensors but had heard some of the aftermarket sensors ( who knows who makes them ) can have a very early death and that as the old saying goes is "false economy" LOL. It just struck me that one of my brothers vehicles which is a 2014 Nissan has from what I gather are still the original sensors, don't ask me why they are still working but they are yet. He has a 2007 Ford F150 but I can't say for sure what sensors the original wheels have in them but had rounded up some other wheels to put on winter tires a few years back and for the fun of it I had used my Autel 509 to see if those sensors would give me any information and sure enough it not only gave me the pressure but the temperature. The truck itself, its system dates back too far so it doesn't give a pressure readout and nether does that Nissan suv, only that it comes on to show "a" tire is low. That's frustrating as it doesn't even say what position the tire is in that has the issue. But anyway I assume with his Ford, the wheels with the winter tires has sensors that are far more updated internally then the trucks system can even make use of.

Not sure if there is something unique about the trailer sensors, I have only assumed so because of how they are reading from quite a distance away.

I may have said on here that a while back I did haul my winter tires on wheels to the tire shop to get them to pull out the new sensors they had put in and to replace them with the genuine GM sensors for my Chev pickup. The sensors they put in, setting the Autel to read the sensor information did nothing as I gather that type had to be triggered to be activated. The GM ones for the truck itself ( and your right, they are made by Schrader ) will give info even if never ever mounted in a tire yet, and yes I did check all four of the tires GM sensors after they got installed in case the tire machine whacked one and all was good.

jd64 · June 22

i'am having a very similar issure with the trailer tpms sensors. i have had the same problem on my 2024 and now on my 2025. they will not learn on the trailer manualy or with 3 different tpms tools, even with the license plate off. when i remove the wheels from the trailer and place them at the rear bumper of the truck all 4 learn very quick . checked them twice on the truck screen and temp and psi was fine,within 15 miles they all drop out and never come back. then comes all the annoying trailer tpms messages. deleted the trailer profile and re created a new one and did not set up any tpms sensors. iam still getting the annoying messages,even without any sensors setup??. the trailer is 21' from the bumper to the rear trailer wheel. i think the max lenght gm recomends is 23'. iam using all steel 12 ply tires and was wondering if they could be causing some interference but the last trailer with the 24 truck did the same thing and used std 10ply trailer tires. is there a sgnal booster/repeater that would work with the gm system that anybody knows of. iam even considereing

trying a aftermarket system w/ external sensros. anybody have any ideas that i havent tried. i am using the 4T+ gm sensors. also not even considering the dealer they have damaged my truck in the past and i dont want to leave them a truck and trailer.

PBNB · June 28

I just started using this built in TPMS system and I have it installed on my single Airstream. It seems to work fine on our month long trip, and my prior system was a TST TPMS before we got the GM. That system wouldn't work well without the little supplied signal booster.

I am wondering if this same signal booster would work in the GM system? I still have my old one and would loan it out for testing if any of you were close by.

https://tsttruck.com/507-series-repeater-signal-booster.html

Another thought would be the batteries in the sensors. When I got mine, the salesman went and grabbed some and came out with a bag containing 4 brand new sensors (Our truck was 2 years old when we bought it).