Need To Be Careful When Resetting Tire Pressure Sensors
This article looks at the importance of being careful when resetting tire pressure sensors, particularly for tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) for the benefit of the control module. This is required for certain cars or vehicles if the voltage of the battery falls below a particular voltage. The record of the location of the tire pressure sensors is lost if the voltage is insufficient. Another situation when the control module has to relearn the location of the transducers is when you rotate the tires. Care should be exercised when performing these procedures for resetting tire pressure sensors to ensure that the system will function properly for both regular tires with TPMS and tires that have TPMS and anti-lock brake systems (ABS).
Let us first consider the tires with ABS and indirect TPMS because the process of resetting tire pressure sensors for this system is much simpler. There are no special instructions for this kind of system and you only need to reset the system when the tires have been rotated or replaced. However, there are a few things to remember for this system and one is when you replace the original tires with aftermarket wheels that have a different size. This may significantly change the calibration and proper functioning of the TPMS and ABS systems. Also, if there is an error in the sensor circuit for detecting wheel speed, this may disable the ABS until it has been corrected. Meanwhile, when you remove a tire, care should be taken to ensure that the differential pressure transmitter is not damaged. There is also a need to be careful when the sensor is located on the valve stem.
There are various ways to reset the sensor and one of these is to place the TPMS receiver in programming mode and then put the magnet over each valve stem until the horn makes a sound. Another way to perform this activity as long as there are no sensors to be replaced is to reprogram the new positions of the wheels using the scan tool. For imported vehicles, each pressure sensor is provided with a code that is programmed into the control module of the TPMS. Thus, the new codes will have to be entered manually into the system if the tires are to be replaced with tires that are being offered for sale in the aftermarket.
It is important to note that on many direct TPMS systems, resetting tire pressure sensors may be more complex. First of all, a small battery is usually provided to power the sensor and the transponder. The problem occurs when the battery has lost its charge and has to be replaced. In some systems, you will need to replace the whole assembly of battery, transponder and sensor. On some car brands, the pressure sensor and transponder is coded to correspond to a specific wheel. Thus, you will have to reset the sensors whenever you change your wheel by replacing them or rotating them. Each brand of vehicle will have its own procedure to introduce the new information about the wheels into the TPMS.
