Howdy all, kind of a multi-part question.
My 2012 is showing a TPMS fault occasionally. It goes away after driving for a while, and the pressures in the tires seems fine, so I think something must be wrong with one or more of the sensors.

I am planning on getting new tires pretty soon, so hopefully I can have this fixed at the same time. However, I don't normally buy my tires at the dealership.
question 1) any way to find out which sensor is misbehaving?
question 2) can my local independent tire shop repair or replace these?

 

How long does it take for the light to go off after driving awhile? As the tires heat up the pressure increases as the air is heated up. Are you sure all pressures are the same and at the proper pressure? Have you checked the spare? I don't know if there is a sensor in the spare though but just a thought. I would assume if a sensor was failing the TPMS light would flash but I could be mistaken.

 

Most Ford dealers sell tires and have a meet or beat competitive pricing policy. When I purchased my tires, NTB had a really good price and the Ford dealer beat the price. I simply printed out the price from NTB for that day and showed it to the service advisor. In addition, the dealer i have used has an advanced tire balancing machine. I was told by my local Brand X tire shop that the Ford balancer is the best available.

Also there is a procedure in your owner manual for a system reset for your TPMS. Give that a try.
As OLYTIR stated that if a TPMS is malfunctioning, your dash light should flash and then stay on.

 

Hey seventyseven250,

I'm Todd, and I'm filling in a bit for Crystal while she is on vacation. I recommend reaching out to my colleagues at FordServiceCA, as they're best to assist.

Thank you.

Todd

 

Reconsider buying your tires from the FoMoCo dealership. For the past 15 years EVERY tire (individual or set) that I've purchased has been from a Ford dealership (various in NC and MI). This after MUCH research.

In each and every case there was noone (interweb or brick-and-mortar) that could compare/compete. The dealership out-the-door total cost (tires+mounting+balancing+TPMS installation,reset|activation+tax, etc.) was MUCH less than the co$t of just the tires anyway else. AND ... There were several times that a refund check was issued on top of that.

Also consider that intermittent TPMS sensor issues could be caused externally. Some aftermarket devices can cause radio frequency interference that will block the TPMS sensor signal causing an intermittent concern. This can cause the TPMS lamp to illuminate. Some of the more common items are: cell phone chargers, GPS power supplies, or any other aftermarket electronic device. Unplugging the aftermarket devices can help determine if they are the cause of an intermittent concern.

Yes. Dealership service department will (should) have a tool that can check each TPMS sensor individually.Yes. However, they will not have Motorcraft TPMS sensors. *STRONGLY recommend going OEM.
.
.

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

 

I will give one of the local dealers a call. It's a shame, but in my past experiences, the service departments have been pretty brutal. I'm a die-hard ford guy, but my unpleasant experiences have led to to build up great relationships with an independent mechanic and an independent tire shop.

I'll let you know what I find out.

 

My local Ford dealer could not or would not beat my deal that I got at BJ's for tires and the Ford dealer will not offer a lifetime service package for your tires like the clubs will.

The tires my wife's Expy were bought at BJ's. Last weekend she destroyed a tire in a construction zone. The warranty company fudged up the original mileage of the truck when I had them mounted, BJ's took care of me anyway and went after the warranty company on their own.

Each time they service my tires, they have a wand looking device that detects the TPMS sensors and can detect an individual fault. I'm sure the Ford has them as well.

 

While I know what a BJ is (or can be) .... What does the abbreviation stand-for in your context?
.

 

BJ's is a club like Costco or Sams club. It stands for BJ's.

 

Had the same problem earlier this summer. Typically went on after a 30 minute drive or more, not shorter trips. All pressures were good including the spare and hadn't added anything new electronic.

Took it to the dealership (still under warranty) and they found a bad sensor. Haven't had any problems since.

If your pressures are all good and and no new electronics that might interfere then you have a bad sensor.

 

I had been happy with the Ford dealer "Quick Lane" in my area until I changed my P tires from Pirelli Scorpion street tires to the Goodyear Wrangler AT/S tire which is same as the spare. The Goodyear tires were the same dimensions as the Pirellis. I found that the revs per mile setting needed to be corrected. Service Manager and Foreman swore it was correct and matched the foreman's GPS. But not with my GPS or a known mileage point.
Later they told me I needed some expensive repairs on my Explorer that I did not need.
Not going back.