Hello Again Everyone.

I was approached by a guy who didn't want his aftermarket wheels and tires anymore due to road noise who to swap me straight over for my wheels and tires. Anyway, at the time I was so excited to get them on my truck that I didn't think about the TPMS Sensors, then after I drove down the road a few miles the Fault came on and I have no sensors. The dealership wants an arm and a leg for replacement. I need a work around to disable the TMPS Sensors all together, or a cheaper alternative. 800 bucks from the dealership is absurd. Please help me guys.

 

Crystal ball says you have an 08. It also says your stuck. I haven't heard of a workaround for this yet.

 

Yes '08 F-250 FX4, thanks for your assistance. Anyone else heard of anything. We need to conquer this once and for all.

 

I totally agree Jabreyd. Between my Illinois Stoleway transponder, assorted warning lights and chimes and now this TPMS bs, I would just like to get in my PAID FOR truck and LEAVE ME ALONE. No lights, chimes or a satellite being able to get up on my bumper or tell me I'm moving too quickly from toll to toll. Worse yet, no onstar or GPS. I can use a coat hanger to break into my OWN vehicle thank you. Get this, if you are just leaving on the TPMS light and you bring your truck in for service, the dealer supposedly cannot release it back to you without restoring the "feature". They would have a better chance seeing Christ than fixing something on my PAID FOR vehicle without my explicit permission. Thanx, just ranting.
-Ed

 

If you want to save a few dimes over the dealer, DiscountTire will retrofit aftermarket sensors and reboot or whatever it is they must do to enable the TPMS. Hope you have one near you. They're all over here in IL. Good luck, I'd also like to hear if there's any fixes out there beside the sensors in a tube thing that apparently doesn't work.

 

Do a Google search on 8C2Z-1A189-A. That's the Ford part # for the tire pressure monitor sensor. They're not cheap, but there appears to be a number of places where they can be had cheaper than the dealer.

 

Also, check with FTE/PARTS-GUY (Ford parts guy) and see what he can get them for.

There has to be a workaround for this - PCM tune?

 

Job 1 '08s don't have TPMS (mine doesn't). There must be some way to bypass the feature via PCM. Or you could pull the gage cluster out and disable that particular LED.

 

You're right on JK, the feds did not enact mandatory TPMS until Jan 1, 2008 so it did not apply to the entire model year. I thought of disabling the light but the warranty issue scares me, only 5k on my truck (late 08 mfg date) and I'd like to be able to get factory warranty service if needed. I hope I can find a more "understanding" dealer, mine is strictly by the book.

 

TPMS became Federally mandatory on 09/01/07, but Ford started installing it on 07/30/07 in conjunction with the start of Job 2 SD production. Ford has also made it very clear to their dealers not to tamper with or disable the system (see below)...

2006-2008 VEHICLES - TPMS CANNOT BE TURNED OFF OR REPROGRAMMED

2006-2008 VEHICLES WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) CANNOT BE DISABLED OR REPROGRAMMED TO A LOWER OR HIGHER TIRE PRESSURE. THIS SYSTEM IS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL REGULATION. FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS DEALERS FROM DISABLING TPMS. IF A DEALER DISABLES TPMS, THE DEALER CAN BE SUBJECT TO FINES OF $6,000 PER VEHICLE. AFTERMARKET WHEELS AND TIRES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED. REFER CUSTOMERS TO THEIR OWNERS GUIDE FOR COMPLETE DETAILS.

 

sorry for the misinformation, got it from the michelin man
-Ed

 

Too bad Ford doesn't offer tire alternatives that don't hydroplane after 50mph or self clean mud and clay from jobsites. My continentals were like passenger car tires, not a bad tire but not suited for my use.

 

So that guy is riding around with sensors in his wheels that he cannot use. If you can find him, see if you can make him an offer to dismount the tires and get the sensors back. But if the new tires are load range D, you are going to have to do the cylinder in the glove box trick, or maybe mount them all in the spare tire and pump it up.

Hopefully you know the guy. I would never swap like that with a total stranger.

 

Curious...are the sensors really loaded in the tire?
Check this out:
What makes your anti-lock brake system work? I sensor on the hub monitoring wheel spin. When the wheel stops, the computer measures the lack of feedback with the three other sensors and if there is an error, it overrides skid and "Cycles" or pumps the brakes.

Hold on, this really is going somewhere.

As a tire goes flat, or "loses pressure" what happens to the steering? The vehicle pulls in that direction due to the slower rotation, or drag, on that side caused by the rapidly deflating tire. When the antilock brake system senses a reduced tire rotation, it triggers the TPMS into thinking there is a reduced pressure in that tire.

It is a pretty simple way of monitoring the tires, utilizes pre-existing equipment, and is a proven method of meeting the feds requirements. A lot of European cars use this method. Heck, military aircraft have been using this method for years (we call it "Anti-skid".

Also, the system understands differing tire rotation speed when turning due to steering wheel input.

Kinda like the traction control systems, only it works in the opposite way. Some system (except sophisticated systems) do not transmit more power to the non-slipping wheel. Rather when the anti-lock system senses wheel spin, a quick check with the rest of the skins indicates some brake pressure applied to the spinning wheel automatically forces the otherside to start torquing up.

So the question is: Is this the same system on the SD's?

If it is, then I would next ask why tire size matters? Previous ownership proved this theory. I swapped my wheels on my Mini and it didn't make a difference. Personally I would press the dealer for how the system operates to see if it does utilize the anti-lock sensors in reverse. Then, I would re-verify pressure.

If it doesn't, and there truly are four individual sensors within the wheel, see if you can get a schematic of the sensors and the receiver.

Just my two cents.
Adamss

 

Hey Adam, It isn't so much tire size as it is tire inflation. The factory presets the sensors to operate within a range specific to the wheel/tire combination provided with the vehicle. 3 different combos may yield 3 different ranges so interchangeability, while not impossible, is unlikely. The sensors are also location sensitive (RF,LF,RR,LR and spare) which then requires resetting each time the tires are rotated. The sensors are, in fact, mounted to the inside rim circumference via what looks like a giant hose clamp, 180 degrees opposite the valve stem. Upon an initial 20mph cycle they interface with the control mod about once every 60 seconds. The folks at Ford are kind enough to provide a reset tool with each vehicle although the procedure is tedious to put it mildly, so tire rotations do not become dealer only items. The reset tool does not do anything but reinterpret the new tire location so modification is impossible. Theoretically, replacing tires and wheels with identical aftermarkets that have the same inflation should be a breeze, but it does nothing for those who choose to run different pressures for whatever reason. Again, we put up with airbags, buzzers, belts, sensors and lord knows what else to "protect us from ourselves" thanx to overzealous attorneys getting obscene awards for their clients' often careless actions. I'm sick of it (and growing tired of the constant glowing flat tire on my dash)