Help with TPMS and flashing light on dashboard

Hello,
Last year I replaced the OEM Goodyear tires on the OEM rims with Method wheels and 285/70/17 KO3s. I took the wheels into Costco and they mounted them and put in new TPMS if I remember correctly or new batteries. All is working well but about a month later after replacing, the TPMS light on the dash flashed several times and then stayed on.
Now every time I start it up, the sensor on the dash for TPMS flashes then stays on.
I tried to reset it doing the "Press the start button without foot on brake to put it in ignition mode. Then hold the TPMS reset button until the warning light blinks 3 times." but it never blinks for me.
I have a tire rotation with Costco today and I was wondering if they can do anything while I leave my truck with them? I mentioned this to the tech that answered the phone while scheduling the rotation and he said we can try to take a look at it.
I'm not sure if I should mention anything else to them that they should try so it all syncs up correctly while they are doing their thing?
I would just like the warning light to go away and if possible, see the tire pressure of each tire on my dashboard again.
Thanks for any tips.
Shawn

 

You most likely have one or more sensors that aren't responding.
They should be able to check the sensors and see which one(s) don't respond.

 

Thanks. Will they need to unseat the tire from the wheel in order to do this? Can they do anything to fix it without doing that? Is it even their job to do this?

 

Tell Costco about the issue. Costco is great about making things right or great about giving a refund.

 

They can check the sensors without taking them out but if one is bad you have to de-mount the tire to change it.

It literally takes a couple minutes to go around with a TPMS tool and ping the sensors.

 

Thank you all for the quick responses. And if one is bad, would Costco sell them there and could insert it and program it so the error goes away off my dashboard?

 

good grief
take it in and ask them

 

Thank you DM93 and TA2016. Appreciate you taking the time.

 

FYI, I bot a used 2019 Tacoma, 4x4 in March. The seller, AutoNation, had swapped out new wheels and new tires.

On the drive home after purchasing it, the same TPMS yellow light began blinking on the dash. I pulled into a Discount Tire shop and asked that they check the tire pressures on all 4 tires. They did but couldn't or wouldn't reset the flashing TPMS light. The guy said that I should take it to a Toyota dealership which I did the following week.

The Toyota service tech stated that it wasn't a bad sensor but that the onboard computer had to be recalibrated for the new wheels and tires. He explained that the AutoNation dealership didn't have the right software to reset it on the Tacoma. It cost me like $185 to reprogram it and rid myself of that annoying warning light.

Now, I have come to learn about that DIY reset procedure in case I see that TPMS warning light again.

Good luck!

 

Javman,
You mention that Toyota service had to reprogram the computer to rid of the error. Are you saying now you would be able to do the same thing yourself without taking it back to them and the method you believe they actually followed was this? (attached)
Thanks

 

When your replace sensors you have to have a TPMS tool to read the sensor IDs then program those into the TPMS ECU with a scan tool or TPMS tool that also does TPMS programming.

The TPMS button is to reset the learned tire pressures after setting the tires to the desired pressure.

 

I don't know exactly what the dealer did to reprogram the ECU or onboard computer. But, yeah, this is the DIY procedure I saw on a YouTube video to rid yourself of the flashing TPMS warning light. Had I known of this procedure at the time, I could have saved myself some bucks. Now, I don't know if following this DIY procedure would've cleared the TPMS light due to the AutoNation dealer switching the wheels and tires to a bigger, more aggressive profile. Oh well.

 

Is it possible that the dealership's technician didn't explain the following? It is not the TPM computer that needs to be reprogramed, but that each sensor has to be scanned and registered in the TPM computer. The wheel and tires make no difference, just the sensors. It seems that with the Tacoma there is a way for one to reset and register the sensors in the TPM computer without the use of a scanner, at least as posted somewhere above. Some other automobiles allow for "do-it-yourself maintenance" as well.

In your case at AutoNation where they swapped wheels, is that when they did the work the four sensors's locations changed their original positions. For example, one or more of the sensors may have been moved from RR to RF, or to LF, or to LR, etc, and the technician failed to reset and register the new sensors locations when he or she completed the work.

This is what I do with the following vehicles (below) because resenting and registering the sensors manually as you can with the Tacoma, is not possible. With these vehicles when I take each to a shop for tire rotation, the mechanic has to use a scanner to scan each sensor's position (LF, LR, RF, RR) with the portable tool, then he or she connects it to the OBD (?) port that's located under the dash in front of the driver's seat, and proceeds to download the data in to scanner to the TPM computer. This data now registered in the TPM computer has the new sensor location. But since I have the tool (Autell TPMS scanner), I can scan the sensors and register them in the computer myself like the tire shop's mechanic does.

a. 2010 RAV4 V6
b. 2012 Corolla
c. 2013 Tundra TRD Off Road 5.7L V8

The only thing I cannot do with the Autell tool is to program the OM or Toyota TPM sensor itself, but I can scan each sensor's position and ID, and then save the data to the TPM computer in the vehicle. The Autell tool can be used to program their own brand of sensors ("Maxis" sensors I believe), but not OM sensors. By "programing" it means that you can change to different tire pressure inflation ranges, check temperatures, and things like that....as far as I understand it.

