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"(!)" warning light remains on after adding air to tires

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Tom Farrell, Mar 2, 2018.

  1. Tom Farrell

    Tom Farrell Junior Member

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    After picking up some flooring stone (about 200 pounds), I noticed the "(!)" light on. It's also a bit colder outside, which can also lead to that. Anyhow, I used my Ryobi pressure gauge/air pump to bring my tires back up to proper pressure. Oddly, none of them was particularly low, needing at most 2 PSI added. Afterwards, the "(!)" light remains on. I even tested and topped off tire pressure a second time. Manual says in this case I need to go to Toyota dealer. But I am wondering what other Prius II owners think?

    Let me add just a bit more detail: all the tires are new as of last August. High quality tires with new stems installed during tire installation. I suppose I can return to place where I had tires installed and have them look into it? I am guessing, however, that the added pressure and then release of pressure may have brought on this false sensor reading, and perhaps just resetting the "(!)" tire pressure indicator might be all that's needed here? Well, it's time for oil change anyhow plus tire stems are under warranty, so no reason not to have installer check it out?

    We did load the stone balanced over the rear axel. I picked the stone up in two loads so as to keep total weight in car well below the equivalent of four passengers. I also took a special route home so as to avoid some rougher highway pavement where there's also a lot of stop/start traffic.

    I believe also that my trip odometer may actually have gotten tripped during the first load (the lighter of the two). The "(!)" indicator did not appear until after the second load of stone had been unloaded.

    Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. This is new territory for me because normally I never have more than one passenger in the car.
     
    #1 Tom Farrell, Mar 2, 2018
  2. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    Kind of strange but the batteries in the TPMS sensors don't work forever. I would take it back like you said where you had the tires installed and they can read each wheel and tell if the sensors are communicating. You tried pumping the pressure up, you could try letting the air out of the tires one at a time then fill them back up to see if that helps. I would do it one at a time. Don't know if it will work, just a guess.
     
    #2 padroo, Mar 2, 2018
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  3. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Tom- the TPMS basically have a CR2032 button battery (welded in/non-replaceable) that lasts maybe 8-10 years, Like you I did not realize this, but you probably should have put new TPMS in the tires. Now you probably lost a battery in one. Depending on where you go, cost to fix can be pretty high, so you might want to live with for a while to see what you want to do. So far I lost one at 9.5 years and the others are still working going on 12 years...must be Energizer bunnies. The famous easy fix is cover (!) light with black tape. Depending on state, (!) does not usually cause a car to flunk inspection.

    TPMS Management with Techstream | PriusChat
     
    #3 wjtracy, Mar 2, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
  4. Lucifer

    Lucifer Senior Member

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    My winter tire rims are from my '06 prius, the tpms are ded, I ignore the light on my 17 prime, on my 11 prius I put black friction tape over the flashing light, because I knew the tires (Nokian, studded suckers) were and new ones are excellent.
     
    #4 Lucifer, Mar 2, 2018
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    When my tire light comes on and I add air, the light usually turns off by itself some time the following day.

    -Chap
     
    #5 ChapmanF, Mar 2, 2018
  6. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Our 2012 v Five ostensibly has a TPMS reset button. While I have never seen it work as explained in the Owners Manual, once tire pressures are set, the system does self-reset after 10-15 minutes of driving.
     
    #6 Air_Boss, Mar 2, 2018
  7. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Yep the integrated battery died in one the others soon to follow. Buy the entire sensor original sensor on amazon its a Denso 550-0103.
    You will eventually need 4.

    You can kill the light in Techstream but its a PIA.
     
    #7 edthefox5, Mar 2, 2018
  8. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    How? No one has previously discovered that trick...although we know if you reset the codes to say 0000000 it can take weeks for the system to catch up and throw the light again.
     
    #8 wjtracy, Mar 2, 2018
  9. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    I have seen it a few times on this site you can delete the light but its next to impossible to identity in the software which wheel you are actually deleting.
    I have not done this myself though.
     
    #9 edthefox5, Mar 2, 2018
  10. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Wj-

    I may have stole the Denso part number from you though lol if memory serves. But if you say it cannot be done I believe you know more about it then I do so I defer.
     
    #10 edthefox5, Mar 3, 2018
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  11. jm98

    jm98 Member

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    I had same issue with TPMS sensor failing. Got couple used from Ebay and had Discount Tires replace it for free.. DT has tools and necessary equiepments to swap bad one quickly..

    I believe this is the part # PA66-GF33 PMV-107J
     
    #11 jm98, Mar 3, 2018
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Shortly after I got the car, I just plugged in Techstream and watched the pressure readings while I let some air out of some of the tires. Once I wrote down what sensor IDs were at what corners of the car, I put the air back in. Now I just update the list whenever I rotate tires, so I still know which ID is which.

    -Chap
     
    #12 ChapmanF, Mar 3, 2018
  13. padroo

    padroo Senior Member

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    I also have my original TPMS sensor ID's recorded and have a second set programmed in my summer tires with the same ID's.
    Yesterday I went to Tire Rack in South Bend Indiana and they installed my Autel MX programmable sensors in my new wheels and mounted new tires.
     
    #13 padroo, Mar 3, 2018
  14. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    Seems like dealer/service might have a way (but it's illegal probably). I am wondering if Toyota service can change it to 5 tires for you as some want to cover the spare and there is of course 5 tire codes in Techstream.

    That's great!! unfort it is possible to get much higher price quotes. so that's the issue.
    The cheapest quote I got was $30/tire for installation and that was me providing TPMS and programming the codes.
     
    #14 wjtracy, Mar 3, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2018
  15. Prius Dragster

    Prius Dragster Junior Member

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    Similar story. Bought my '07 used with fairly new tires. The low tire pressure light was on at the time of purchase but I figured no big deal, I will just add air. Wrong. As it turned out, the previous owner did not want to spring for the additional $$ for 2 new TPMS', so neither of the newer tires had monitoring devices in them. I could have added and checked tire pressures until doomsday; that warning light on the dash was not going to go off. (I hate the warning lights.)
     
    #15 Prius Dragster, Mar 8, 2018
  16. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    An ATEQ Quickset TPMS reader/programmer allows the DIY'er to change and program sensors, or change tire sets with separate TPMS IDs. Priceless!
     
    #16 Air_Boss, Mar 8, 2018
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