I need to disable my TPMS system

That is helpful. I bought the Techstream software and cable on Amazon a while back. I never quite figured out how to get the software to work. I installed the driver for the cable (which I have lost), and I needed to log into a Toyota website. I am confused as to what I actually bought, but I expect that for $40, it wasn't legit.

 

I drive the Prius commercially (Uber / Lyft). A blinking amber warning light on the dash is a problem if a passenger sees it, and decides to give me a lower rating. They can't tell it is only a tire warning light from the back seat.

 

I attempted to do just that. I didn't really have it apart, the wire for the connector that plugs into the module is really short, and hard to get to under the dash. I did determine that the "Pale Green" wire was ground, and the Fat Pink wire does provide 5.0 volts only when plugged into the module. Another fat wire provides 12 volts to the module, probably only when the car is turned on.

I did try the following experiment:

When the car is turned off, the LED is out (obviously). When I turn the car on, the LED blinks for about two minutes. I tried unplugging the module after the LED was blinking at about 1 minute, and it continued to blink. I left the module unplugged, and the LED went to "stays on" after another minute. ​

What I can conclude is that LED on / off / blinking state is not directly controlled by the module . It is not the simple voltage level of one of the wires as was suggested on a Rav4 forum. The results suggest that the LED is controlled by the main ECU. The TPMS module must be sending signals (possibly digital) to the main ECU in when the state changes, or in response to a query from the ECU.

Right now, the "ECU and/or TPMS module" is seeing 4 out of the 5 TPMS sensors that the "ECU and/or TPMS module" has registered. (3 wheels plus the spare, The 4th wheel has a sensor the "ECU and/or TPMS module" does not know about). The wheel containing the missing sensor is located about 100 feet away from where I park, which is not close enough. From past experience, I know that if I move the wheel with the 4th registered TPMS sensor to less than 20 feet, the light will go out eventually. The next time I drive the car and it stays away from my driveway for more than an hour. it will come back on.

I suppose I just should give up trying to disable the TPMS, and pay the tire guy at Sears $30 to reprogram the TPMS system, so that it is looking for the correct 5 TPMS sensors. I am pissed off that the TPMS system is designed in such a way that to swap wheels requires special tools. I would rather pay that $30 towards buying the tool I need to reprogram the TPMS system.

I own an ELM327 bluetooth adapter, which works with Torque Pro on my Android phone. I also own a dual boot Laptop Windows 10 + Linux with Bluetooth. The "Carista" dongle plus the paid subscription software will do the job (see YouTube link below). Any thoughts about other tools would be helpful.

 

I purchased TechStream and cable from Amazon a year ago for $40. I never got the software to work, and I have since lost the cable. The software wants an account id and password to log into the Toyota website in order to register the included software key. I gave up. The whole experience left me questioning if buying TechStream as a DYI'er is something Toyota does not permit, and what I bought was just a hacked version.

Today, found this auction on eBay for $20, which requires that the seller do the installation via "TeamViewer". The seller has great feedback, but is "Based in Venezuela, lemol-96 has been an eBay member since Apr 03, 2019".

Given my bad experience with installing Techstream, I would be willing to let them do a remote install. I need to buy another cable anyway.

Title: Latest Toyota Techstream v15.00.029 02.2020
eBay item #: 133379685809

Seller information
lemol-96 (326 )

Latest Toyota Techstream v15.00.026 02.2020 + Online Support

** motivated by some people who have difficulty performing the installation, the program will only be installed by us through teamviewer. this is motivated to avoid negative ratings***

***if you are not willing for us to connect to your computer through teamviewer do not buy this product***​

I would like to get feedback as to if this is a legitimate way to acquire Techstream!

 

I discovered that the shorting of the wires method of getting rid of the TPMS light does not work on a Prius V. Techstream may be required to get the light to go out.

It isn't very hard to remove the gloveboxes.
1) The top box is held in place with plastic clips. You can remove it by applying a rocking motion with your hands, while prying with your fingers. If you use any tools, you will break the clips.

2) The bottom box is a little more complicated. Open the box, and press the sides of the box inward. This will get the box to open all the way to the floor. The hinge will be more accessible, and uses Phillips or 10mm hex bolts (I forget which) for removal.