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Tire pressure monitor system

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Snowball, Sep 2, 2013.

  1. Snowball

    Snowball Junior Member

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    Hello everyone,
    I'm new here, got my car on Friday! I hope I am in the correct sub-forum.

    I checked my tire pressure and it set to 32PSI front and back. I decided to set it to 42/40. My local gas station had some water condensation coming out of the hose. o_O

    Anyway, I reset the tire pressure monitor warning system, and now I'm worried I shouldn't have. Does anyone else reset the warning system when they change the tire pressure? Thanks!
     
    #1 Snowball, Sep 2, 2013
  2. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Yes, that's exactly what you should do. Whatever pressure the tires are at when you reset the TPMS, the car will alert you when it falls in any tire by a set percentage.
     
    #2 ftl, Sep 2, 2013
    AliIzad and Snowball like this.
  3. Snowball

    Snowball Junior Member

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    Awesome, thanks FTL!
     
    #3 Snowball, Sep 2, 2013
  4. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Welcome to the Forum! You can click on "Like" on any post if you think it's helpful or informative :)
     
    #4 ftl, Sep 2, 2013
  5. Snowball

    Snowball Junior Member

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    The manual says to wait a few minutes after resetting the TPMS. How long does everyone actually wait?
     
    #5 Snowball, Sep 2, 2013
  6. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    Not seeing that in my 2012 manual - what's the exact wording?
     
    #6 ftl, Sep 2, 2013
  7. Snowball

    Snowball Junior Member

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    Mine is pg 386 of 2013 manual:

    Step 4: Press and hold the tire pressure warning switch until the tire pressure warning light blinks slowly three times.

    Step 5: Vehicles without a smart key system: Wait for a few minutes with the engine switch in the "ON" position and then turn the engine switch to the "ACC" or "LOCK" position.

    Vehicles with a smart key system: Wait for a few minutes with the "POWER" switch in ON mode and then turn the "POWER" switch off.
     
    #7 Snowball, Sep 3, 2013
  8. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Drive home. That's a few minutes. :D
     
    #8 ztanos, Sep 3, 2013
  9. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    I see the same wording in the 2012 manual; I suspect they're just being cautious and don't want you to power down while the setting is being updated. I wouldn't think this would take more than a few seconds.
     
    #9 ftl, Sep 3, 2013
  10. CraigB

    CraigB Member

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    #10 CraigB, Sep 3, 2013
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  11. Andyprius1

    Andyprius1 Senior Member

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    This article says not to have too much faith in the TPWS, and that is true if you keep the pressure at 32. My Pip has a15 lb span. So if pressure is 32 minus 15 = 17 lbs of air pressure in your tire. Should you not see or hear the warning, not pay attention to it, because you are doing 75 in the middle of a wolf pack .........A serious accident could occur involving also the cars around you. This is one of the reasons I recommend a TP of 45-55 lbs, your choice. The enemy is LOW PRESSURE !
     
    #11 Andyprius1, Sep 19, 2013
  12. CraigB

    CraigB Member

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    I currently have my pressure at 38/36. Some folks rely on their TPMS in lieu of checking tire pressure regularly. I check mine once a week...anyting to give me a reason to run the air compressor, lol.
     
    #12 CraigB, Sep 19, 2013
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  13. Snowball

    Snowball Junior Member

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    Yesterday 11/6/13 my TPMS system light went on. According to the Popular Mechanics article, the TPMS isn't required to alert until 25% below set pressure. My personal TPMS alerted me at 9.5% below pressure. I checked my tire pressure and the front passenger tire was at 38 PSI vs the 42. Perhaps Toyota has set a lower tolerance for pressure range or it was just that one monitor. Other tires were at 40/38 vs original 42/40 when I last added air on 9/2/13.
     
    #13 Snowball, Nov 7, 2013
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