TPMS is out

[Ratpack]

I searched but didn't really see anything like I have going on now. I have a 2015 GT Vert and just replaced all TPMS about a year and half ago. About two weeks, they all went blank and I get the warning on the dash. I tried to relearn them, but the first one would not relearn, so I couldn't continue. I understand sensors fail and if it was just one or two, I would look to replace those sensors, but all 4 went blank at once. Any idea what may have happened? I was just driving in a parking lot when it went out, so not even any spirited driving going on. Checked all the tires and pressures are pretty spot on requirement, so it isn't a pressure issue. Only thing out of the norm, is the battery for the car had died about a week before due to sitting, but I put a charger on it and it is fine now. No other issues with the car at all. I haven't tried my scan tool to see if there is a code yet, so I may do that. Otherwise, any ideas?

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[Skye]

Does your fob work to lock and unlock the car? If it does, that clears the car's receiver and associated wiring. The fob and TPMS sensors use the same frequencies, receiver and wiring.

The TPMS units were replaced. Where were they purchased from? Do you know the brand name? They were working for over a year though...

The battery was dead. How long had the car been sitting? How old is the battery? How long has it been since charging the battery? Can you explain why it failed? Have you had the battery and charging system checked since? Bad batteries or low voltage can make all kind of weirdness happen.

 

[Ratpack]

Does your fob work to lock and unlock the car? If it does, that clears the car's receiver and associated wiring. The fob and TPMS sensors use the same frequencies, receiver and wiring.

The TPMS units were replaced. Where were they purchased from? Do you know the brand name? They were working for over a year though...

The battery was dead. How long had the car been sitting? How old is the battery? How long has it been since charging the battery? Can you explain why it failed? Have you had the battery and charging system checked since? Bad batteries or low voltage can make all kind of weirdness happen.

The sensors are generic replacements and I do not remember the name. However, they have been working since I put them in with no issues at all. And as mentioned, I find it odd that all 4 would go out at the same exact moment. I believe it is more in the system than the sensors.

The FOB does work to lock and unlock the car, even remote start.

The car had been sitting for about a month or so with no starting or running. I normally keep a battery tender on the car but this time I did not. I have since corrected that and everything else woks fine, as far as I can tell.

I can check the battery age, I bought the car secondhand, so I am not sure when the battery was replaced.

Only other thing that has changed is while the car was sitting, I was replacing the door speakers and had the door panels off. Other than that, no changes to the car recently.

 

[Skye]

So it seems the car has lost its memory of those sensors.

Ford's units auto-register after a short drive. Other sensors could behave differently. Your Ford training tool might not work with the generic sensors.

The battery situation reads like it is sorted.

One option is to confirm pressures are right and drive the car. See if the vehicle eventually picks them up.

A second option is to go to a tire shop and ask them to excite each sensor so they register again.

 

[Ratpack]

So it seems the car has lost its memory of those sensors.

Ford's units auto-register after a short drive. Other sensors could behave differently. Your Ford training tool might not work with the generic sensors.

The battery situation reads like it is sorted.

One option is to confirm pressures are right and drive the car. See if the vehicle eventually picks them up.

A second option is to go to a tire shop and ask them to excite each sensor so they register again.

The sensors are aftermarket so they won't auto learn like the Ford ones will, at least I don't believe they will. My training tool worked on them when they were installed. I may try changing the battery in the training tool to ensure it has full power and try it again. Outside, I am not sure what is going on.

 

[mindo389]

I recently had the same issue. My front left stopped working, and when I went to re-learn it, it failed and the rest stopped working, also. The local tire shop tried to excite it but it didn't work. I ended up biting the bullet and buying 4 new sensors from them. And they installed them without charge.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Relearn them.

iIRC in 2015 there were two ways to out the car in training mode and one of them doesn’t actually work despite the dash saying so.

The method cycling the start button on/off does work. That in conjunction with a ford training tool will probgram every aftermarket sensor I’ve used.

Cycle start button: on, off, on,off,on press brake, off on off on off on, then go around each corner starting front left, rright, rear right, left holding thesensor at the valve atem for up to like 6 seconds until it honks to confirm it got it. After good four honks you’re done.

 

[NightmareMoon]

It takes about 100 miles of driving for the car to throw the dash measage about the sensors not being connected. Thats your week there - I bet you went about 100 miles since the battery.

 

[Ratpack]

It takes about 100 miles of driving for the car to throw the dash measage about the sensors not being connected. Thats your week there - I bet you went about 100 miles since the battery.

When it came on the first time since the battery was dead, I had only driven 30-40 miles. Tried the method posted above to relearn them and it doesn't work now. That was how I originally reprogrammed them. Now it does nothing. I will check the tool battery and replace that just in case it is weak but after that I am no sure what else other than replace all the sensors, but that will wait until I need tires, so could be a long time. The light now comes on immediately after starting e car. I have had others that would go off with the ignition and then come on after driving a bit, but this one is as soon as it starts.

 

[Ecto1]

My TPMS warning light came on a while ago too. Didn't understand it since there was no change to the Tires or car before it happened. Took it to the Ford Dealer and they claimed that all 4 TPMS sensors went bad simultaneously. I didn't buy that. I assumed it was the RF receiver that was bad but I had no way to prove it.

So ... after considering things I decided to disable the TPMS function in the computer. I obtained a copy of ForScan and disabled the TPMS system. No more idiot light.

When its time for tires I'll have the sensors replaced and try re-enabling the TPMS system. If it still shows an error I'll have to figure it out at that time or disable it again.

Hope you figure it out.

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