Tire pressure question

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That was one interesting thing I gained when I replaced the OEM head unit with the Pioneer head unit and the module to retain steering wheel controls was the ability to not only see the tire PSI but also the temperature that the TPMS was sending to the car. With the OEM equipment, there isn't a way to see any of the info.

 

I think most owners aren't interested in knowing, and wouldn't look anyway, unfortunately - so they don't make it readily available.

Bearing in mind that the "average" driver these days neglects even checking tyres at all these days, the way TOYOTA set the TMPS as just a warning is a little like the elimination of temperature gauges (my last car, a 2010 FORD Fiesta didn't have one either) - just a warning when it's awry. Same with Oil Pressure, Oil level, voltage and amperage gauges.

 

Honestly, most the time I don't care either. If the sensors are good enough to alert me to a problem, its just one less thing for me to worry about.

 

I must go and check mine - though I can usually tell by the way it drives if something is wrong.!!

 

Gee....... I still do it the old fashion way..... get down there with a tire gauge once a month.

Oil level.
Tire pressure.
Fluids.

10 minutes out of my life.

SHEESH, lazy Americans.

And I hand wash & wax it because my fat old body needs the exercise!

 

You beat me to it...

 

A ScanGauge with fairly recent firmware can display all four tire pressures and temperatures. A bit pricey, but for me a good investment.

 

Whaaaat! Are you saying swapping OEM head unit with aftermarket one now magically displays hidden TPMS information on screen? Will you give me information on the head unit you installed? And I would love to see the photo of your new head unit with TPMS information showing on screen. PLEEEEASE!

 

I have the JVC (essentially Kenwood) and it does the same thing.

 

Will you show us pic of what the information of TPMS looks like on your JVC head unit?

This kinda prove Toyota had all the opportunity to display TPMS information both psi and temperature right on the head unit without any further programing yet elected not to display them intentionally. I can't believe aftermarket head unit manufactures went out of the way to software engineer special app to display those information when Toyota OEM unit do not show them. Why Toyota hide those information is total mystery to me.

 

I use Techstream on a laptop to see it, but some cars including Toyotas do show it....for whatever reason Toyota has not given the tire pressure/temperature data readout to Prii.

 

Yeah, I can use Tire Assistant app and OBDII reader to see TPMS information. Just like Techstream, it can not be used while car is in motion. I recently purchased ScanGaugeII to display TPMS information, but have not come around to it to set up X-gauge yet. Cost was one reason often mentioned for Toyota not showing TPMS info on OEM head unit. If it requires hours of app developments or a new display hardware, I can understand that argument, but seems to be that is not the case.

 

I'd suspect that, no, they didn't have that opportunity - at least with the head unit they use. They have to look at functionality - they use that same or similar head unit in millions of vehicles (different iterations in different countries, and some with NAV) - but TMPS isn't on all cars they sell, nor all models, nor all markets (not available here).

So - yes, they could put a more expensive head unit on those few with TMPS - but it would appreciably increase the cost of TMPS.

And that for a function which, I suspect 99.9% of drivers won't look at. Like vacuum gauges, oil pressure gauges, temperature gauges - I reckon the vast majority of drivers never even look at their tachometer when driving a manual car.

 

That could be very true. But I still contend why Toyota did not put TPMS information on PRIME and newer Gen4 top trim 11.6 inch LCD. If aftermarket $300 head unit manufactured by someone other than TOYOTA can pull off displaying this information seemingly at ease, why $7,000 11.6 inch EXPENSIVE" OEM head unit designed by TOYOTA insider can not show that. I have no idea. That missing TPMS information along with many others you listed are far more useful to car owner than that useless Entune, IMHO. Oh well, I will sit in car to figure out those information on ScanGauge now.

 

$7000? - TOYOTA are buying them in millions across various models - they order off the shelf models I would suspect, maybe with some mods. And they'd be paying less than the $300 you paid.

The key - they know full well that 99.99% of owners won't bother, so it's just one more thing to 1) go wrong; 2) have owners ask dumb questions of salesmen who won't know either.

 

OK, it wasn't $7,000. It is only MSRP $6,077.94. Online discount price is even better at $4,764.71. BUT, if you find it sold at $300 anywhere in world, please let me know.
Display Unit - Toyota (86804-47421) | Toyota Parts

While it maybe true that 99.99% of Prius owner may not care to see the TPMS information on the screen, that can not be the sole reason Toyota omitted this information to be displayed on screen. My point is that aftermarket head unit manufacture can show this information on their unit. I doubt the maker went extra miles to develop and support the display of this information for 0.01% of drivers, meaning it must be so easy to do. So why Toyota decided not to do that?

 

I will next time I'm in the car.