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Tire pressure warning light

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by first_superior_prius, Mar 20, 2018.

  1. first_superior_prius

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    Hi all, hoping for some wisdom before I have to end up going to the dealer

    The low tire warning light came on the other day, after the dedicated snow tires/rims had been swapped out for my regular tires

    I checked and the tires were all at 32 PSI, instead of the 39/36 suggested for the Two Eco. I set them to the correct pressure and drove more than 50 miles. Light stayed on, so I re-set the TPMS warning light according to the manual's procedure. It went off.

    After driving to work this morning, it's back on, blinking for 1 minute and then staying lit.Tires are still at 39/36

    Any ideas on what is going on? Or am I stuck having to go to the dealer for them to deal with it
     
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Are you swapping two sets of tires (the all seasons and snows) on the stock rims?
     
  3. first_superior_prius

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    No. they each have their own sets of rims. Each set of rims has TPMS sensors. The all-season tires, currently on the car, are on the stock rims.
     
  4. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    You need to tell the TPMS system the codes of the 4 tires on the car.

    Options:
    (1) Wrong codes inserted
    (2) Missing or bad TPMS

    Problem is watching your cost in fixing. Cost can range to cheap to expensive (dealer).
    Take your time to see if you can sort out problem.
     
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  5. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    I have no idea how to solve your problem, but let me know when you do manage to figure it out, because I have the same problem!

    (I check air in all tires, reset TPMS, just sit in the car, and after about 10 minutes the warning light comes back on)
     
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  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, with two sets of tpms sensors, EVERY time the wheels are swapped the car needs to be reintroduced to the sensors, either by dealership with proprietory techstream software, or some third-party hardware (@wjtracy has more info). Dealership will charge somewhere between $50 and $100 for this. Twice yearly.

    There are other solutions, I believe there are third party tpms sensors, that can be "cloned", so the car doesn't know the difference. But that's maybe for another day.

    I just have plain valves in my snows (on separate rims), but that's more difficult to do in the States.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Mar 20, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2018
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  7. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Some of us have Techstream or some other way to read and set the codes.
    Otherwise you have to go somewhere to have the service done.
    The only way you know the individual codes if they are written down somewhere.
    Some places have devices that can read the codes and set them
     
  8. first_superior_prius

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    Hmm. I am guessing the dealership didn't do that.

    My solution is going to be to leave the light on, I guess. I'm not going to pay 50-100 bucks twice per year to have that service done.
     
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  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    You could ask if they would do it for you if it their fault or willing to do you a favor.
    You might find a tire shop willing to do a cheaper reset.
     
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  10. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    PS- if you keep the snows near the car it may pick up the signal each day
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If you have to go through an inspection, and a tpms light will fail you, just show up with the wheels having the recongnized sensors, in the hatch, maybe under a tarp? Kidding...
     
  12. Fester

    Fester Active Member

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    TPMS wheel sensors typically use built in motion sensing to run them off when parked to conserve their internal batteries, so the cars system won't see the off mounted tires.
     
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  13. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Hmm...so the problem above was that the OP probably does not have 4 TPMS codes set in the cars computer that correspond to the 4 TPMS units actually on the car tires. Do you think you have 4 tires with TPMS installed in them and the codes are set properly in the cars memory?

    TPMS run on button batteries, but 3 out of 4 mine are going on 12-yrs old now so we are not expecting that in your case for a 2016. The TPMS can sometimes get damaged in a flat tire scenario.
     
    #13 wjtracy, Mar 20, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2018
  14. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Good point...but I am not sure if it is movement activated, or the car has to be turned on?
    Seems to me you can keep your car in Park, and work with them (drain pressure and see reading etc.).
    I have a static TPMS in my glove compartment contributing the reading for one of my tires.
    Anyways kick the snow tire before you start the car. It does take a minute or two for the readings to register.
     
  15. Fester

    Fester Active Member

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    I run two ScanGauges with one being dedicated to tire pressures or temps. I’ve noticed that even when started and still in Park the wheel TPMS sensors usually are indicating something around a default of like -14 psi till you put it into drive and actually start the tires rolling.
     
  16. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Never had a flat tire.
     
  17. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Did it ever work for you?
    If so, sounds like one went bad and you would need a reader (Techstream etc) to see what was going on.
     
  18. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Yes, it did work. I guess that one of the sensors is faulty.
     
  19. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Conceivably you could have the set the alarm pressure too high? If you take the pressures down to 30 psi and reset, that would set the alarms lower, and then pump up to what you want.
     
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  20. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    My OEM 16" rims with the summer tyres mounted, and the original TPMS are stored in my garage, and when my Prius (2009 Gen II) is parked overnight in the garage, the TPMS NagLight goes out, and flashes on, going steady after a couple of minutes, after about 30mins of driving away from the garage (the car is wearing its 15" steelies shod with Blizzak Snows (sans TPMS) at this time of the year). I invested in a set of these, which are put on whichever set of wheels are on the car.


    They are great and show not only the tyre pressures, but also the temperatures! ;)
     
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