Check System, Red Exclamation Point, Yellow Tire !

[Gebo]

My 09 Lexus IS350 had the following warning lights. Check System, Red Triangle with an exclamation point and the Yellow Tire with the exclamation point.

I’m 99% sure it has to do with TPMS. I checked tire pressures and added about 3 lbs/ tire to get them to the pressures on the door. I ran my Blue Driver and got no codes. I disconnected my battery and let it sit for 1 hour and reconnected.

Warning lights are still there.

I did rotate tires about 500 miles ago. The owners manual says to immediately take to the Lexus dealer.

What do you say?

 

[atikovi]

Pick up a TPMS tool like https://www.amazon.com/Autel-TS401-...ocphy=9007783&hvtargid=pla-570590599393&psc=1 for the cost of a visit to the Lexus dealer and find and replace the bad sensors.

 

[RooflessVW]

IMO at 13 years old you likely have at least one sensor with a dead battery

 

[FowVay]

You did the proper thing by immediately checking the tire pressure and setting it to the correct placarded specification. Rather than going to the expensive dealership to have them consume your precious time and charge an exorbitant rate you can be best served by going to a tire shop and having them scan your wheels and read the trouble codes stored in the body control module.

What can you expect? Expect to learn that one or more of your TPMS sensors have dead batteries and require replacement. At the age of your vehicle it would be wise to replace all sensors to prevent having to go through this scenario again soon. Buy once - cry once in this situation will give you many years of worry free operation with regard to this specific system.

Shops charge for the sensors ($30 or more) and to install them ($20 per wheel or more). Some places will do the computer work for free but if not then you'll have to pay additional to have the codes cleared in the BCM and they might even charge for doing a position relearn. At any rate expect to pay at least $50 per wheel minimum for a sensor replacement.

Can you buy a tool and diagnose it yourself? Of course. Can you install the sensors yourself? Probably not without the use of some expensive tools or a lot of foul language and sweat. This sort of thing is best left to a shop with the required tools to perform the task (TPMS diagnostics, tire mounting machine and balancing equipment). You could potentially save a few dollars by buying the sensors from the internet but then you have to find a shop that has the tooling that is compatible with the specific sensors you bought. Not all tools work with all sensors. The beauty is that this sort of fault code will not leave you stranded or affect your vehicles performance in any manner. Just check your tire pressure regularly to ensure the proper inflation and get the sensors replaced when convenient.

 

[86cutlass307]

IMO at 13 years old you likely have at least one sensor with a dead battery

This scenario happened on the Tacoma in my signature; all sensors were still factory so rather than nickel and dime each sensor when it failed, I bought 4 new ones and had Discount Tire replace and recalibrate the system for me. If one battery dies, the others are not far behind in my judgment.

 

[eljefino]

Toyota sensors literally have a data flag that shows they're low on battery. When you get things scanned, get the health checked of the remaining sensors. It's not dealer voodoo for them to tell you that you need all four.

If you want to DIY, you can get

-- 4 "Pacific" brand sensors on ebay for $50,
-- the HF tire machine (for bead breaking), $40, and
-- "Carista" dongle plus trial software, $20.

Toyota does not really care which sensor is on which tire, as the display is dumb, just showing one or more of them with a problem. Not sure why you'd visit a dealer after rotation.

 

[D60]

One wonders how any of us survived childhood without TPMS?????

My local Discount charges $60 per sensor plus $20 install. I'm fine with shops making a profit but if the average working family needs all four that adds $320 (likely plus tax) onto a new set of tires.

I think TPMS is the best thing to happen for tire shops in 50+ years. The industry cruised along largely unchanged for a LONG time but this finally gave them something more to upsell while you've already got the tire off anyway. I am NOT saying it's a conspiracy, just that the industry got lucky. If I were, say, a Big O franchise owner I would have breathed a sigh of relief when TPMS came down the pipe

 

[atikovi]

One wonders how any of us survived childhood without TPMS?????

Or seat belts, air bags, ABS, even air conditioning, cabin filters, stop start systems, back up cameras etc. They all provide a safety, comfort or convenience functions to one degree or another that applies to people differently. Many people were getting killed in rollover accidents due to low tire pressure so the government made the automakers install TPMS.

 

[RooflessVW]

One wonders how any of us survived childhood without TPMS?????

My local Discount charges $60 per sensor plus $20 install. I'm fine with shops making a profit but if the average working family needs all four that adds $320 (likely plus tax) onto a new set of tires.

I think TPMS is the best thing to happen for tire shops in 50+ years. The industry cruised along largely unchanged for a LONG time but this finally gave them something more to upsell while you've already got the tire off anyway. I am NOT saying it's a conspiracy, just that the industry got lucky. If I were, say, a Big O franchise owner I would have breathed a sigh of relief when TPMS came down the pipe

I would not have seen this without TPMS.

Came out at the tire was 8 PSI low. No other indication.

 

[bullwinkle]

Or seat belts, air bags, ABS, even air conditioning, cabin filters, stop start systems, back up cameras etc. They all provide a safety, comfort or convenience functions to one degree or another that applies to people differently. Many people were getting killed in rollover accidents due to low tire pressure so the government made the automakers install TPMS.

Don’t forget power windows, locks/keyless entry, automatic headlights/DRLs, rain sensing wipers, and power running boards/3rd row seats! Guaranteed to break & require big $ repairs…

 

[atikovi]

Man, your car gots all them newfangled gizmos? I'm just happy to have a self starter and windshield wipers on mine.

 

[Barkleymut]

Wipers were standard on the 1922 fords

 

[atikovi]

I meant power wipers, not the hand crank type.