TPMS

[Oscarvan]

OK, the TPMS light is on, and the tires are just fine. Can I reset this or does the stealer need to do this. Tried the OBDII reader I have, no joy, the fault does not register.

[spawn01]

This has happened a couple of times on my wifes coupe. Dealership claimed it was caused by aftermarket wheels. Not buying it. Dealership charges $60. Discount tire will test your sensors and reset for free. And we did not buy the tires from them.

[Oscarvan]

Wheels and tires are stock.

[IBCoupe]

You don't happen to live near a military complex, do you? TPMS operates on RFID, and it may be that your car's TPMS system is picking up a weird signal from somewhere; NPR's Car Talk had a caller in Virginia who commuted past the CIA every day, and her Versa's TPMS went buggy every time she did.

It might be that your system is working fine, and that something else is causing it to act up.

[Oscarvan]

OK, mystery solved. I have an air gun/gauge combination on my air hose. Well, the other day I was doing the tires on my Chevy truck, which has a TPMS that tells you the pressure in each tire in the DIC. Guess what.....waay off. So I got out another gauge and it agreed with the Chevy. So then I inflated the Altima according to the gauge and voila, light is out.

Guess it was working properly all the time......

[IBCoupe]

It may sound unlikely, but really, RFID is increasingly common. It didn't have to be a military complex - could have been any number of things. Zipcar hubs use them, most toll roads use them for their electronic alternatives to toll-booths (EZ-Pass & Fastlane up here in New England), many local governments use it for public transportation management. On a smaller technological scale, it's used for inventory management in retail, farm, and other businesses, and for "smart-card" payment programs. Because the technology's getting a lot cheaper, it's becoming a lot more common.

There's any number ways that his TPMS receiver could have been getting a stray signal, if a transmitter isn't calibrated correctly. Now, it didn't turn out that way, but that doesn't mean it was such a far-fetched idea.

[IBCoupe]

Ah, so it was the example that bugged you, then?

I wasn't trying to invite conspiracy theories - my guess is that any interference would have been entirely accidental. The reason I gave the examples I gave was because it stands out in my memory, because the nature of the occurences in this woman's case led one to conclude that it really did have to do wtih the route of her commute, The other reason it stood out in my mind was because it was a 2008 Versa.

[lavon_andy]

they also go buggy when your temperature changes frequently

ie. mine have gone s*** crazy here the past few days when it goes to 60 degrees in the morning to 90 degrees at 5 on the way home

[07wHiTE 3.5SE 6sPD]

lavon andy... it could be that your tire pressure is right at the trigger setting... if you tire is hovering around 29 psi or so on a 75 - 80 degree day, in the early morning where the temperatures are in the low 60's the tire pressure could drop to that trigger mark and while the day warms up and the tires get warmer the pressure does rise resulting in the tpms light resetting itself. Try checking the tire pressure at the cooler temps and add air if needed.

[lavon_andy]

lavon andy... it could be that your tire pressure is right at the trigger setting... if you tire is hovering around 29 psi or so on a 75 - 80 degree day, in the early morning where the temperatures are in the low 60's the tire pressure could drop to that trigger mark and while the day warms up and the tires get warmer the pressure does rise resulting in the tpms light resetting itself. Try checking the tire pressure at the cooler temps and add air if needed.

Ya I'm pretty sure it's just expanding/contracting as it heats/cools I've just been lazy and waiting till I get my next tank of gas before I toss some more air in them

[Importroller]

mine goes on and off sporadically when i'm on long trips. Have checked all tires, and none of them are over or under inflated. Sometimes it goes for days without coming on, and other days its on for days for no reason.

[Importroller]

they are gonna charge me. They have enough of my money already. I'm gonna see if my friend at Big O tires is free and can reset it for me

[IBCoupe]

What is this Discount Tire you speak of?

EDIT: CURSES! North Carolina is the closest one. Or Indiana. Can't tell.