Frequently Asked Questions About TPMS

Question: What is TPMS ?

 

Answer: TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) checks the pressure values ​​of the tires in a vehicle in real time and is a mandatory system in the vehicles produced after 2014. There are two types of TPMS systems. These are "Indirect TPMS Systems" and Direct TPMS Systems.

 

Question: What is the difference between Indirect and Direct TPMS systems? Which is more useful?

 

Answer: The indirect TPMS system evaluates the tire lap information received from the vehicle's ABS and EPS systems, detects the change in lap differences and shows this to the vehicle user as low tire pressure information. The Direct TPMS system, on the other hand, measures the pressure inside the tire as a live value and gives low tire pressure information to the driver when a decrease in pressure values ​​is detected if abnormal. In this case, in general, direct TPMS systems are better. Today, the direct TPMS system is preferred in many vehicles in the automobile industry. For the brands that use the TPMS system directly, for example: Peugeot Citroen, Renault Ford BMW and Mercedes After 2014, the brands that use the Indirect TPMS System For example: Seat, Skoda, Audi, Volkswagen. Especially in Volkswagen and Audi brands, Direct TPMS Systems are sometimes seen.

 

Question: What is a Tire Pressure Sensor?

 

Answer: The tire pressure sensor is attached to the inside of the tires of the vehicles, usually extra to the valve, or attached to the bottom of the inner part of the tire or attached with a clamp to the inside of the rim, powered by a battery and communicating with the vehicles through radio frequency (RF) signals, the live values ​​of the tire pressure and temperature. It is a product that measures its value.

 

Question: Why are the TPMS sensors of each vehicle different? What makes these sensors different?

 

Answer: In vehicles, manufacturers process the protocol numbers into the sensors to be used in the car models they produce. Therefore, the sensor of one model is different from the other. The protocol number or original equipment number is the vehicle's unique license, for example, an English-speaking person cannot understand it when speaking Russian. Protocol numbers also work with this logic. Therefore, a sensor in a model released by one brand does not fit another model. In some cases, even in different versions of the same model, these protocol numbers may differ.

 

Question: What is the sensor ID number?

 

Answer: If your vehicle has Direct TPMS, there are TPMS Sensors on your 4 tires and sometimes on your 5th tire upon your request. Each of these sensors has an ID (identification) number. The two most important reasons for this to happen are; the position of your tires is that the sensor shows the tire in the right place. The other problem is that when two vehicles next to each other have the same protocol number TPMS system, it is not confused which sensor is in which car.

 

Sensor ID numbers are defined by the ECU (brain) of your vehicles. In sensor changes, it must be defined to the vehicle with the new ID number or redefined with the technical language.

 

Question: How are tire pressure sensors adopted to the vehicle? (Relearn Process)

 

Answer: In case of tire pressure sensor failures in your vehicles, the new sensor to be installed has a different ID number, and this ID number must be defined (re-defined) to the vehicle. This process varies according to vehicle make and models. This process is listed as follows:

 

OBDII: It is the process of changing the ID number of your vehicle with the OBDII connector to the ECU of your vehicle and devices with TPMS feature.

 

Autorelearn: Automatic re-identification is the vehicle's detection of your new sensors without your action. When your vehicle cannot detect the old sensor ID numbers, it recognizes the new sensor badge with the same protocol number and the first sensors it recognizes.

 

Manual Relearn: This system is done by entering the menu of the vehicles and redefining the tire pressure sensors. In this case, vehicles their old sensors from the memory and identify the newly detected sensors.

 

Triggering: This is how it works with redefinition by triggering; It happens by re-introducing tire pressure sensors in the vehicles menu. When the vehicles are ready for this operation, it will warn you with a horn. Starting from the left front tire, the right front, right rear and left rear tires are coded by a TPMS device, respectively. With this coding, the vehicle detects the sensors in the correct locations with their ID numbers and re-recognizes them.

 

Question: What does Universal Sensor mean?

 

Answer: There are hundreds of original equipment TPMS manufacturers and thousands of TPMS protocol numbers on the market. This process makes it difficult for drivers to reach the right sensor in case of a malfunction, in which case original tpms pressure sensors cost high prices

 

In this process, universal sensors have been introduced to the market to reduce end-user costs. These sensors do not have protocol ids in them. These sensors, which are ready for software installation, are adapted to the vehicle by coding the canbus protocols of the vehicle in which they will be used when they are to be used. Thus, one or several types of TPMS sensor manufacturersThe universal sensor can be programmed for many vehicles and costs are reduced.

 

Question: Original equipment tire pressure sensor or universal tire pressure sensor? Which is better?

 

Answer: When the original tpms sensors in the vehicles are broken, when you do a price research, you realize that the prices of the originals are quite high, so universal TPMS products are more in demand because the cost is more affordable. As a result, the id numbers inside the sensors, that is, the quality is always the same, except for the software inside.

 

Another situation is important for drivers who use summer and winter tire rim sets. You cannot copy the ID numbers of the original equipment sensors to another original equipment tire pressure sensor. However, you can copy this process, namely the ID number of your original equipment tire pressure sensors, to the universal tire pressure sensors. Thus, the ID numbers of the TPMS sensors in the tire sets that you will use in your vehicle during seasonal changes will be the same, and your TPMS system will work flawlessly before your vehicle understands this change.

 

Question: What is the lifespan of the tire pressure sensors?

 

Answer: Tyre pressure sensors work with a battery inside. While the vehicle is in motion, the sensor detects this movement and sends a signal. Apart from that, the sensors go into sleep mode and turn themselves off when the vehicle is parked. This extends the life of the sensors.

 

In short, the life of a sensor varies according to the use of the vehicle, and this is stated as 6 to 8 years.

 

Question: Where can I replace the tire pressure sensors?

 

Answer: You can do it at any service that has a TPMS Diagnostic device or a TPMS coding device. If you want to perform this operation under the assurance of SET TPMS, you can find our nearest service point on our Find Dealer page.

 

Question: My vehicle's TPMS warning lamp is on. What should I do?

 

Answer: Your vehicle's TPMS warning lamp warns you in two situations.

 

If it flashes when you start your vehicle for the first time and then comes on continuously: It means that no signal can be received from one or more of your vehicle's TPMS sensors. You need to take it to the nearest TPMS specialist tire service.

 

If the TPMS warning lamp is on directly from the first time you start your vehicle, it means that there is a problem with the tire pressures of your vehicle. Check the tire values ​​of your vehicle as soon as possible. If there is still enough air in it, go to the nearest tire service carefully.