TPMS for 2nd set of wheels / tires?

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May 28, 2019
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CA
Hi

I have a 2021 Toyota RAV4.

I am getting a second set of steel wheels to mount snow tires for the winter.

Do I need to purchase TPMS? What happens if I don't? Will the dash light come on? Just curious what happens to a 2021 RAV4 with the absence of TPMS sensors?

Thanks
 
Subscribing as I'm curious--I don't *think* TPMS is tied to VSC, but who knows, some on here have complained that the ability to disable TC is lost if there is a TPMS malfunction, but that was on a different vehicle.

Have you tried searching one of the RAV4 forums? Not trying to be a jerk, but I'd expect it to have been discussed there already.

I *hoping* that my '21 Camry is like this, and won't care, other than the light on the dash. I know do know my older Toyota's didn't care.
 
Doesn't answer your question, but I have a stable of Toyota's. Bootleg techstream on my old Lenovo laptop was one of the best investments every. Program tpms serial numbers to the ecu as the season's change. Just have to remember to write them down before mounting them inside the wheels and tires.
 
Doesn't answer your question, but I have a stable of Toyota's. Bootleg techstream on my old Lenovo laptop was one of the best investments every. Program tpms serial numbers to the ecu as the season's change. Just have to remember to write them down before mounting them inside the wheels and tires.
do the serial numbers for the tpms need to be entered into the ecu?
 
Have you tried reading your owner's manual?

As on my highlander, I can register TPMS through the instrument cluster
Owner's Manual...!! You got it. That and the internet because there is no generic answer to TPMS. All vehicle manufacturers use their own set up and systems. Goof for folks to know or ask what type they have. Owner's manual, Dealership, Internet.....
 
Owner's Manual...!! You got it. That and the internet because there is no generic answer to TPMS. All vehicle manufacturers use their own set up and systems. Goof for folks to know or ask what type they have. Owner's manual, Dealership, Internet.....
Considering that Toyota gives you access to:
1) a Paper copy when you purchase your new vehicle
2) Online at https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals
3) and on the Toyota app

Toyota has made the owner's manual very accessible.
 
You have to register the TPMS numbers through a scan tool. The sensors periodically broadcast "Hi, I'm 1AB2345 and right now I'm seeing 33.7 PSI." The computer needs to know to listen for 1AB2345 and three others.

You register the default pressures through a dash menu. EG if you set all your tires to a calibrated gauge at 35 PSI, the light will come on at 28, which is the 80% threshold.

I have better luck with Carista vs techstream and a cheap knockoff dongle with setting TPMS numbers.

I got four "pacific" brand sensors for $50 off ebay. Pacific is the OE to Toyota/ Denso. But I have my own tire machine. Another possible route is getting "clone" sensors from your tire store that copy the OE serial numbers. Exercise care-- there are several varieties of Toyota TPMS and some trucks use different sensors for steel vs aluminum wheels, due to the thickness of the valve hole.

Wife's 2019 Prius eAWD and my 2021 Prius Prime don't seem to disable stability control or anything else when they don't see the sensors and light the tire lights.

Finally if the light bothers you, you can do up a project with four of those ebay sensors, some 3" PVC pipe, caps, and a valve stem. Make a little "bomb" you can put in your trunk that broadcasts that all is well within the pipe.
 
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I know on older Toyota models like I have that you have to "scan" it. I thought Toyota finally automatized the system where you change sensor, meaning you put second set of wheels, and the vehicle does everything on its own, like let's say my 2011 Tiguan or BMW.
 
I know on older Toyota models like I have that you have to "scan" it. I thought Toyota finally automatized the system where you change sensor, meaning you put second set of wheels, and the vehicle does everything on its own, like let's say my 2011 Tiguan or BMW.
I hope they don't do that. I store my spare wheels in the garage--you know, sitting next to the car they go on. I've had the car go out of the stable, happy as can be, only to set the light after 15 minutes or whatever, when it realizes it's no longer hearing the set of wheels... that are still in the garage.

What I DO wish they would do is add a second set of sensors to the little brain in there. It's a few bytes of memory space, how expensive is that? Make it a simple option on some menu, I can select which set of sensors I want the car to listen to.
 
