FAQ - Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

[GSXRSpeed]

My TPMS light has never been on, but my (!) light was on for a few months last winter. When I went in for an oil change this spring the dealer hooked it up to diagnostics and it said my tires had 99psi! It was obviously an error so they reset it and I had no warning lights all summer until just yesterday when the temp dropped. But I know for a fact that I can still turn off my VSA while the (!) light is on. And the manual specifically states that VSA is always on if the TPMS light is on.

Anyhow, back to NITROGEN. Anyone using it? From what I've read it is less affected by temperature changes. Meaning your tire pressure should stay pretty constant year round.

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by GSXRSpeed

My TPMS light has never been on, but my (!) light was on for a few months last winter. When I went in for an oil change this spring the dealer hooked it up to diagnostics and it said my tires had 99psi! It was obviously an error so they reset it and I had no warning lights all summer until just yesterday when the temp dropped. But I know for a fact that I can still turn off my VSA while the (!) light is on. And the manual specifically states that VSA is always on if the TPMS light is on.

Anyhow, back to NITROGEN. Anyone using it? From what I've read it is less affected by temperature changes. Meaning your tire pressure should stay pretty constant year round.

So you're telling me that my 4 months of going to the track and doing burnouts with the TPMS light on is all in my head?

You may be right about being able to turn it on/off with the (!) light, but I am, again, 110% positive about the TPMS indicator and VSA.

You say:

"And the manual specifically states that VSA is always on if the TPMS light is on"

... which is true. It does say that.

But you also say this

"But I know for a fact that I can still turn off my VSA while the (!) light is on"

... now. Lets look at what the manual says.

This is straight letter for letter from the manual (page 218)...

If the low tire pressure indicator or TPMS indicator comes on, the VSA system automatically turns on even if the VSA system is turned off by pressing the VSA OFF switch (see page 217). If this happens, you cannot turn the VSA system off by pressing the VSA off switch again

So, by reading this and taking it as the absolute truth, then even what you claim (about the (!) being on and disabling VSA and doing burnouts) would go against what the manual says.

So... do you trust the manual or your own personal experience?

[GSXRSpeed]

Phalanx: I said my TPMS light has never been on so I have no experience there. I can only go by what the manual says and what I read on here. I'm not disputing what you say, infact it makes me feel better. It pissed me off when I got the car and read about the inability to turn off VSA when there is a problem with tire pressure. I wish I could just get rid of the system altogether, no dash lights no sensors. Just a good old fashioned tire gauge.

Thanks for the reference to page 218 I must have missed that, I'll go check it out later.

[civic si 888]

this discussion is really educational. it is really hard just to read the manual. i'm sorry guys but I have to go with the personal experience. I also think I have to ask the guys that AutoX their Si's. I am pretty sure that they are using a different set of wheels and some of them have the TPMS also. Thanks for your inputs!

[Sle]

This happened to me just today actually.
It came on about 2 weeks ago i went to fill it
up at a local gas station and i fill up. Light went off
then just this morning when i was heading for school light
came on (It was colder than usual outside). Tires looked fine
so i just went to school and during auto class i pulled
my car around and filled up. Light didnt go off and one
of my tires read 40psi. My friend balanced them out to 35psi.
Lights still on I was like forget it. Went down the street
and bam light goes off.

[ecosse]

6. I have a new set of wheels that I did not put the TPMS sensors in. But the TPMS light did not come on. What gives?

Dont fret... the light will come on eventually. Why there is a delay, I am not sure. The few times I have tested this it
will not turn on until you have driven roughly 40-50 miles.

I had steel winter wheels installed and drove for several thousand miles and the TPMS lights never came on. BTW, I have an 08. Anyone knows what gives? They were done by a third party.

[Phalanx]

^ the 3rd party probably swapped your sensors into the steelies for the winter

[jjagr41390]

does anyone kno how the dealership gets ur car to reconize new sensors on a different set of wheels

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by jjagr41390

does anyone kno how the dealership gets ur car to reconize new sensors on a different set of wheels

They have a special tool that reads/sets frequencies of the sensors and matches them with your car.

You should note that the type of 'new' sensors MUST be compatible with the current 08-09 civic TPMS system. There are different kinds

[ecosse]

Originally Posted by Phalanx

^ the 3rd party probably swapped your sensors into the steelies for the winter

Thats the first thing I thought, but I don't remember paying/seeing them take the tires off the wheels/remounting them. We'll find out this winter I guess.

[espoir]

so let me get this straight..

i have an 08 civic lx. recently i got a flat tire..it was a slash in the sidewall so the whole tire had to replaced. so this one new tire i got (still the same brand as my other 3 tires of course)..if i have a leak in this new tire, my tpms wont be able to detect it because the sensor isnt in this new tire?

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by espoir

so let me get this straight..

i have an 08 civic lx. recently i got a flat tire..it was a slash in the sidewall so the whole tire had to replaced. so this one new tire i got (still the same brand as my other 3 tires of course)..if i have a leak in this new tire, my tpms wont be able to detect it because the sensor isnt in this new tire?

the sensors are on the valve stems, so if they only replaced the tire you should be fine

[espoir]

Originally Posted by Phalanx

the sensors are on the valve stems, so if they only replaced the tire you should be fine

gotcha. thx for the info!

[C8V6C]

I am going to swap my wheel hopefully this week if they arrive in time. Our goal is to swap the TPMS onto the new wheels...I will let ya know how it goes

[gary79]

under #4, option D. make a PVC pipe cylinder, put the sensors in there and pressurize the cylinder, place in car. I had to do this for my 07 Tacoma.

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by gary79

under #4, option D. make a PVC pipe cylinder, put the sensors in there and pressurize the cylinder, place in car. I had to do this for my 07 Tacoma.

No, this does not work on our cars. The sensors are activated by the rotation of the wheels/tires. Thus, the PVC pipe method does not work.

[jdm ole23]

hey phalanx thanx for d info...which im planning on swapping wheels and u just told me everything i needed to know

[DwP 02]

I dont know about VSA being on during the snow. That could be kind of dangerous. I know first hand trying to get up hill with snowy conditions, Your car will think its slipping and will automatically slow you down, but now how do you expect to go up the hill if your car wont let you and you could possibly slide. For that reason VSA is helpful to be turned off...First hand experience.

[Phalanx]

Originally Posted by jdm ole23

hey phalanx thanx for d info...which im planning on swapping wheels and u just told me everything i needed to know

Originally Posted by DwP 02

I dont know about VSA being on during the snow. That could be kind of dangerous. I know first hand trying to get up hill with snowy conditions, Your car will think its slipping and will automatically slow you down, but now how do you expect to go up the hill if your car wont let you and you could possibly slide. For that reason VSA is helpful to be turned off...First hand experience.

VSA wont kick on unless your wheels start spinning, in which case you would already be sliding. So the fact that this happened to you while you were going up a hill is irrelevant. If your tires were slipping while you were going up the hill, then the VSA did its job.

In that case (if you truly believe VSA was at fault) then you could turn it off. But in 99% of other cases (during winter driving) its a nice added feature to have. I know it helped in a couple cases last winter for me when I was still learning how to drive stick.

[mjw52684]

Great Post... thank you!