Dealership service and TPMS sensors

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I have been having a TPMS issue in the Silverado for the last few years.

I Just wanted to share an experience I had and how it was resolved . Full disclosure this the only Big three product I own and for the most part has been fairly reliable but I am not as familiar with them as I am with the Honda’s and Toyota’s that I tend to gravitate to.

I have had a TPMS sensor light that comes one every time the temperature changes, I took it to the tire shop several times and they said the sensors were bad so they replaced the front sensors, the problem then came back so I took it back to them and they said the sensors are working fine must be a problem with the computer and a dealer would be able to tell me more.

I took it to the dealer they said TPMS sensor is bad that tire shop put on that an OEM sensor would solve the problem, so they put it on and then all is good till the temperature changed from spring to summer and light popped back on. Checked tire pressures all were good but light would not go away.

Took it back to dealer said sometimes they do that, so they reset the light and when fall came the light popped back on again. again tire pressures were all set equally to each other. Talked to the dealer and they said TPMS sensor probably went bad needs to be replaced.
I said forget it as I have spent enough ton TOMS sensors.

So fast forward I was playing around with a prosumer scan tool (which I was impressed with by the way). I picked the make, model etc and there were special function for the silverado one of them was to set the tire pressure and reset the TPMS. so I read what was programmed in the ECU and it said 60 PSI and the tires were set for XL-load(I believe can’t remember). I changed it to the tire that were in there and the pressure I use and voila the code disappeared and has not returned.

It makes my mad that, I spent all this money on TPMS sensors and that was probably all that needed to be done. Why would the dealer not check this? I dont blame the tire shop as it is an ECU imbedded function that a more adavanced scan tool needs to reach.

I am already leary of dealerships(Im sure there are good ones out there) and this just added another data point in my belief and why I have returned to working more and more in my own vehicles. I peace just have not had a good experience dealership experience (Honda, Toyota, GM) all bad experiences.
 
I've had similar experiences with TPMS over the years. It all depends on if you happen to get a tech who's solved that particular issue in the past. Total k-rap shoot.
 
I haven't had that particular problem, but the dealer servicing the Cobalt would never reset the monitors when they'd rotate the tires so the monitor was not marking the proper tire if something set it off. I know I can manually do this myself, but one would think that the *dealer* would know to reset the monitors properly so that if the system says the LF tire is low, it really is the left-front tire...
 
If it was me, I'd ignore the TPMS light and just keep checking the pressure manually every week of so. Trying to fix that problem is painful and expensive.
 
Here is my problem. With every temp drop my visual TPMS shows itself. Thru trial and error it’s always the same tire. Drivers side front. It drops from 33PSI to 28 PSI setting off the TPMS. I fill it to 33 PSI and the dashboard light goes out. It cant be a slow leak cause that would show regardless of outside temp. Am I right? If there’s no change in outside temp it stays right at 33 PSI for months like the other three tires. I love being bored.
 
Or maybe it is a slow leak and the temperature change pushes the TPMS over the edge. I’ll admit I don’t check the pressure daily. Gotta take a closer look at that tire.
 
It pays to know the psi at which tpms triggers, or to have a simpler system that uses the ABS sensors to check for a tyre getting smaller. Some people insist on inflating to the placard and no more, but then complain they have to air up every 2 weeks. Some cars have TPMS warning come on just below placard pressure...
 
Here is my problem. With every temp drop my visual TPMS shows itself. Thru trial and error it’s always the same tire. Drivers side front. It drops from 33PSI to 28 PSI setting off the TPMS. I fill it to 33 PSI and the dashboard light goes out. It cant be a slow leak cause that would show regardless of outside temp. Am I right? If there’s no change in outside temp it stays right at 33 PSI for months like the other three tires. I love being bored.
I had this happen once with an alloy rim, I had the tire shop break the tire down and insisted they use bead sealer. Solved the problem.
 
Here is my problem. With every temp drop my visual TPMS shows itself. Thru trial and error it’s always the same tire. Drivers side front. It drops from 33PSI to 28 PSI setting off the TPMS. I fill it to 33 PSI and the dashboard light goes out. It cant be a slow leak cause that would show regardless of outside temp. Am I right? If there’s no change in outside temp it stays right at 33 PSI for months like the other three tires. I love being bored.

