Poor TPMS advice from Consumer Reports!

[HangFire]

Someone should point out that cold batteries in old TPMS sensors can cause a "sensor not found" error, which may or may not look like a low pressure error to the user. As the wheel warms up the voltage picks up and the error goes away, at least until the battery dies altogether.

This would explain the behavior described by CS, which seems to be populated by journalists, not engineers.

 

[Pablo]

So does anyone yet make a reset tool for a 2014 WRX?

 

[rshaw125]

Originally Posted By: Traction
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Mine went off this morning. Ford Explorer very sensitive. I visually inspected the tires and drove on. 10 minutes down the road and it switched off.


A visual and the light turning off down the road is not proper tire pressure maintenance. You have one or more tires 25% low. TPMS is telling you to get out your tire pressure gauge and add air, not drive down the road hoping it turns off. TPMS is just another tool. If you have a blowout, the light won't come on till after the crash.



The offending tire was down 3 PSI. I put just a little in all 4 tires and no more idiot light. The Ford dealer told me that their TPMS is very sensitive.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Dominic
If the spec is 35, that means 35 cold. I generally run my tires 10% over the spec on the door placard and have no issues with TPMS. I agree with Traction - Consumer Reports is giving terrible advice.

Here is a better article for you:
http://jalopnik.com/here-s-why-the-check-engine-light-is-a-horrible-terrib-1662743563

Good stuff. I'm sure, if a hedgehog wound up in my muffler, I'd be able to search for a fix here on BITOG.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Traction
Bottom line is, if you maintain your tire pressure, then, and only then, when you see the light, you have a problem. That's all it can do. when the temps go down you add, and when they go back up you bleed them down. You also need to anticipate upcoming temp changes and adjust accordingly. You just need to keep it in a HAPPY range. That's the best you can do.

Since the temp here rarely drops significantly, it's always an occasion when I haul the tire inflator out to the car. (Well, yeah, I do it once a month anyway.) The TPMS readout on the Regal will show you the pressure in each tire; that on the Park Avenue would simply say, "Tire Pressure Low, Boss." But both, I think, have to drop more than 10% from the "proper" pressure for a message to show up.

 

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted By: Dominic
If the spec is 35, that means 35 cold. I generally run my tires 10% over the spec on the door placard and have no issues with TPMS. I agree with Traction - Consumer Reports is giving terrible advice.


I agree with the above statements.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
So does anyone yet make a reset tool for a 2014 WRX?


No one knows?

SEE THAT is my gripe. Say I had two sets of wheels, forbid I had three sets, the only way to shut the light down is go to the dealer and pay money every time I change wheels. CRAZY!!!!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Pablo, how about this?

http://www.amazon.com/ATEQ-QuickSet-TPMS-Reset-Tool/dp/B008SCWXN4

ATEQ's website says it's compatible with 2014 WRX...
http://www.ateqtpm.com/products/tpms-personal-use/ateq-quickset

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Pablo, how about this?

http://www.amazon.com/ATEQ-QuickSet-TPMS-Reset-Tool/dp/B008SCWXN4

ATEQ's website says it's compatible with 2014 WRX...
http://www.ateqtpm.com/products/tpms-personal-use/ateq-quickset


Thanks QP! I'm a bit leery of that one working, but there are really no other non-OEM choices. I'll do some reading and asking.

I can get the current factory code from the car and Tire Rack should be able to give me the code for the snows as I bought them whole, so to speak.

Awesome though, again thanks for the links.

P

 

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Pablo
So does anyone yet make a reset tool for a 2014 WRX?


No one knows?.....


Pablo,

You've been around BITOG long enough to know that people don't sit by their computer all day. You waited less than 12 hours before complaining. Heck, I only look once a day.

If you've got a question, expect it to take a couple of days for everyone to cycle through.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: CapriRacer
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: Pablo
So does anyone yet make a reset tool for a 2014 WRX?


No one knows?.....


Pablo,

You've been around BITOG long enough to know that people don't sit by their computer all day. You waited less than 12 hours before complaining. Heck, I only look once a day.

If you've got a question, expect it to take a couple of days for everyone to cycle through.


I wasn't griping about BITOG rapid response. No, I was griping about the lack of aftermarket reset support. I have no problem with the general idea of TPMS, but I whine about being captive to the dealer to reset twice a year or buy one questionable unit, that maybe doesn't exactly work.

But I just ordered the ATEQ so I will keep you posted!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
Thanks QP! I'm a bit leery of that one working,

I'm sure Amazon will let you return it if it doesn't work as advertized. But I hope it does.

 

[Vikas]

Quote:
The system alerts at 26 psi, displays individual tire pressures in the dash cluster, and requires no tool to set it up. Ten years old and never even bought a battery! Doesn't get much simpler...
This is the only type of TPMS which should be on the car. The cheaper TPMS implementations are disgrace.

 

[bdcardinal]

My mom texted me yesterday saying the tire light came on on her 2014 Fusion. She was near my work, and I had my MATCO digital inflator in my car, so she stopped by. The system is the same as my Mustang, so it will not say what tire is low. I took it back to the shop and all the tires were 26-27psi, door placard states 37psi. Bad on me for not checking since she bought the car in April.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Problem I noted recently on a truck: the "placard" pressure is 80psi. Running that empty is WAY too much, causing a jarring, kidney-hammering ride that is literally painful. But dropping to something reasonable turns the light on!

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Roadkingnc
I had an expedition and the low tire light would come on when it was cold at times, tire pressure would be 32 psi. Spec was 35, far from flat.
Most tires on the road are underinflated anyway as people don't check them, more so with tpms.


The other problem is that Ive seen some where the tire is more than 10 under and the light still hasnt come on! I agree with OP on standardization.

 

[slugsgomoo]

Originally Posted By: Pablo
So does anyone yet make a reset tool for a 2014 WRX?


I'm sure Discount Tire can do it, and probably the other larger shops-

I have a 2014 Focus ST which has a fairly complex system on it, but they were able to set it properly for me. I do know that if you have the old set of wheels & tires in the car and you try to reset it some funny things can happen. No idea on what it would cost, since it's included for free since I get my tires there.

 

[sxg6]

I have an ateq quickset and I love it, works great on my 2009 Subaru.

 

[Traction]

Originally Posted By: sxg6
I have an ateq quickset and I love it, works great on my 2009 Subaru.

Well, that was kind of the point of my OP comment. There is no fn reason why anyone should have to buy a ateq, or any other tool to maintain the TPMS system, period... I could just scream. One button.