toyota tpms tip, don't remove a wheel

[hamba]

I had a puncture the other day so while waiting for the new tyre to arrive I took the flat out of the car and left it in the garage thinking that once the new tyre is fitted everything will be back to normal. This didn't happen.
The TPMS is looking for 5 sensors, if one goes away the whole thing falls apart and you will end up with a trip to your local Toyota dealer to reset it. How I noticed this was after I replaced the tyre the TPMS flashed for about a minute when turning on the car and then turns solid after, it started doing this as soon as I removed the flat from the car but didn't give it much notice as I knew I had a tyre missing. Even by pressing the reset button nothing will happen, the light either keeps flashing or stays solid. The only way to get this fixed is by going to Toyota so that they can remove the fault codes and reset the TPMS system.

Toyota will probably tell you that the sensor might be damaged even before looking which is fair, it might have been damaged when the new tyre was fitted but there is an easy enough way to check this if you have a Realtek RTL2832 based DVB dongle as the sensors are transmitting on 433MHz and there is a handy driver to make the SDR receive the signals from the TPMS here https://github.com/merbanan/rtl_433
When I ran the check I got 5 signals so I knew the sensors were working so the only thing left to do was to ask Toyota to reset the whole TPMS system and clear off the fault codes which they done.

I only wish I can get some more info out of the TPMS using the SDR, it would be handy to be able to check the current pressure and temperature but I've not come across it yet.

So a handy tip, if you have Toyota TPMS, don't remove the tyre from the car, it freaks out and you will have to go to Toyota to reset it.

Cheers
hamba

 

[AndyCook]

I wonder if the Toyota techstream software and cable you can buy cheaply on eBay would be able to reset the system
I got this a couple weeks ago, but don't have tpms on my hilux

 

[hamba]

I have no idea, it would make sense to have it in techstream unless Toyota has a TPMS specific tool. There are some on the net which one can buy.
The service manager told me that they hate it as almost on a daily bases they get people coming by with the TPMS light being on and all that was needed was for that person to check his pressures.

Another observation was when the tyre started deflating, the TPMS light only came on around 28psi which I though was a little weird but it might be hard coded as the factory pressures at the door says 32psi. I was expecting at least a 5psi deflate from a reset, there is a bit of a gap between running at 40psi and the warning coming around 28psi. I suppose 28psi is still regarded as a safe pressure.

 

[Animal Mother]

Is thee no TPMS reset button under the dash down by your knee? This would set the TPMS to the new "normal".

 

[hamba]

Yes there is a 'set' button under the steering wheel by your knees which can be used to temporarily turn the warning light off until you turn the car off and on again at which point you have to press it again. This is my experience with fully deflated tyre, it might work differently when a tyre is just a little low.
However, if the light flashes for about a minute and then turns solid that little button becomes useless as the system has logged a fault which needs a Toyota dealer to reset it. I caused the fault code by removing the flat tyre from the car and it must have thought the sensor gone bad which it kinda did in a way.

It did what it was suppose to do, it let me know that it couldn't find a sensor, the bit that doesn't work is that I can't tell it that the sensor is back so stop flashing at me with that little button.

 

[Dave_S]

Another fantastic example of completely pointless nanny-electronics. A timely reminder of why I run older trucks...

 

[Dave_S]

And, for argument sake - what happens when you need to air down to 12 psi on sand... like you do, when you off road, in an off roader... that the Cruiser is meant to be.... or is that just me?! Sorry - rant over - I fecking hate new cars.

 

[StarCruiser]

And, for argument sake - what happens when you need to air down to 12 psi on sand... like you do, when you off road, in an off roader... that the Cruiser is meant to be.... or is that just me?! Sorry - rant over - I fecking hate new cars.

 

[hamba]

And, for argument sake - what happens when you need to air down to 12 psi on sand... like you do, when you off road, in an off roader... that the Cruiser is meant to be.... or is that just me?! Sorry - rant over - I fecking hate new cars.

I've not tested it where I have had to air down to as low as 12psi but that is where the little button comes in to 'set' the new normal, the question is, will it stay to what you've set it once you turned the car off or will you have to press the button again like when I had a fully deflated tyre. I'm guessing you will have to press the button every time you turn the car back on or just ignore it.