For the life of me, why can't Ford build a TPMS for our trucks that will at a minimum tell you which tire is slack?

And as far as I'm concerned, the system should be able to display tire pressures at all four wheels. These trucks are smart enough to be able to tell you when to change your oil and all kinds of other things at the push of a button.

Our little cold snap has likely made a tire or two a couple pounds different from each other thus triggering the antiquated and poorly thought out system that the auto world is forced to use.

Maybe the higher end models have a more indepth system, IDK.

 

My wife had the feature just as you described on her '07 Pacifica so the technology is out there......

 

It definitely is sir. My sister rented a Chevy Impala that had a full four wheel display.

 

I like the system as is.

The ones that will tell you which tire have to be reset every time you rotate.

For some of us that is every other month.

 

My wife's Acura TSX (2009) has a 4 wheel readout. It's really nice to see that the back right, which has a plug in it, loses about 2lbs every 2-3 months. Never enough to trip the reminder but enough to make me bring it back up with the others.

You're right Tim, it would be nice. And if it's on my new truck, then I haven't found it yet.

 

The FoMoCo/Motorcraft TPMS -CAN- tell you the tire pressure of each wheel.

You just need one of these tools ...------------------------------

-click- the pic'
Goth 150
< This space intentionally -blank- >

 

Not really disagreeing, but i've seen it too many times now where the 4-channel system is no better than what you currently have.

at work, a co-worker was frustrated (read: mad) that his truck was saying his FL tire was low. he checked it and it was fine, he even added air and the stupid thing told him it was still low. After a slightly heated discussion, he realized that our shop had rotated his tires and didn't know to reprogram the sensors, so it was actually his RR that was low.

Same thing out hunting with my FIL. Sensor said FR tire was low, and going down fast. when we got back to the cabin it was the RR on the rim. same thing, he had the tires rotated and didn't know anything about re-programing the sensors.

IMO, until the system can learn each tire on its own after a tire rotate, the single channel system is better. at least you don't have a guy that keeps adding air to the wrong tire because the computer tells him it is low.

These are both pretty sharp guys .... and if you don't know, then you don't know.

If you don't stay on top of it and check, or assume that the tire technician knows what he's doing - and he doesn't do it, it's better to just have a light and you know that you have to check them all until you find the right one.

more important than a 4 channel system, or senders in each corner, IMO, is to have one in the spare. a spare does no good if it is flat. i'd settle for ONE sensor, and put it in the spare. and i don't know if any of the big 3 are doing that .... they should, though. JMO

 

Good points Mike.

This is why I love the system in the wife's Acura. Within 25 miles of driving, after a rotation, the car will relearn the positions. Keeps things nicely sorted that way.

 

Ya see? It doesn't have to be hard. We don't have to change fuel filters anymore, we can go up to 10K between oil changes, 150K mile trans service, 150K mile rear axle service, 100K mile plug changes and we can't get a TPMS to be more intelligent.

 

knowing that the system is out there .... we are in complete agreement.

 

What ticks me off the most is that these trucks ain't cheap. For the price of a KR or Platinum, you could have your choice of many many high end vehicles that have this system. I could have purchased a low end Mercedes for the MSRP of my truck in 2011.

Anyway, as it turned out, all four tires were equally affected by the cold snap and all were at 28 psi. I normally run them at 32-34. There was just enough drop in pressure to trigger the system. However, there shouldn't be trigger, it should be a constant on demand read out.

 

You're correct Tim. For what I paid for the Platinum I could have a very nicely spec'd 2013/14 Acura MDX or comparable vehicle that would contain even some more creature comforts than my Platinum. But, I wouldn't have a truck. I have to remember that this 365hp torque monster is a 6100lb TRUCK after all.

 

I mostly agree with what you are saying...... but every little thing they add will just drive the price higher.

And the way Ford works, you would have to get it in a "package" with two or three things you don't want.

 

I think this is the real reason dealers push nitrogen.

Helps eliminate nuisance alarms.

 

Nitrogen isn't all it's cracked up to be, at least in my experience.
Wife's tires are filled with nitrogen from the dealer. Cold pressure is 33 and if the pressure is set at 40* outside temp the tires will register as low as 28/29psi on below freezing mornings and as high as 35/36psi during operation. That's a big swing if you ask me. I don't see the benefits of nitrogen fills.

FWIW, that's a 235/50/17 tire.