Tpms and rotating sdvice

When rotating my tires myself do I need to recalibrate my tpms ?

 

You got me curious about this so I googled a little bit. Seems that the sensors need to be "reset" after a rotation. I'm assuming that's what the button under our steering wheel in the dash is for but not 100%. Hopefully someone on here can confirm or deny this for sure.

 

Hmmm which button fo you speak of

 

I thank the federal government everyday for red tape bureaucracy that allows for tpms to exist and not having to rely on my halfwit brain to check the pressure

 

Yes. That’s what the tpms reset button is for.

 

Hmmm thank you

 

I've never had to reset my TPMS system after tire rotations (done every 5,000 miles, have 50,000 miles on my 2018 now). I just adjust tire pressures to the new locations (32psi front, 35psi rear).

Dan

 

no need to reset the TPMS from what I understand. I rotate tires and look in my menu and see the tires are rotated (I have one tire that is a pain in the ass and I know where it is at all times).

 

For the older cars like my '16:
The reset button is for re-programming the tire air pressures. if for example you adjust the air pressures, you do a reset to program the new air pressures...
I think the tpms light will come on if any tire pressure falls %10 or %20 (not sure about the exact %) below the reset values.
This system works for the older cars with just the tpms LED warning light. If any of the tire pressures go a certain % below the reset values , then the tpms light will turn on.
I ASSUME with this system the tire location/position should not matter so a rotation without adjusting air pressures should not need a reset.

I don't know about the newer models (2019? and on) which also displays the individual tire pressures. This system must know where each tire is located and I don't know how that is communicated with the ECU. I would assume a reset and/or reprogramming of tire locations is needed somehow even if you don't change tire pressures. Unless it is a fancy system and there are sensors to determine where each tire is located.

 

On my 2018, each TPMS sensor is location specific. IOW, when my tires are rotated, my formerly 32psi fronts are shown at the rear location on the instrument display map. This tells me that the shop did not re-adjust my pressures (and confirms that the tires were actually rotated). I have no problem with this, preferring to manage my tires pressures myself.

Dan

 

ok so the new models (2018 and on) have the fancy system that tracks each tire location without a need to reprogram the tire position ...

I assume you still have the reset button like the old models. No?

 

Yes, reset button is there (lower right corner of lower dash panel) but have never had to use it. I did have to reset my wife's 2017 Sequoia once not long after she got it but I have forgotten the reason. Haven't needed to since.

The new system (location specific TPMS sensors) is excellent. I was backing out of the garage one evening to go out to dinner and the screen lit up with low pressure warning (RF tire was at 24psi). I got out and found a sheet metal screw stuck in the RF tire causing the problem. On my 2006, if the low pressure warning lit up I had no idea which tire was low, and often it was the spare. So I had to get out and check each tire to find the problem.

Dan

 

Yes, so the reset is still used to reprogram the new air pressures if you adjust the pressures. It makes sense.

 

The "reset" function is intended to correct and re-establish communication between the wheel mounted TPMS sensors and the ECU. It is independent of tire pressure.

Dan

 

yes the Reset will function independent of the tire pressure … however as i mentioned earlier it will also reset/re-program the baseline air pressures.
also seems like a reset is also needed if you rotate the tires.


FYI, this is from my '16 owner's manual under the Reset paragraph:

The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
● When rotating the tires.
● When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.

 

Here is the real question has anyone with a full size spare installed a tpms sensor in the spare and what would happen if u rotate ur spare in the mix. Would it recognize. Or would it throw things off

 

My previous 4runner had one in the spare, PITA, never again

 

My 2006 Tundra had TPMS sensors in all five (including the spare). If the light went on, you had to manually check to see which tire was low and if the spare has not been attended to for a couple of years, it could be the one.

Dan

 

On my '08 DC, the spare is mounted on a steel wheel, and from the lack of wear it doesn't appear to have ever been on the ground, and it does not have a TPMS sensor installed. I am not the original owner, just acquired it in November. I bought a set of factory steel wheels to mount a set of winter tires, and installed a set of ebay TRW sensors. I finally bought an Autel TS508 TPMS tool, and just used it to relearn my EDC to accept the new sensors. When I connected it to the EDC via the OBDII port, only the 4 sensors on the original alloy mounted wheels were listed in memory. Once the TS508 erased the old sensors, and copied the new sensors to the EDC, the TPMS alert indicator on the dash went out, and stayed out.

 

18+ only has the ability to recognize 4 sensors.

 

Follow up: I can confirm, at least as far as my '08 DC is concerned, that the spare does not have, and never had a TPMS sensor. It states so in the owners manual. I decided to lower the spare, just to see how the mechanism works, and once it was down, it clearly states on the steel wheel, that the spare is designed for temporary use only. It is not a 'donut' spare, but an almost full size regular tire mounted on a steel wheel. The standard tires are a 275/70-R18, while the spare is a 255/70-18 Standard Michelin LTX M/S tire. I checked the tire diameter, and it appears to be really close to the tires now on the truck, so the reason that Toyota is designating the spare as 'for Temporary use only' is the fact that if you have to put the spare on because of a flat, you would have to use the lug nuts that came with the alloy wheels, and they are probably not the ideal lug nuts for long term use on a steel wheel.

Once I lowered the spare, I confirmed my earlier suspicion, that the spare had never been used. And that brings me to the issue of the spare tire suspension/mounting system under the bed. I previously owned two 4th Gen 4Runners, each had the spare mounted under the rear, with a somewhat similar cable hoist system. While I was not a big fan of mounting a spare on a vehicle this way, I understand why they did so. (to save space inside the rear compartment). They both had issues with rust and poor design causing the cable lift mechanisms to fail prematurely and they had to be replaced. While the cable lift on the Tundra appears to be of somewhat better design, as far as how the cable spools on the lift, the method of raising and lowering the spare, using the tire tool kit is an accident waiting to happen. My '08 has the optional tire lift security system installed. This 'security' system entails using a 'coded' key tip, that is necessary to be able to use the tire crank tool when lowering/raising the spare. It is similar in design to the Toyota wheel lock lug nut system. The irregular raised design on the key fits into a corresponding recessed design on the end of the crank shaft on the cable lift. When I tried to lower the spare, at first it wouldn't budge, and I was afraid to lean on it too much for fear of damaging or stripping the key. If that happens, I am not sure how one would get the spare down at that point. In any case, with a bit of WD-40 and gently working it back and forth, it finally broke loose and I was slowly able to lower the spare. I can easily see how this 'security' system could fail when you need it most, and leave you unable to get access to the spare. That, and the huge PITA it is to have to get underneath the bumper to remove the spare from the lift assembly, once it is lowered, leaves me praying I never get a flat while on the road. Especially in lousy weather. The engineer that designed that system should be made to have to change a tire and mount the spare, by themself, in the rain, on a muddy road. Me thinks the system would be re-thought.

 

Using Techstream on my 2018 it has 5 positions for tire pressure sensors

 

Sound like you can add a sensor to the spare tire ... like in older models.

I have seen or heard of several cases where someone had a flat and the spare tire was also flat (low air pressure) due to sitting for years.
Not many check the spare. It's either out of sight and/or hard to reach in case of Tundra.

Most likely Toyota took the spare tire sensor out to save a few $