Is there a way to disable the Tire Pressure Monitor System? I want to drop the pressure in my tires when it is not loaded but annoying sensor keeps going off.

 

Think that require a dealer to turn off the TPMS system.. or someone with a scan tool that address that issue.

 

No. It's not legal to disable, so even if the dealership could they would NOT do this. As far as I know there is no known way to completely disable it.
JL

 

I've heard that you can put all the sensors in the spare tire...

 

Won't work. The sensors are designed to save battery life by going "asleep" after a certain time period,and are awakened by the wheels turning on the road surface. In the spare,they never get "awakened",and will not transmit data as to their status.
JL

 

I once posted that there has to be someone on this site smart enough to hack a Ford computer to reset the TPMS. After further thought, I would not tell how to do it even if I could. If a person used my info and wrecked because of it, how many dozens of lawyers do you think would be at my door? Best, CB

 

What years of Super Duty trucks were equipped with TPMS? I am asking cause I picked up a set of aftermarket wheels and tires on craigslist from a fella with an 05 f-350 and he said he didnt know if they were equipped or not. I bought them anyways and put them on about 4 days ago. I have been driving it ever since and the warning light never came on, so I assumed they had sensors in the tires. But the warning just came on this morning so I either have a slow leak or no TPMS- but why would it take 4 days for it to register not having a sensor? I know- Go check my pressure; I will once I can find my guage.

 

He is right, I am a mechanic at a tire shop, and it is illegal to disable it. I have seen customers do it if they buy aftermarket rims and can not get sensors for them, most of them just unplug the bulb, but depending on your setup that wont work (if you have a digital display, or a warning buzzer).
Why would you want to disable it? If you get into an accident from a blown out tire (overheating from underinflation) and they find it has been tampered with, You would be looking at major court time even if no one gets killed.
Lowering the psi can be dangerous and expensive. Not only do you risk overheating the tires and having a failure, but at the bare min. you will decrease the life of the tire. Under inflated tires will wear faster at the edges, and the sidewall will flex more cousing it to crack and dry out reducing it's strength. I have had many cust. replace tires at half life because they were cracking and had excesive edge wear from underinflating. The center tread would still be good, but the tires can not hold air very long from the cracking sidewalls.
Lowering the pressure just isn't worth it, sure you may get a smoother ride, but you bought a FORD SUPER DUTY PICK UP not a f***ing Mercedes. The truck is made for work.

 

Some of us need to air our tires down for traction, or have tires that are rated for a lower pressure then what the TPMS is programed for.

 

Sorry if I seamed a little angry, but I have had this same argument about tire pressures with many customers that say there 60k mile tires should be warantied at 30k when it is obvious that they were underinflated or neglected. "the pressure does not matter, I bought 60k mile tires, they should last 60k miles right!!" Not if they need to be inflated to 80 psi and You keep them at 30, or if you are hauling a 5th wheal trailer and opted for D rated tires.
O.K. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.

 

Not a problem, venting is healthy.

The majority of my miles on my E rated tires are at 65psi, the middle of their rated pressure. Come winter, they get aired down to 50-55psi to help with traction and to limit the amount of times that I have to put chains on. Only a quarter of my anual miles are out on durring the winter, but that is still alot of time spent staring at that bloody light when I am checking my pressures every week anyway.

 

If you have to lower them for traction then the light should be on to remind you to fill them back up.

the majority of the systems available are REPROGRAMABLE. When you "RESET" the light on 90% of vehicles, it gets reprogramed to what ever pressure you currently have them at. I had a customer just today came in for an Oil change on a Toyota, the tiretech doing the oil change called me over because he noticed that one tire was at 15psi but the tpms light was not on. after talking to the cust. we found out that they learned how to reset the light and instead of checking her tires she just kept reseting the light. Turns out she had a small bolt in the tire and the system was warning her about it, but she decided to cover it up, if we did not check her pressures she very likely would have had a blow out sice she does alot of highway travel.

Tpms was made a requirement for a reason, not just for you saftey (like seat belts) but for the saftey of other peaple on the road. If you have a blow out in one of these trucks, that can lead to loss of control and possible rollover, putting others at risk.

 

I know the chevy system is reprogramable. As far as I know, Ford's is not. I will read my manual to confirm, but I am pretty sure I looked before.

I drive the whole winter at a lower PSI then the TPMS is set too and do not need the reminder come spring.

 

check your glove box for the little black box with the green button that comes with all 08 super duties

 

Boy, you are wrong. If my truck is working at it's max GVW of 11,000 lbs, then, yes, I need my tires at their specified pressure of 80psi. But running around empty or with a light load, I need to drop pressure down to maybe 50-55 to get optimal tire footprint, wear, and stopping traction. And yes, I run my tires back up when my truck load goes back up. So, yes, I will need to figure out a way to bypass TPMS or reprogram it.