Low Tire Pressure Idiot Light Came On...

So they do not have a Gen 3 Prius and posted in a 5 year old thread. How much further off-topic can you get?

 

TPMS is not specific to Gen3 Prius. If that is a Camry Hybrid in his picture (sorry, I don't recognize all models by sight), then it is probably the very same TPMS system, thus on-topic.

 

My light came on last year in my new-to-me 2013 as soon as I had the dealer switch out to snow tires. I called them 2k from the dealership and they knew immediately the cause; they claim the sensors don’t work with snow tires and the light will stay on til spring. That was the case, in the spring it went off when I switched the tires back. Same thing this year. Lit up for xmas!

 

Just to clarify: you're using the same rims/sensors for both sets of tires? That's kind of odd...

 

The rims were switched out as well. So I guess the rims they sold me along with the snow tires don’t have sensors...?

 

Your service order/receipt should detail if you paid for new sensors. If you did get sensors on the new wheels, I believe Toyota requires them to be matched/coded to your car, although this impression is not based on personal experience.

 

Cold weather will set the sensor off. Need to make sure tires are filled to the recommended tire pressure and then drive for some time before the light goes off.

 

The cheap-n-dirty scenario is to get snow tires on separate rims (typically steel rims) and to forgo extra tpms sensors, both to save extra initial expense, and ongoing expense/hassle. Every time a new set of sensors is put on the car they need to be "introduced" with Techstream or some other third-party device.

All this intervention does not come cheap at the dealerships, or you need to invest yourself in the equipment and know how. If you can get away with it in your locale, and are comfortable driving without tpms, that's the simpler route to go. When you go back to your regular tires in spring, the light should go out, back to situation normal.

 

South of the border, it would be illegal for them to put such on your car, effectively disabling the TPMS system. No such requirement (yet) on your side of the border.

The sensors are a very significant extra cost item, not coming automatically with rims. In the absence of a legal requirement, putting them on without asking you beforehand would be an underhanded 'silent upsell'.

 

Yeah I completely missed that Vincent is in Canada, home of tpms scofflaws, lol.

When I got our snow tires in 2010, X-Ice mounted on Corolla steel rims, through a dealership service department, the service writer asked if I'd be wanting tpms sensors, all the while emphatically shaking his head "no".

 

It is good that they were asking, giving customers the option without upselling / overselling / fleecing them.