TPMS Reset button/procedure has no effect

Hey all, I know there’s been a lot of discussions TPMS sensors because I’ve read a lot of them, but I can’t seem to run across anybody that’s had the same issue.

Yesterday I had a reputable shop remount and balance some TRD Off Road alloys I purchased, to replace my stock steel rims. Not wanting to try to reuse the OEM sensors from the steel rims, I brought a brand-new set of Autel MX sensors with me for the install. (The shop had informed me they use the Autel system.). Everything went fine and I drove off and all my sensors worked. I stopped the truck later that evening for several hours and then drove home later and the sensors all still worked. This morning when I went to drive away the sensors never came up with any pressure readings. (But the pressure was fine.) In about an hour and a half later when I was driving, I are still weren’t reporting any pressure, they finally reported an error. I’ve tried the correct TPMS sensor reset procedure and it doesn’t do anything.

One of the problems is now when I turn the ignition to on, the warning light is flashing rapidly so I don’t believe it responds to the reset button. Any ideas? I can bring the truck back auto the shop tomorrow but I’m wondering if there’s anything else I should try on my own? Thanks a lot for any help!

 

Did you have the old rims in the bed yesterday but not today?

 

Hey @RichVT, good catch! I had for a little while, but only 3—the one I had a blow out on was in my parents’ garage. Also, I don’t think they were in the bed when they programmed it, or took the first test drive. Then later they put the three tires back in the bed, drove it around the block, I left. I had entertained the that maybe the old sensors had something to do with it, but I was getting all 4 pressure readings and they were lower than my steel rims had been inflated too.

 

Looks like your Taco still read and reported on old sensors for a while, and then lost contact and stopped

Your new sensors have to be programmed into your Taco's computer using either techstream or proper sensor tool.
Tacoma does NOT learn new sensors by itself. Aaaaand you need to have proper sensors for Taco to accept them (like 2017 4Runner sensors don't work on 2017 Tacoma).
So, if the shop installed not compatible sensors, you will not be able to make them work with your Truck.
That reset button let's the computer relearn sensor/wheel position after wheel rotation.

That's a solid assumption. When I replaced my wheels (with sensors) for the 4Runner ones, my truck would still pick up my old sensors that were sitting in the driveway.

 

Are you 100% positive they cloned the Autel sensors with the OEM TPMS sensor ID#s? Sounds like they didn't.

I have three sets of wheels; OEM with OEM sensors and two different sents of TRD wheels with Autel 315MX close sensors using the OEM sensor ID#s. Swapping wheels is seamless.

 

Autel 315mX sensors are Cloneable sensors and using the correct Autel tool you scan and read the OEM ID#and upload that number into the Autel sensor.
There is no programming with clone sensors! The 4 ID#s stay "in the truck" and the close sensors have the matching ID#s. Done.
The truck sees the same 4 ID#s and has no idea what wheels they are.

 

Thanks @Bastek for the reply. Well they told me they had the right tool. I also know that I’ve been reading the Autel MX’s are compatible. I assumed (bad idea I know!) they wrote the new sensor IDs to the ECU.

Thanks @eurowner, There’s no way they cloned the old ones if it requires them to have the actual sensors, because they only have three of the four original sensors. (I was running the spare which is “sensorless”.). If they could obtain the original sensor ID’s from the ECU, then I’m not sure!


So it sounds like tomorrow I better head back to the shop to make sure they use the original IDs cloned to the Autel’s! (I had thought they would write the new IDs to the ECU.) The question is do I need to bring all four of the tires with me, or is there a way they can get the sensor IDs directly from the ECU?

 

I’m wondering (hoping) that since I was just having OEM rims installed instead of some 24’s they put the new guy on the job and he just cloned them wrong.

 

It is best not to assume anything. When I get new tires, the first thing I do when I get home is jack the truck up and re-torque all lug nuts to factory specs. Might be a wise thing to do after the TPMS issue is resolved too.

 

I assumed wrong... My bad.

Yeah, from what you're saying, they should read your old sensors, and program new clones. If you don’t have the 4th one, you'd have to read stored sensor numbers from your cpu. Techstream will do that

Good luck mate

 

Definitely good advice! Thank you @TA2016!

I agree @Bastek, and thanks! Luckily I still have all four sensors. I won’t bother trying to take them off the rims, I’ll just load them all back in the truck so the shop can scan them.

 

UPDATE: So went back to the shop this morning and they checked and all the sensors were reporting the correct PSI when they scanned them. I asked if they had cloned my other (steel wheel) sensors and they said, "We don't do that we use new codes and then sync them to the ECU."

I asked the guy if he could clone my old sensors and he said, "Once they are programmed you can't really go back and clear them. (Is this true or false?)

He rewrote to the ECU and everything was fine. When I inquired as to why they would have stopped reporting PSI, one of the guys just said, Toyotas are sometimes like that. So...

I wish I had clearly expressed I wanted my old sensor ID's cloned. But, since I won't likely run the steel rims anymore except in case of emergency, I will be happy as long as the ECU not communicating with the Autel MX's doesn't become a regular occurrence. And thanks to everyone for the help and information.

 

Lame. New ID#s have to be programmed into the truck.
Ask Autel, I do not know.
Of course, that should have been done before you got your truck back. Well, if your OEM sensors were in the back of the truck, the truck still sees them and the Autel sensors ID#s were not programmed.
Should not be a problem since they programmed the new ID#s into the truck.