I hope they don't do that. I store my spare wheels in the garage--you know, sitting next to the car they go on. I've had the car go out of the stable, happy as can be, only to set the light after 15 minutes or whatever, when it realizes it's no longer hearing the set of wheels... that are still in the garage.

What I DO wish they would do is add a second set of sensors to the little brain in there. It's a few bytes of memory space, how expensive is that? Make it a simple option on some menu, I can select which set of sensors I want the car to listen to.
I have literally winter or summer sets within few feet of both Tiguan and BMW and no issues of “catching “ stored set.
Last year I didn’t bother coding winter set on Toyota, and yes, that one was catching stored set and took 15 minutes to figure out after leaving house.
In VW when I swapped several times in Costco or DT, I would have set to store in the car and system would recognize sensors on rolling wheels.
So really not hard to make.
 
I have literally winter or summer sets within few feet of both Tiguan and BMW and no issues of “catching “ stored set.
Last year I didn’t bother coding winter set on Toyota, and yes, that one was catching stored set and took 15 minutes to figure out after leaving house.
In VW when I swapped several times in Costco or DT, I would have set to store in the car and system would recognize sensors on rolling wheels.
So really not hard to make.
If they could pull it of it'd be nice. Do they have receiver per wheelwell?
 
If they could pull it of it'd be nice. Do they have receiver per wheelwell?
Not sure where is on VW, BMW has one behind rear right wheel. I think VW is only one too.
BMW will “ask” you to just confirm new TPMS on dashboard, but that is it.
I even tried to clone TPMS on Toyota just to avoid going to DT to swap wheels and register new ones, but they couldn’t (or didn’t know). This frustrates me so much that in the end I will get some device so I can do it.
But, like you said, if they allowed at least two sets to be stored it would be ok.
 
Pretty sure the LandCruiser has memory for 8 or 10 sensors (including spare tires.) But that's it.

Toyota runs ads about having 15 models with AWD or 4WD, "more than subaru", but they don't really make accommodations for snow tires.

My 08 chevy has a way better system... put it into programming mode with the trip odometer button, follow the turn signals and honks while you let 2 psi out of every tire (or use a 10 dollar valve stem zapper tool), done. And it knows which tire's low.
 
My 2019 Corolla Hatchback stores 2 complete sets of TPMS sensors, I would assume a 2021 RAV4 has the same capability. I programed the 2nd set myself with my Autel scan tool.
 
So tomorrow I am getting some winter tires mounted on my 2021 RAV4 LE steel wheels.

In the next few months I may buy a set of RAV4 alloy takeoff wheels.

So in the future I may swap out the steel wheel / winter tire set for the new set I plan to buy in the next few months.


Basically run the steel wheels with winter tires in the winter and switch to the alloy wheels with a set of non-winter tires.

So my question is, will I need the TMPS numbers off the current set of factory sensors in the future. For example if I switch to non winter wheel / tire set and then next winter switch back to what I currently have?

Asking because if I do, it might be a good idea to jot down the numbers tomorrow when they take the tries off. This assumes the numbers are on the sensors. I could be way off and wrong here, perhaps the sensor id numbers are not on the devices and only able to be read off by a scan tool?

Thanks
 
W/O TPMS, the warning light will stay on so if you don’t wish to be looking at the light through out the winter, there is a way easier way around having to hard coding the needs TPMS onto the ECU. Just buy programmable TPMS for your second set of wheels/ties and clone them from your OEM TPMS.
 
W/O TPMS, the warning light will stay on so if you don’t wish to be looking at the light through out the winter, there is a way easier way around having to hard coding the needs TPMS onto the ECU. Just buy programmable TPMS for your second set of wheels/ties and clone them from your OEM TPMS.
I am planning to leave the TPMS in the current stock wheels, just tomorrow getting the winter tires mounted.

In the future I will buy a set of slightly used take off RAV4 alloy wheels with tires and TPMS.

I plan to run TPMS, the original topic of the thread was for me to ask about TPMS. So this second set will need to get entered into the ecu.

My question is when I go back to the original wheels do I need to re enter the ids, or does it read them? Do I need to bother about writing down and saving the numbers for when I switch back.

Sorry I don not fully understand how this all works so there are most likely flaws in my questions.
 
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