General rule of thumb is that a tire will lose 1psi of pressure for every 10 degree F drop in temperature. If you set the tire to 33 psi when it is 60 degrees out, the tire will drop to 30 psi when the temperature drops to 30 degrees.

I usually put my tires 2-3psi above the recommended cold pressure during the winter months. Then I don't have to worry about the TPMS going off in the morning when it is really cold out.
 
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It pays to know the psi at which tpms triggers, or to have a simpler system that uses the ABS sensors to check for a tyre getting smaller. Some people insist on inflating to the placard and no more, but then complain they have to air up every 2 weeks. Some cars have TPMS warning come on just below placard pressu
General rule of thumb is that a tire will lose 1psi of pressure for every 10 degree F drop in temperature. If you set the tire to 33 psi when it is 60 degrees out, the tire will drop to 30 psi when the temperature drops to 30 degrees.

I usually put my tires 2-3psi above the recommended cold pressure during the winter months. Then I don't have to worry about the TPMS going off in the morning when it is really cold out.
Yes I agree. But wouldn’t a specific tire ( in my case driver side front) indicate a slow leak of some kind that drops that tire closer to the threshold of triggering the TPMS ahead off all the others?I too put a little more psi into the tires to ward off temp drops and they all behave themselves. Except for driver side front. There has to be something going on with that tire. Please excuse my quarantine related OCD. Drew, I saw your beadsealer, it’s probably what I need. I’m gonna lay down now.
 
Glad you figured it out and again why I feel people should learn a little something about vehicle we purchase as they cost so much... And continually cost money. I do agree as well the dealer should have doubled checked that and found the issue, but so many just shotgun diagnosis at things that are common or believed to be common. The one rant I have is the pass given to the tire shop. Many many years ago when I spent a short amount of time working at a dealership, I was amazed how many people would spend thousands at independent shops trying to fix their car and the customer would give them a pass because they tried only to scream and tear my head off because I had the gall to ask for money to fix it at the dealership. Yes the dealership should be specialists in the brand they sell/service, but that doesn't excuse an independent shop from having to perform. A tire shop should be an expert in tires, even more so than the dealer. I would almost be more angry at them as they see far more tires and tire related issues than the dealer does.
 
I had the cluster out on my '07 GM to replace some burnt out bulbs. I stuck a piece of cardboard in the tire light while I was in there. It doesn't "come on" anymore.
 
Glad you figured it out and again why I feel people should learn a little something about vehicle we purchase as they cost so much... And continually cost money. I do agree as well the dealer should have doubled checked that and found the issue, but so many just shotgun diagnosis at things that are common or believed to be common. The one rant I have is the pass given to the tire shop. Many many years ago when I spent a short amount of time working at a dealership, I was amazed how many people would spend thousands at independent shops trying to fix their car and the customer would give them a pass because they tried only to scream and tear my head off because I had the gall to ask for money to fix it at the dealership. Yes the dealership should be specialists in the brand they sell/service, but that doesn't excuse an independent shop from having to perform. A tire shop should be an expert in tires, even more so than the dealer. I would almost be more angry at them as they see far more tires and tire related issues than the dealer does.
I agree for the most part, except in this situation GM buries a setting in the ECM that needs a high end scan tool to change or even access. I would not want a tire shop tech messing with a ECU. But you are correct the tire shop should have said you may need the dealer to reset if they did not have the correct tool.

What frustrates me are these type of settings need to accessible from the console without the need for a high end scanner.

The owners manual makes no mention of setting the correct tire type and pressure in ECM.
 
So did you ever figure out how the computer got programmed for LT tires in the first place?

When you went to the dealer, all the writer heard was "TPMS" and he gave your job to the tire/lube tech. It's not unexpected that they blamed the aftermarket part. The worst thing that can happen, from their POV, is the light will come on again and you'll be back.
 
So did you ever figure out how the computer got programmed for LT tires in the first place?

When you went to the dealer, all the writer heard was "TPMS" and he gave your job to the tire/lube tech. It's not unexpected that they blamed the aftermarket part. The worst thing that can happen, from their POV, is the light will come on again and you'll be back.
It is a work truck so it originally had XLT tires when new, but it rode like a lumber wagon, so the after the XLT they have been Load range C tires.

Funny thing is the dealer put the first Load range C tires on and never reprogrammed the ECU and problem with TPMS started then.

I specifically had the discussion with dealer service writer and he said it is common in the sliverados that those light keep coming in when the weather changes.
 
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