My tps warning light

[lexus114]

My tps (that tire pressure warning light thing) came on while driving home last night. I had to laugh because I had just checked them yesterday morning. All pressure was above 30lbs. I didnt check my spare yet (will do that this evening) However, if my spare is good as well, do these thing`s ever malfunction? Oh, and every time I shut off the RX it resets (dosent come back on for a while) is that how theses things work?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Boomer]

My Frontier TPS came on after adding air (went from 34 to 36 psi; light is to come on around 26 psi or so). Drove around for a week and finally went into the dealer. Needed a new unit in the front wheel driver's side. Well over $100!!!

 

[supton]

Our Camry loves to set the light. Only on long drives, say over an hour. What I think is happening is that, and this only occurs on long drives, is that we've loaded the trunk up, and it can no longer hear the spare tire. So it indicates a fault.

Oddly enough, it seems to only come on when I drive it--my wife lets me drive on the long trips, generally. Personally, I think it's because the car is smart enough to know that my "other" car is a VW, and it wants me to feel at home, complete with blinking warning lights and all. How nice of Toyota to be thinking of me!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Check all pressures again. Maybe you picked up a nail while driving last night?

I don't know how it works in your RX, but in the C300 you're able to reset the TPMS to current values (after you corrected the pressures). Another words, the current values will become the new base values, and the system will warn if any one tire's pressure drops notably from these new base values.

 

[lexus114]

Thanks guy`s. I`ll re check, and if all is well, than must be a tps fault.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: supton
Our Camry loves to set the light. Only on long drives, say over an hour. What I think is happening is that, and this only occurs on long drives, is that we've loaded the trunk up, and it can no longer hear the spare tire. So it indicates a fault.

Oddly enough, it seems to only come on when I drive it--my wife lets me drive on the long trips, generally. Personally, I think it's because the car is smart enough to know that my "other" car is a VW, and it wants me to feel at home, complete with blinking warning lights and all. How nice of Toyota to be thinking of me!



Hahahaha!!

 

[NHGUY]

You can thank Ford Explorer and Firestone for the reason why TPMS are Federally mandated now.Nothing but more trouble and expense.Older cars and looking better and better today.

 

[JTK]

Yeah, the TPMS light has been lit-up on our 2008 Odyssey LX for a long time. On our van, there's two separate lights/icons. A flat/low tire icon and a TPMS light. I know the low tire one works, because it clued me into a nail in a tire weeks back.

I believe the TPMS light alone indicates a communication problem with one of the tire sensors. Problem is, which one of the 4?

Batteries can die in them, moisture can mess up the circuitry. Oh the joys of a TPMS system !@##$%

Joel

 

[lexus114]

I hear ya Joel. The only good thing that comes to mind is Im getting new tires at the end of the year. So I`ll have them checked at that time. Unless it`s just my spare causing the problem.

 

[Doog]

Some Lexus vehicles have a switch under the dash on the passenger side to accommodate two separate tpms systems for an extra set of winter tires. Your passenger may have bumped the switch and now the system is searching for the other tpms signal. FWIW, I inflate my spare to 40psi and it seems to last a year or more.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Doog
Some Lexus vehicles have a switch under the dash on the passenger side to accommodate two separate tpms systems for an extra set of winter tires. Your passenger may have bumped the switch and now the system is searching for the other tpms signal. FWIW, I inflate my spare to 40psi and it seems to last a year or more.



Well I know there is a reset switch under the dash (drivers side) But I didnt know anything about the pass. side. I`ll have to take a look Thanks.

 

[lexus114]

Well guy`s, it was no false alarm. I came out for lunch, and the way the vehicle was parked, I could see right away my R/R tire was low. So I go over to investigate, and sure enough, a big ole screw is in the tire. Oh well, at least I know the tps is working as it should. thanks for all the replies everyone.

Ryan

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
However, if my spare is good as well, do these thing`s ever malfunction?
Thanks,
Ryan


If it's anything like my Mom's Impala, prepare to buy a new sensor about every 2 years from here on out. Complete and total PITA. BUT, the system has warned my mom twice now of impending flat tires, so I guess it's an OK system.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: lexus114
However, if my spare is good as well, do these thing`s ever malfunction?
Thanks,
Ryan


If it's anything like my Mom's Impala, prepare to buy a new sensor about every 2 years from here on out. Complete and total PITA. BUT, the system has warned my mom twice now of impending flat tires, so I guess it's an OK system.



I agree, it alerted me yesterday and this morning. When I did a visual, they all looked okay. I mean radials always look low any way. At least to me, so it must be pretty accurate. Now if I only had a GM type oil life monitor.......

 

[kkreit01]

Yes. I had a faulty sensor replaced under warranty when my car was a few months old. It took about 20 min of driving for the fault to come on.

 

[mechtech2]

TP monitoring systems are a bloated, expensive waste.
They only go on [if working right] when the pressure is too low anyways.
Fixing or replacing them? Ha! We're blanked!

 

[idok]

I use black tape on the dash for mine....every winter when I put my winter tires on. I didn't want to spend an extra $400.00 dollars for an extra set for the winter wheels/tires. Works very effectively with my tire guage.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Actually, many tps systems work very well.

My car has the original sensors from August 05 purchase, rebuilt at every tire change with new seals (4 times). Works very differently from many setups.

You can move the wheels, do whatever, and the system automatically figures it out. Gives a neat individual display of all 4 tires on the dash display. Super accurate, too.

No scan tools or elaborate reset procedures needed. I really think Chrysler missed a service opportunity by not designing it as poorly as Toyota's system!

 

[friendly_jacek]

Toyota's non-replaceable TPMS battery is supposed to last 10 years. I hope there will be aftermarket battery-less senders available by then.

BTW, I'm at year 7 now and not a glitch.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
My tps (that tire pressure warning light thing) came on while driving home last night. I had to laugh because I had just checked them yesterday morning. All pressure was above 30lbs.


Are you still laughing with that screw in the tire?