TPMS Light Blinking then Solid

Hi Everyone,

I have a 2012 Prius that's a little over 145,000 miles and it's been always gotten consistent maintenance. About a week ago my TPMS light started doing this thing where it blinks for a while and then it stays on solid.

I checked the tire pressure and each tire is all good, and none of the tires are even close to bald.

Also, I tried using my Obdlink LX Obd2 reader and the Tire Assistant App and it isn't getting any readings for anything for any of the 4 tires. I thought that was really odd.

Could it be that all of the sensors died all at the same time? Or is there a main sensor that all of them work off of that could have malfunctioned or died? Is replacing the sensors or main sensor, a repair that is difficult for someone without experience to do?

Is there a chance that the Obd2 reader that I always have connected in order to run Hybrid Assistant and cool off my HV Battery, could've triggered the light to come on? I know it's a long shot but I've seen a few people mention Obd2 readers triggering dash lights.

Does the TPMS system participate in the Blink Codes? And if so, will that be able to tell me which sensor or sensors need to be replaced? And if not, how would I diagnose which sensors need to be replaced?

Also, is this an issue that needs to immediately be fixed? Or is monitoring my tire pressure daily until I can afford to fix it going to be okay? (my wife and I are going to Hawaii for her sister's wedding so I'm broke as a joke right now lol. Everything I make goes towards bills and that trip for the wedding! Lolol)

Any help is appreciated

 

That's a big relief to hear! Especially coming from a Senior Member here on PC

There's also this clicking sound that I started hearing today, and it sounds like it's coming from my front right wheel. It's only there under 20 mph and it's a light clicking.

A week or two ago I drove through a road where they were doing construction and they were laying the gravel for the road. The guy told me it was okay to drive on but when I drove through the road, it sounded like stuff was shooting up under my car the whole time lol. I even had to scrape some fresh hot blacktop stuff off my wheels and. It was a huge pain! Could that have anything to do with what's going on with my TPMS?

 

Sorry everyone! I was having some reception issues and my last post double posted and I'm not able to delete the duplicate post. My apologies guys.

 

Thanks. I checked out the owners manual already before posting and have identified the issue as a TPMS issue. I should have stated that in my initial post, but I figured checking out the owners manual was a given before posting on Prius Chat. Similar to how going through the available threads that are already on Prius Chat is the standard before posting.

My question was more about if the TPMS sensors work off of a main sensor or how that all works, in hopes I can diagnose the issue and identify what parts need to be replaced. But it's always nice to go through the basics just in case!

If I had the money to just bring it in somewhere and throw cash at it until it's fixed, bringing to a local Toyota dealer might be the solution. But like most people, I'm not in the position to do that unfortunatey. I'm hoping to self diagnose the issue and identify what needs to be replaced, and ideally i'd like to be able to replace it myself if possible. I don't mind getting my hands dirty if i'm able to do the job and it saves a considerable amount of money. Or if it's an issue that won't affect the cars operation then I might just live with it and get the sensors replaced as I get the tires replaced.

 

Lol I hope it isn't offensive to call someone a "Senior Member" on here. I don't mean to use it in a way that means "old" or anything like that haha. In the info below users' username there is a thing that says either "Junior" or "Senior" member. I'd like to think the "Senior" long time users on this forum have a lot of experience helping out other members on here with diagnosing and resolving issues with their Prius'

 

Would I need to get batteries for each sensor? Or is it one thing that gets the batteries replaced?
What is the process of replacing the batteries? Is it something that someone can do at home?

 

Luckily, I am a little bit familiar with getting the blink codes, and I now keep a wire in my glove box for this exact situation. I originally had an ABS issue and If I remember correctly, I think you walked me through getting the blink codes and helped me work out what the blink codes meant (which I appreciated greatly!!

Would the blink codes be able to tell me which sensors are the issue, and/or if the receiver is the issue? Or would it just confirm whether or not the issue is sensor related and help determine what the issue is within the TPMS?

Also, is replacing the sensors something that someone can do at home with normal household tools? Or does it require special equipment that would require taking it to a mechanic?

I'm hoping to be able to diagnose the issue, buy the parts at a good price, and hopefully do the repair or replacement myself if possible. And if not i'm trying to do it in the most affordable way possible and I have a feeling that requires doing as much of it as I can on my own so your help is really appreciated, my friend!