TPMS sensors can't be programmed at America's Tire

wouldn't tire rack have the specs?

 

Each sensor has a unique id which is also printed on it.

There are scanners that will read the sensor ids using rf wireless. The dealer may not have this tool. They might have to break each tire down to visually read sensors ids which are then written into the vehicle ecu with Techstream.

Best thing to do is find a tire shop with a rf scanner and ecu write capability and let them do it.

 

You may be able to download the Tire Assistant app, then you can visually see the TPMS ID# of each sensor.

 

Just a OBD adapter with bluetooth like Carista.

 

Isn't it illegal for a tire shop to release a TPMS car in this condition, if it came in with TPMS functioning?

I cannot imagine any respectable and legal tire shop, in this age, to not have one of the RF tools for this.

If they won't do it as part of their mounting and installation fee, find another chain tire shop that will walk around the car, read through each tire sidewall next to the sensor, then connect to the OBDII port to program the numbers into the system, for a nominal fee. Even a car dealership can do it, though probably for a significantly higher price.

 

Have to remember dealers go by the book. If they change an engine they drop the subframe and remove the engine and transaxle as one piece from the bottom. TPMS sensors - they record the sensor ids before installing them and then write those ids with Techstream.

 

Long term or short term profitable? Customers should say sayonara to shops that pull this trick.

As someone else said, you can shear a sheep every year, but you can skin it only once.

 

Tire Assistant won’t work for the Op since his newly installed TPMS sensor ids were not written (registered) to the vehicle ecu. As a result the Op will only see the sensor ids of the old devices which were removed but are still registered in the car.

 

You don't need anything that complicated. I've just got an Autel TS508. It has no problem. With the Prius I just scan the wheels to get the sensors IDs, then plug it into the car and it programs the car with the new IDs. I've done this numerous times a year switching wheels. I can't really imagine any place that works with wheels not having something as basic...

 

There are a lot of different brands of TPMS and some brands require brand-specific programmer.
I have also had the issue (another car) where I bought a programmable TPMS that the tire place did not have the capability to program. For my Prius I always bought Denso OEM TPMS which were not programmable for Gen2: so you had to know the code to enter via Techstream.

 

I've always had great luck with Tire Rack. I'd find it very hard to believe that if you ordered a set of sensors from them for your Prius that they weren't already programmed for the Prius. So the only thing that needs updating is the Prius itself to know what the IDs of the new sensors are...

 

Exactly

 

I've purchased from Tire Rack only once, a mounted winter tire / wheel / TPMS set for my Subaru. After paying a shop to program in the IDs just once, I bought a TPMS tool to program both my Subaru, and my Prius. It handles both equally well.

New better cheaper TPMS tools are now available.

 

I have an Autel MaxiTPMS TS401 reader I think gives me codes and pressure data. Not sure if it works for this case.