setup TPMS sensors cheaply using TIS

It took me a while to get all this information together. So hopefully this will be useful for others.

Got new set of tires with new set of rims. Wanted to keep the original tire set, so I could not re-use my existing TPMS sensor. Instead I ebay'ed a set of used TPMS sensors for $36. That was the easy part.

How do I tell my Tacoma (gen2) the new ID codes?

I decided to go the most affordable way and bought a white MVCI ODB2 cable which showed up at my door step $20 bucks later. Installed the software was a little cumbersome, since i was running windows 7 64 bit. The following link turned out to be quite helpful advice:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73034
(Note, I used and installed the software 9.30 that came with the CD I got with the MVCI cable).

Now the tricky part started. Techstream TIS is not very user friendly software. Far from being intuitive for a novice or first time user. After some tinkering I was able to hookup to the car and read the existing TPMS ID codes. But how to I program the new ones? lots of head scratching. There is a really little info available on how to do that.

Here my steps how I got it to work:

• start TIS and 'connect to vehicle'
• select 'Tire Pressure Monitor'. This will get you to trouble code screen. which is most likely blank
• select 'Data List'. After a few seconds it will shows the 'Tire Pressure Monitor Live' screen.
• take a note of your 5 currently 'registered ID codes' and/or save a screen shot.
• to program the new set of TPMS sensor. select the' Utility' button.
• from the 'utliity selection menu' select, goto 'ID registration'.
• this will start the 'Tire ID Registration Wizard' that guildes you through the process adding the new codes.
• just follow the process and enter all 5 id codes.
  
• HINT: Before I got my new tires mounted I actually wrote down the ID codes of the new set of TPMS sensors.
  
• Now you are ready and go back to the 'Data List' and check the 'Tire Pressure Monitor Live' screen.

Since I bought the TPMS sensors used I actually programmed them prior to having the tires mounted.
Just to make sure all work OK and avoid any unnecessary hassle and expense.

If you want to check the sensors under pressure (optionally), I actually used a tubeless gokart tire with all my new sensors inside. (Or build a simple pipe bomb).


Here some pics to illustrate the TIS process:

 

Just curious if you were able to read the TPMS codes with Techstream?

 

yes, TIS provides the ID codes of the current programmed TPMS sensor. See the first screenshot 'tire pressure monitor live'. left column, 6th row t starts with 'Registered ID1 code' through ID5. These entries represent all 4 wheel plus the spare tire.

if like to know which Sensor represent what tires, just change the pressure of every tire individually and monitor on the live screen.

 

Can you turn it off instead of installing them?

 

Are you just wanting to shut yours off?

 

Sorry, No I am not aware of any options in TIS that allow you to disable TPMS.

 

This link was in another thread about TPMS. It seems to indicate that the federal law/regulation probably makes turning it off illegal (at least for the 'pros.')
http://wecnology.com/wire/tire-pressure-monitoring-systems-and-the-law-part-1/

 

I forgot to write down the tpms ID before going to the tire shop and I couldnt figure out how to get techstream to read it. I have the 4 factory ones but not the new one mounted on my full size spare. if you know how to get it through Techstream, can you pleas share? thanks

 

how many tpms ID's can our car store? can it store 10 IDs? or do you have to re-register the tpms every time you switch rims if you have 2 sets?

 

The first screen shot shows you each registered sensor in the system. If you don't know the codes and they haven't been registered, a tire shop can read the codes that the sensors are transmitting.

So far, I've only been able to get it to store 5 and not any "spares" like those on my snow tires. It certainly would make life easier if the system stored more than one set.

 

It would be great if the TPM ECU would allow to store more ids. Seems like an unnecessary limitation in functionality. HINT HINT Tacoma engineers!! I don't know was this addressed in the new Gen3?

 

Can you set the total tire value to 4 and just leave out the spare. My 10 year old original spare tire TPMS battery died.

 

My '09 did not have/come with a spare TPMS, and (IIRC) the fifth slot was full of zeros. Maybe try that?

 

Thanks I will try. Getting my cable/software tomorrow.

 

I think it was either all FFFFFFF or 0000000. Not sure which one works. Never tried it myself. Let us know how that works for you.

 

I thought the spare was dead but it is working. It seems like the new TPMS units are not reading any PSI and temperature says -40. I wonder if the NAPA guy sold me incompatible ones?
Guess I'll have to live with the flashing light until I get this sorted.

 

Flashing light could mean one or more is broken. Was my case. Dead batteries just cause the light to stay on.

 

answer: Would increase costs, and would provide no appreciable benefit.

it will not happen, ever.

 

Thanks, looks like all four new ones are broken...

...NOT, I found the pictures of the new units I took before handing over to the tire tech. The ID's were not even programmed in the system. Bad tire tech lier!!!

Using TIS I put the new values in and everything is now good. Dang thing already paid for itself.

I still need to try the null value for the spare, maybe next weekend.

 

From what I've seen it will not do that. I was lucky I had the codes.