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Was thinking about the TPMS system after my tire rotation last weekend. Older generation trucks used to have an electronic gadget that came with the truck to retrain the TPMS system after a rotation. Without retraining the system the truck has no idea which TPMS sensor is associated with which wheel. Most previous-gen F150s used the same pressure on all four wheels, and lacked the ability to tell individual tire pressures like the 2015s do, so this was irrelevant.
Did some digging in the owner's guide and found the answer:
Originally Posted by 2015 Owner's Guide
Since tires need to be rotated to provide consistent performance and maximum tire
life, the tire pressure monitoring system needs to know when the tires are rotated
to determine which set of tires are on the front and which are on the rear. With this
information, the system can detect and properly warn of low tire pressures.
If you want the tire pressure display to properly display the right pressures on the right wheels you must do the following procedure after every rotation:
Originally Posted by 2015 Owner's Guide page 347
Read the entire procedure before attempting.
1. Drive the vehicle above 20 mph (32 km/h) for at least two minutes, then park in a safe location where you can easily get to all four tires and have access to an air pump.
2. Place the ignition in the off position and keep the key in the ignition.
3. Cycle the ignition to the on position with the engine off.
4. Turn the hazard flashers on then off three times. You must accomplish this within 10 seconds. If the reset mode has been entered successfully, the horn
will sound once, the system indicator will flash and a message is shown in the information display. If this does not occur, please try again starting at Step
2. If after repeated attempts to enter the reset mode, the horn does not sound, the system indicator does not flash and no message is shown in the information display, seek service from your authorized dealer.
5. Train the tire pressure monitoring system sensors in the tires using the following system reset sequence starting with the left front tire in the following clockwise order: Left front (driver's side front tire), Right front (passenger's side front tire), Right rear (passenger's side rear tire), Left rear (driver's side rear tire).
6. Remove the valve cap from the valve stem on the left front tire. Decrease the air pressure until the horn sounds. Note: The single horn chirp confirms
that the sensor identification code has been learned by the module for this position. If a double horn is heard, the reset procedure was unsuccessful, and
you must repeat it.
7. Remove the valve cap from the valve stem on the right front tire. Decrease the air pressure until the horn sounds.
8. Remove the valve cap from the valve stem on the right rear tire. Decrease the air pressure until the horn sounds.
9. Remove the valve cap from the valve stem on the left rear tire. Decrease the air pressure until the horn sounds. Training is complete after the horn sounds for the last tire trained (driver's side rear tire), the system indicator stops flashing, and a message is shown in the information display.
10. Turn the ignition off. If two short horn beeps are heard, the reset procedure was unsuccessful and you must repeat it. If after repeating the procedure and two short beeps are heard when the ignition is turned to off, seek assistance from your authorized dealer.
Just did the procedure on mine, it took only a couple of minutes. Had to drain the air for about fifteen seconds to train each wheel, and it looks like I lost about 5 PSI in each.
If you don't do this procedure after each rotation the tire pressure screen will show the right pressures at the wrong position on the truck.
Read Owners Manual on this. NOTE section above OVERVIEW says:
Note: You need toperform the tire pressure monitoring system reset procedure after each tire rotation on vehicles that require different recommended tire pressures in the fronttires as compared to the rear tires.
My vehicle does not require different tire pressures front to rear, so having to do the System Reset is not necessary right?
My vehicle does not require different tire pressures front to rear, so having to do the System Reset is not necessary right?
It's only necessary if you want your tire pressure screen to show the right pressures at the right wheels. The system has no way of knowing which sensor is at which wheel position, so when you rotate it will assume that they are where they were.
I like the ability to quickly identify a low tire, so I'll be doing this each rotation.
I've been complaining for years that a system to monitor and display individual tire pressures wasn't available on the trucks. Now it is, .
Sadly, based on Tom's quotation of the owners guide, I'm left with a feeling being underwhelmed. Tire rotation is a practice that all car owners should take seriously and therefore perform. The system should be able to learn where the tire went. A proper rotation is from front to rear unless the tires were replaced then the wheel could end up at any one of four corners. It's not like it was lost.
The truck has the ability to learn one's driving habits, per se, and the truck can re-learn itself after a power outage such as battery replacement. Why in the hell can't it figure where a tire went?!
The truck has the ability to learn one's driving habits, per se, and the truck can re-learn itself after a power outage such as battery replacement. Why in the hell can't it figure where a tire went?!
I was thinking the same thing Tim, but I think the alternative would be a substantially more complex system. You'd need the TPMS sensors to broadcast at lower power and sensors mounted in close proximity to each wheel. The convenience would be nice, but I can see the added complexity causing issues down the road.
I was thinking the same thing Tim, but I think the alternative would be a substantially more complex system. You'd need the TPMS sensors to broadcast at lower power and sensors mounted in close proximity to each wheel. The convenience would be nice, but I can see the added complexity causing issues down the road.
Snap-On has a handheld that plugs into OBD-II to reset TPMS. If I recall the device is not exactly cheap but it can also tell you which sensor is shot. I'm not sure if it will reset these newer trucks as every manufacturer is different but its an option. I used one before and it's helped out a lot.
Did Ford put TPMS in the spare tire or not with these trucks? If so I think you might have to have the truck learn that tire as well.
I've been complaining for years that a system to monitor and display individual tire pressures wasn't available on the trucks. Now it is, .
Sadly, based on Tom's quotation of the owners guide, I'm left with a feeling being underwhelmed. Tire rotation is a practice that all car owners should take seriously and therefore perform. The system should be able to learn where the tire went. A proper rotation is from front to rear unless the tires were replaced then the wheel could end up at any one of four corners. It's not like it was lost.
The truck has the ability to learn one's driving habits, per se, and the truck can re-learn itself after a power outage such as battery replacement. Why in the hell can't it figure where a tire went?!
I agree 100% with what's been said here. As a side note my brother jumped ship and bought a 2014 Ram. It does re-learn where the wheels are after rotation. I'll never tell him but I'm disappointed that the Ford system will not do this. What gives??
Wanted to update this thread. I rotated the tires again at 10,000 miles, and haven't rotated them since because of the PITA retrain procedure. There's a better way though...
Didn't want to spend $30 because I was too lazy to deflate and reinflate my tires, but I think it's worth it. Enter TPMS learning mode and simply activate this little device next to the valve stem of each tire to be trained, and the horn chirps signaling you to move on to the next one. Took about a minute and a half, instead of almost ten minutes deflating and inflating. Well worth it, particularly if you have other Ford vehicles that need to be retrained.
Without a doubt. At least it's only required on the F150s if you want the screen to be accurate, much less optional on the Transit. Fronts only require 47 PSI, and the rears take 74, so relearn is required to keep the irritating tire pressure light off.
01-06-2016, 08:36 PM
