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tpms light

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by 510bg, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. 510bg

    510bg Member

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    Just stopped at the dealer service center asked to fill tire to 42 front 40 rear they said no due to the TPMS light going off they said they would go 5 above spec based on the inside door. I'm pretty sure they are BSing but I wanted to confirm on Prius chat.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i'm at 42/40, no prolemo.
     
  3. 510bg

    510bg Member

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    Ok gotta go to a tire shop or buy my own equipment
     
  4. 510bg

    510bg Member

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    How often do you check the tire pressure?
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    around once a month, they hold pretty well. i got a screw a few weeks ago and sensor came on. first time in 9 years.
     
  6. priuskitty

    priuskitty PIP FAN

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    I have this software on my XP OS laptop (only OS it will work on) It has tire pressure readouts.

     
  7. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    I'm in the same situation with out a single problem with the TPMS.
     
  8. retired4999

    retired4999 Prius driver since 2005

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    I have been running my psi at 42 front 40 psi rear since 2005. No problems here!
     
  9. rogerv

    rogerv Senior Member

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    The dealer's answer is ridiculous. The TPMS will trigger if a tire drops below the preset psi number. You can reset that number (see owner's manual for the procedure). But even if you don't, having a higher pressure in the tires doesn't do anything- you would simply have to have more loss of air in any tire before the alert would be triggered. For example, say the system is set to warn you when any tire goes below 28 psi. If you start at 33, it goes off when you lose 5 psi. If you have 40 psi, it won't warn you until you have lost 12 psi, which you ought to notice just by driving. I prefer to run 42/40 and have reset the TPMS accordingly.
     
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  10. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    If it goes 5 psi BELOW, the light will come on.
     
  11. rogerv

    rogerv Senior Member

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    Right, I wasn't clear in my previous post, but it is triggered if a tire drops 5 psi below the preset desired psi number in the system. It doesn't compensate without you putting in a higher number if you raise your pressures to 42/40 as a lot of us have done. OTOH, more sophisticated systems track the pressure in each tire, and in the case of Cadillac, warn you of over inflation as well as under, again based on where you have the pressures when you initialize the TPMS.
    Maybe the dealer person mentioned didn't understand that raising the pressure would not have the same effect as lowering the pressure by 5 psi, thereby triggering an alert.
     
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