TPMS sensor fault warning - some info.

[ALLAN R]

I keep getting a TPMS sensor warning. It will only occur after I have been driving at motorway speeds for around 20 minutes, then I get the Sensor fault warning come up. Sometimes it will go away again after a period of time, sometimes it won't. If I stop the car for an hour or so the fault is still there when I turn on the ignition. If I leave the car over night the fault will be gone. I've spoken to a guy I know in the USA and he says its a bad sensor but the problem is finding out which one. It needs a good main dealer reader to interrogate the fault history of the system but my local Ford dealer doesn't seem interested. The further complication I have is that the car came with S550 wheels so I am presuming I have the valve sensors and not the band mounted sensors as Ford changed in 2010 - but when??. Apparently the band mounted sensors don't work if retro fitted to 2010 cars fitted with valve sensors. Also the sensors changed for the S550 cars from an 8 bit system to a 16 bit system so again S550 sensors don't work on 2010 cars.

I'd love to bin the system but I guess that will devalue the car.

[G19]

Allan

Could be one of the TPMS batteries is on the way out, I think you can tell by trying to re-program them to the car, if one of them does not want to play ball that's likely the one on the way out. I have a tool and instructions you can borrow if you want to try just re-setting them.

[pmustang]

Another brilliant innovation like push button handbrakes and rain sensing windscreens no one needs or asked for

[Anaconda]

Sorry I can't help but I have to agree with Peter I also hate electronic handbrakes with a passion. I can see the value of tyre pressure sensors but only for lazy idiots who can't be bothered to check them for themselves.

[ALLAN R]

Well I shall pop around to Steve's next week to take up the offer to reset the TPMS system and see if that does anything. I am assuming that the batteries in the TPMS sensors are 3 years old. The previous owner had fitted the S550 wheels but unfortunately the TPMS would not work so he had to buy new sensors to get it working. This ties in with what I heard from the guy in the USA that the S550 system is different and not compatible with the S197 system. I don't know how long the batteries are supposed to last but I would hope longer than 3 years.

[stevec2004]

If someone has the TPMS programming kit it will tell you everything about the TPMS valve including battery life.If you ever head over towards Gloucestershire give me a shout and I'll read the valves for you :)

[ALLAN R]

Thanks to Steve, our magazine editor with his training tool, I went through the TPMS training process a couple of times today. First off it was fortunate that my car went into training mode because there are rumours that some cars won't do this because of the way the lighting has been changed to UK spec. I guess mine was done correctly. The training showed that one sensor on a rear wheel would not train, so I am guessing that is the one at fault. This said I don't know why the system does not show a permanent fault as the fault only comes up intermittently on the car. Any thoughts on that from anyone gratefully received.

By way of info the TPMS training tool that Steve has is Ford Motor Co Part Number 8C2T-1A203-AB. There are several that look identical on ebay that have slightly different part numbers. I just bought one for £21 inc postage.

[ALLAN R]

If someone has the TPMS programming kit it will tell you everything about the TPMS valve including battery life.If you ever head over towards Gloucestershire give me a shout and I'll read the valves for you :)

This is good to know but you are a little far from me. Perhaps you could post up some details of the programming unit such as make and part number.

[stevec2004]

This is good to know but you are a little far from me. Perhaps you could post up some details of the programming unit such as make and part number.

A day off today but I'll post up some details when I'm back tomorrow,don't think it will be cheap though!

[dazzak]

When I first had my S197 in 2014 I took mine down to Mike at Modurstang for a once over and to fit some LCArms. He was surprised when none of the sensors bleeped when he checked the wheels with his Programmer. They were found to be all banded to the spare in the boot. Now the strange thing is that I do not have any problems with them being there but like Allan after driving for about 20 minutes the warning comes on with low pressure and I have to press the reset button. It doesnt really affect the driving but must remeber to mention it should I sell.

Daz

[ALLAN R]

When I first had my S197 in 2014 I took mine down to Mike at Modurstang for a once over and to fit some LCArms. He was surprised when none of the sensors bleeped when he checked the wheels with his Programmer. They were found to be all banded to the spare in the boot. Now the strange thing is that I do not have any problems with them being there but like Allan after driving for about 20 minutes the warning comes on with low pressure and I have to press the reset button. It doesnt really affect the driving but must remeber to mention it should I sell.

