TPMS Sensor Replacement in Sheffield!

Being not very well known, TPMS sensors are still a vital part of a vehicle's behavior. TPMS, which stands for Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, are a standard part of a vehicle nowadays. However, this only became mandatory in 2013, for cars for the European market

The most common type of sensor it's the indirect sensor. This records and monitors the wheel data from the hub and is not found in the tyre. Any flag will alert the driver of a potential issue however it will NOT highlight which specific tyre. The main disadvantage of this is that the data might not be completely accurate compared to a sensor found attached to the wheel that records the air pressure inside the tyre is far more accurate. You can find out more about Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems here!

This customer had called in as they were experiencing an issue with one of their sensors. The warning light kept flashing on the dash with no immediate resolution.

Upon arrival, we inspected all four tyres for any signs of unusual wear or damage. The tyres Upon passing this, we then inspected all four TPMS units to measure their battery levels and/or any errors that might be popping up. As mentioned on the phone, the customer stated that the near-side rear sensor was on the "fritz" and not responding with the car. This was confirmed during the inspection where we found it was running low on battery, using our hand held scanner.

After the inspection, the car was jacked up and the wheel removed. This was taken to the workshop area in our van where we removed the tyre and started the thorough inspection of the offending unit.

As seen from the image below, the unit was in quite a rough state. We would need to install a new one.

To install a new unit is relatively simple. One of the current working units was scanned to copy the DNA. This would then be injected into a blank TPMS unit. The car would only see the new unit as having a full battery, nothing else would be different!

We unscrewed the old unit, removed it from the rim and screwed in the new unit. The tyre was then re-installed, inflated and balanced. Finally, the wheel was spritzed with soapy water to check for any punctures.

Given the all clear, the wheel was installed back onto the car and the nuts hand tightened. After, the car was lowered to the ground and the nuts torqued to the correct setting.

Regarding payment, due to Covid we now have a couple of options. We always have a card machine on the van so they can chip 'n' pin or, the technician can call you from a safe distance and take payment over the phone.