TPMS.

[C24]

It’s that time of the year again. Orange flashing instruments suggesting that there is a tyre that has the incorrect pressure.
So, out with the gauge, all four tyres at the same pressure
Read the book again, many trials and still with a flashing panel. Several days later and more deflated and re-pressurised tyres and more time trying to reprogram the system. No success
No access to the rest of the instruments, just the low tyre pressure warming.

Of course it is raining hard so onto the Net again and found someone in California who found that his spare tyre was slightly deflated. No, not that…
Disconnected the battery, no joy. So it’s back to tape over the flashing bits.

Global warning! Following the instructions of “ drive for ten minutes” each time to allow the system to stabilise etc.

What a palaver , sorry to burden you all.

Also I’ve just stupidly allowed my iPad to upload 15.1. More totally unrequired trash to plough through.

Roll on 2050.

Stay safe but whatever you do stay away from Peterborough and Leicester even if fully boosted

That was therapeutic

[witje]

Maybe you can visit your dealer. I’m sure they have a solution.
What kind of car do you have?

[Mark]

But can people who sell weed trully be trusted with car advice???

[Mike]

It looks like he's discovered the solution to his problem when he said "Following the instructions of “ drive for ten minutes” each time to allow the system to stabilise etc."

[Condor68]

Had that with the handbrake light on my Transit.Had bits replaced,it was so sensitive i felt it would lock on if I looked at it but light still on.. Had to get a mechanic to reset the relevant bit of the onboard computer.Only takes minutes

Keith

[ArabJazzie]

I would think one of your sensors is on the blink and you will have to get the dealers expensive computer to tell you which one! Unless it already tells you what tyre is causing the offence?

Driving 20 year old Mondeos has its benefits!
Geoff.

[tm74sqn]

Best to go back to basics - my first car was a 1936 Ford 8 saloon . . . . but long since written off, sadly!

[C24]

Thank you all for the individual comments and advice for this problem which hasnt yet been resolved [Mike].
It's a suzuki but other makes seem to suffer similar problems if the Net searches are accurate witje.
Mark's idea seems to fit my current train of thought, £10 for weed and drifting off pleasantly versus Suzuki garage at £40 per hour.

there are 3 modes of loading each with varying tyre pressures. As the system is inaccessible due to the malfunction it is not possible check the current mode which would allow accurate inflation per tyre.
each tyre has been checked for actual pressure reading using three tyre gauges, all which give different readings per tyre. The vehicle system varies against the gauges.

Back to basics as per Navy training in the 60s. chinagraph pencil and black tape now obscures the offending flashing lights.

stay safe

[Undertaker]

Don't forget to get it fixed before your next MOT, otherwise it will fail the test

[C24]

good thinking Undertaker, thanks

[Phantom29]

Similar issue with our Honda. Will it fail MoT if it's a sensor fault, even if tyre pressures are all fine?

[Nighthawke]

Since 1st January 2015, yes it is a fail. Although it did change to a "minor" in 2018 but is now a "major" so is a fail again.

Apparently it is often the TPMS battery that needs replacing but whatever the cause it needs servicing, at least before the MOT.

[witje]

Similar issue with our Honda. Will it fail MoT if it's a sensor fault, even if tyre pressures are all fine?

What kind of Honda do you have? I work at a Honda dealer, maybe I can help you.

[garyscott]

Thank you all for the individual comments and advice for this problem which hasnt yet been resolved [Mike].
It's a suzuki but other makes seem to suffer similar problems if the Net searches are accurate witje.
Mark's idea seems to fit my current train of thought, £10 for weed and drifting off pleasantly versus Suzuki garage at £40 per hour.

there are 3 modes of loading each with varying tyre pressures. As the system is inaccessible due to the malfunction it is not possible check the current mode which would allow accurate inflation per tyre.
each tyre has been checked for actual pressure reading using three tyre gauges, all which give different readings per tyre. The vehicle system varies against the gauges.

Back to basics as per Navy training in the 60s. chinagraph pencil and black tape now obscures the offending flashing lights.

stay safe

Sounds like the TPMS battery in one wheel could be failing, is the vehicle over 5 years old? As long as the pressure is identical ACROSS AN AXLE, then the TPMS normally won’t trip.
I currently work for KwikFit (yea yea, those guys) and nearly all centres carry generic TPMS of several types that can be programmed to the vehicle. We just run a hand held sensor over each valve and “interrogate” the sensors to locate the iffy one, then pop the tyre, find out which sensor type it is, and replace. Simples.
Cost of sensor plus wheel balance, done.
Last one I did was on a 5-series and all told was about £40 I think.

[C24]

Thanks Gary handy to know.
For general info
The MOT runs until next summer so there is time for more research and testing before spending money. The tyres will probably need replacing and the sensors will need replacing too(?)
Research indicates a battery life between 5-10 years although some sites suggest only three. Batteries are moulded into the sensors so when the battery dies, so does the sensor’s life.
The system gives a more or less similar reading to an external pressure gauge with the original sensor seeming to be the source problem. This indicates to me that the batteries are all alive and that the system requires relearning the sensors output.
There are suggestions on the net about relearning but no success yet with any of them.
Fitting alternative rims with old type valves and new tyres might work and give a long term solution, bypassing the ecu but could be more expensive than keeping the local dealer in work.
For the foreseeable future the black tape over the f…g (flashing) light seems to work.

When taking into account the Earth resources consumed by these systems, needless in my opinion, the efforts of the COP peoples in Glasgow seem quite pointless.

Lunch and hopefully it will continue to rain so no gardening today.

Stay safe
I reviewed post

[ArabJazzie]

C24,
Having grown up fixing 70s to 90s cars, and now driving a late 90s Mondeo as a daily, im not the best with sensors and electrics generally, but from what Gary has said and the clues you give above, i would say your defective sensor might still have enough battery left to read the pressure, but not enough to send a fully reliable signal to the ECU, hence your car telling you it needs fixed.

Bit daft covering the light and going all la-la-la to the fault for the sake of £40! Yes it might still be something else, but the car must be coming up for 3 yo, and if not its first MOT next year, right about the time problems start with original pressure sensors.
Arabest,
Geoff.

[gamecock]

My mate had a similar issue recently, it was the spare. Mine’s come back on again about a month after I checked them all.

[Thunder]

Is your car still under manufacturers warranty as this would probably be covered?

[C24]

I hope that this post does not tempt Providence.

The mini Belisha beacon was left out in the cold last night. The temperature was -1C when i went to kick the tyres, light the fire to go off into the Blue.
No change to the system, still flashing. Switched off the engine. Over inflated the two front tyres and returned to the warm house to consume a hot drink.

Left it for an hour, reduced the pressure of both tyres to the maximum recommended. Left it for two more hours then drove up the road for a mile or so and the Belisha shut off.

That's £40 saved. The spare has a normal valve.
Thanks for your comments

[raptor9]

I hate all this tech stuff that is put on new cars!!. I only ever use the Mk. 1 Eyeball for tyre pressures. All a car needs, instrumentation wise is a speedo, fuel gauge and an oil pressure gauge!. Everything else just adds to more and more complications!!. Manufacturers should just get back to basics, please!!!.