 

This is a crazy, complicated and confusing thread. And the proverbial answer is so darn simple. Come on, people.
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1) So.....OP.... you had new tires mounted on new wheels at Costco about a year ago and you *think* you had new TPMS sensors installed. See below, emphasis is mine.

.

Frankly, I am quite certain I already know the answer.

2) Why don't you look at your receipt? Or, better yet, just call Costco. Like this:

"I had new tires mounted about a year ago and I was wondering if you could check my service record and confirm or deny if I had new TPMS sensors installed at that time. Because I now have at least one TPMS sensor with a dead battery that is not communicating with the TPMS module." And my dash is indicating so.

This is ordinary, adult-like, responsible behavior.

If you actually paid for new TPMS sensors, they will have a record of it. And if so, you can politely ask about a premature battery failure and request they replace it while you are there.

If they don't have a record of you actually paying for new TPMS sensors, they re-used your old ones. And one of them just unfortunately crapped out a month after you had your new tires installed. Happens all the time. TPMS sensors, on top of new tires and new wheels is another $25 expense per wheel that you may have declined at the time. Be honest with yourseld.

IF indeed you had paid for new TPMS sensors at the time you had your new tires mounted on your new wheels, you would have immediately gone back to Costco and inquired about a warranty.

But you did not. And you've been driving around for a year now with a tire light illuminated on your dash. Come on.

In this case, PAY FOR NEW TPMS SENSORS and have them installed while you are getting your wheels / tires rotated.

Brace yourself. All four tires will need to be dismounted. New TPMS sensors installed. Tires remounted. Tire will need to be re-balanced. TPMS sensors synced with your engine computer and TPMS module.

This is not a trivial expense. $200 minimum. I speak the truth. So be honest.

 

rayinalaska,
Thank you for the info to better understand the TPM system.

 

I had my light come on a little over a month ago.
the wife and I were taking a short road trip out of town when the light started flashing. My first thought was that maybe i ran over a nail or something and punctured a tire.
I scroll over to check the pressures on the dash and they are all showing that no pressure is being read (the little dashes next to each tire) . I pull off the road and check the tire pressures manually, everything was fine.
I got back on the road and figured the batteries in my sensors have finally died @ 9 years old.
The light still comes on and flashes at me for a minute or so when i first start the truck. The tires are still doing their job, i'll get around to replacing the sensors when i get the extra cash, until then i just don't care. I have more important things to focus on during my day.

 

Phlogiston,
That is almost identical on how it played out for me. Start of a road trip, saw the flashing and was worried I had a puncture of some sort. No PSI showing.
Thanks, will get the sensor in tire replaced. Learning new stuff about this Taco all the time. My first modern vehicle and enjoying it quite a bit.

 

I'm in the same boat with my wife's 2010 Camry. It is the old school TPMS system that tells you that you have a low pressure issue, but it does not tell you which tire or what the low pressure reading is. You have to get out of the car and whip out the your good old tire pressure gauge to find out which tire is the problem.

Her TPMS light started flashing one day so I did all that stuff above and her tire pressures were just fine. After determining I had one (or more) sensors gone bad, I told her to pretend it is 1975 and I would just keep a close eye on her tire pressures. That was 2 years ago and all is still well. If we still have the car when it needs new tires, I will address the failed sensor then.

 

There are ways to disable (defeat) the TPMS module. So you don't have to look at that annoying light on your dash.

I will not post up links, because the ones I found online all involve cutting wires to the TPMS module and basically short circuiting them to ground. Yuck. That's an easy way to zap your PCM if you don't know what you're doing.
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In the 5.0 Coyote Mustang world, the TPMS defeat can be done with freeware from the web called ForScan and a laptop in about 5 minutes via the OBD-II connector. You can literally just re-program the TPMS module to an "OFF" status instead of "On". There may not be a whole lotta Furd fanatics around here, but that ForScan app is wicked powerful. And it is supported by Ford.

I don't know if there is an equivalent type of method for Tacomas. But that is the only way I would do it. By (re)programming the PCM and turning the TPMS module OFF where the PCM is "fooled" into thinking it doesn't even exist. On Fords, I know for certain this does not cause any other consequence such as a check engine light for something like TPMS Module not Communicating.

Again, not sure if this possible with Tacomas. If so, maybe someone can post up the How To.

Cheers!

 

Around here people who are that worried about it just build pipe bombs (DIY Pressurized PVC tube with all 4 sensors sealed inside) or use electrical tape to cover the light lol