How does TPMS work?

Thanks but it really isn't. I’m not looking to have multiple sets of wheels, just track the fifth wheel on the truck.

I guess I wasn’t clear in my original question so let me try this one last time.

I understand what the TPMS system does, I want to know how it does it. I have a 2012 that came with a TPMS system that only tracks four of the five tires on the truck. I’d like to track the fifth. If the computer just sits there waiting to hear from a sensor then maybe cloning one of the four original sensors would allow me to track the fifth wheel. I can buy an aftermarket, programmable TPMS sensor and mount it in the spare using one of the existing TPMS numbers already in use. Basically I’d end up with five tires using four numbers, three unique numbers and a pair using the same number. Does anyone know for sure if this would work or not?

In no particular order -

I don’t think a little work ever hurt anyone.

Only four of the five tires that came on the truck came with a TPMS sensor and the computer will only track four numbers.

I don’t think it’s a secret government tracking device. If it is then my tax dollars helped pay for it and I’d like it to work better than it does.

I have better things to do with my time then manually check the tire pressure of the spare tire, which requires I crawl under the truck.

I have no interest in disabling the system, I want it to work with all five tires.

 

LOL I wish the technology exists to track a vehicle this way. All the current vehicle trackers on the market send the vehicle position over the cellular network, so a SIM card (with data plan on the account) needs to be inserted into the transponder. Drive to an area with poor cell phone reception, and the tracker is defeated.