TPMS "Tire Pressure Sensor Failure" warning question

[Night Horse]

Hey guys. I offroad every other week and typically air down to around 18psi. I then air up to 35psi.
Having said that, in the last 6 months or so I've been experiencing the "Tire Pressure Sensor Failure" warning on random wheels. Typically the left side, but not always. This happens aired down and up, eventually clears up after a few days, then repeats again.

It's now happening more and more. So my question is... do you think this is actually the sensors or is there something else that could be causing this?

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[TXBronco1313]

Could be a damaged sensor or could simply mean the sensor is dirty. Try spraying the wheels with water and see if it goes away. If not then one of the sensors could be damaged

 

[Doc TOC]

Try spraying the wheels with water and see if it goes away.

That is funny! Had to pay attention to the sarcasm to get that one.

Most TPMS devices use a piezoelectric transducer (very, very, very small metallic membrane) to sense the pressure. That signal is sent via RF to a sensor (RFA module) that feeds it to the Body Control Module (BCM) that sends the message to display on the screen.

It sounds like a whack-a-mole problem, but it may not be.
My first guess is there is dirt/moisture inside the tires making the transducer(s) not function consistently. When you air up/down, that clears it for awhile. So the TPMS units are working, just getting mucked up. Once you get junk inside the tires, it doesn't go away until they come off.

Start with a trip to a tire store. Dismount all the tires (spare included). Wipe out the tires and blow out the sensors. Ask the tech to not over lube the rim when they get remounted. (Don't get scammed into replacing the devices. A TPMS activation tool and the proper procedure is needed to register/reregister each TPMS ID to all 5 of your tires with the BCM when you replace 1 or more. You won't know that one is not registered until it's too late.) I would give the devices about 70-100 miles to register if they are acting correctly. Do not air up/down until you give them a fair chance to malfunction. Otherwise, you are introducing another unknown.

If that doesn't solve the problem, you should head to the dealer to get the BCM codes checked and the sensors checked. Not every tire store has the equipment or trained tech that knows how to do that. They might, but you need to know for sure.

The chance that the RFA or BCM are the problem is small. You would be getting a bad signal more frequently (if not constantly), or having additional problems.

And be diligent when you air up/down. I always have a clean, dry micro cloth to clean the chuck and stems before I air up at each tire. I blow air through the chuck and wipe it, blow air into the stem, then wipe the stem, then I air it up. You want them clean and dry. Make sure your storage bag and hose connections are very clean before connecting to your pump. It's the micro dirt that defeats you. I have a separate bag I store mine in. After every trip the air lines get wiped off and the bag hosed and wiped out.

I hope this gets cleared up soon for you and you get back to happier trails.

 

[Night Horse]

UPDATE: The issue has been low batteries on the TPMS sensors. So far, I've had to replace two of them.

 

[woodsman44]

another tip is make sure your "spare tire" is properly inflated, it has TPMS sensor in as well

 

[C6ZZGT]

another tip is make sure your "spare tire" is properly inflated, it has TPMS sensor in as well

True, Except it doesn`t do anything until it starts rolling around !TPMS needs movement before it turns on.

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