Daz

When you press the reset as well as getting rid of the message does the warning light go out? If I press reset the warning goes but the little tyre light remains on.

I don't think there is supposed to be a sensor in the spare tyre and I am not sure what you mean by being banded to the spare. When you go into training mode the warning screen in the car will come up with a message to train the front left tyre with the little trainer. If that is successful there is a single beep and the message to train front right comes up followed by right rear then left rear. If all four train successfully then there is a single beep and training is over. There does not seem to be an opportunity to train a sensor in the spare. The problem I had was that the right rear would not do anything so no beep and we could not move beyond that wheel.

[mad4v8]

What he means is ALL the sensors have been fixed to the spare.
It means you can change wheels without having to keep changing or pairing the sensors.

Recently I replaced tyres, for the first time on my 2014.
As the sensors were likely to be over 5 years old I replaced those as well, they recon 7 years is an average before batteries start failing but I won't be fitting new tyres again before then.
Mine aren't the band type, they're on the inside end of the valve.

I supplied the sensors, the tyre fitter fitted them but I asked him not to pair them.
I'd read all about training and the various ways to do it.
The simplest way seemed to be to put it in training mode and let each tyre down till the beep, then work around the wheels.
No expensive programmers required, obviously not forgetting to pump the tyres up.
I also read you don't need to program at all sometimes depending on the sensor make.

I had my tyres fitted, drove away and the TPMS warning lamp came on.
Next day it was Modurstang open day so I went.
I don't know exactly when it happened but when I left home the warning was on, by the time I'd done 90 miles to Modurstang the light was off and has been off since.

Mine are Schrader EZ Sensor, bought from Rock Auto.

[dazzak]

When you press the reset as well as getting rid of the message does the warning light go out? If I press reset the warning goes but the little tyre light remains on.

I don't think there is supposed to be a sensor in the spare tyre and I am not sure what you mean by being banded to the spare. When you go into training mode the warning screen in the car will come up with a message to train the front left tyre with the little trainer. If that is successful there is a single beep and the message to train front right comes up followed by right rear then left rear. If all four train successfully then there is a single beep and training is over. There does not seem to be an opportunity to train a sensor in the spare. The problem I had was that the right rear would not do anything so no beep and we could not move beyond that wheel.

Hi Allan
As Stuart has said they were all fixed to the spare. I have 20” Shelby's which were on when I got the car. All the wheels were off at Modurstang while I had all, the springs replaced with some racing ones. mike went around all four wheels and there was nothing. He then went to the spare and it bleeped four times. I think you are right in that the alarm stops when I press the reset but the low pressure light stays on but I’m so used to it I just press the reset. Would be interested in seeing what the TPMS programmer could do for correcting/setting the bands so that I don’t get the alarm though

[ALLAN R]

Hi Allan
As Stuart has said they were all fixed to the spare. I have 20” Shelby's which were on when I got the car. All the wheels were off at Modurstang while I had all, the springs replaced with some racing ones. mike went around all four wheels and there was nothing. He then went to the spare and it bleeped four times. I think you are right in that the alarm stops when I press the reset but the low pressure light stays on but I’m so used to it I just press the reset. Would be interested in seeing what the TPMS programmer could do for correcting/setting the bands so that I don’t get the alarm though

Sounds like putting the sensors on the spare was a way to fool the system. I suppose this would work because apparently when the care is at rest with the ignition off the sensors only talk to the car about once an hour. This is so that if you have a slow puncture the light will come on as soon as you turn the ignition key and tell you that you have a low pressure tyre before you drive off. Once you get moving over 20mph there is a little reed switch in the sensor that trips so it talks to the car about every 30 seconds. I guess attached to the spare they should keep the lights and warnings off.

[ALLAN R]

I got the sensor out of the wheel today. It appears to be a genuine Ford sensor which is good. Driving home with the sensor in my pocket I was expecting the system to tell me I had one low pressure tyre but nothing from the system. It was telling me all 4 tyres were good!!!! Perhaps if a sensor fails it the system eventually ignores it so that at least the other three tyres are being monitored.
The sensors are made by FoMoCo in the UK but the cheapest source was the USA even with import duty so a set of 4 new ones is on the way. It will be interesting to see what happens when the new sensor is fitted and trained. I intend to go round each of the tyres and deflate them to make sure that the sensors pick up low pressure.