TPMS Management with Techstream

As many of us are finding out, the TPMS system in our tires only lasts about 8-10 years, then the TPMS unit batteries give out, and then you get a flashing TPMS warning light on your display.

Replacing these TPMS sensors can be costly at a repair shop, so this is a good time to use the Techstream software with mini VCI to minimize your repair costs.

This YouTube video gives a pretty good description fixing one TPMS sensor for a Toyota Highlander:

For my 2006 Prius, I found the fifth tire (ID5 in Techstream - the spare tire) was not used, so it had a code of 0000000.

The bad TPMS for my car was ID1 (right front tire for my Prius it turned out). I was curious to know if I could simply shut off ID1 in Techstream, so I set it to 0000000. Sure enough that stopped the error code and flashing TPMS warning light.

The next thing I am going to do is buy the Denso replacement sensor from Amazon like the guy in the Highlander video. Hopefully setting the code to 0000000 was not a mistake as far as being able to edit the value again in the future.

UPDATE:
So looks like the 0000000 hack may not work after all

On my Gen2 it does indeed turn off the TPMS light, but it seems like the effect is temporary. I will see how long the TPMS light stays off this time, but I believe it was over a week last time.

Also entering the same Code twice does not work, as the four codes entered must be unique.

So I appear to be out of ideas to turn off the TPMS light permanently, except the possible idea of entering zero codes for all four tires. The only other hack idea I have left is to buy a new TPMS and hook it up externally say to spare tire to turn off the TPMS light.

 

Exactly...instead of entering say 83C5183 just enter 0000000. The other hack approach would be to enter the same code twice for a working sensor (have not tried that yet). I am hoping entering 0000000 does not permanently disable the sensor, so not quite ready to proclaim success. When you assign the codes, you have to enter all 4 tires, so you first need to go to the data screen and write down all the codes.

But bottom line seems to be, you can use Techstream to easily turn off the TPMS system if you just want to bag it after the sensors start failing. I want to see how long they can last.

 

UPDATE:
So looks like my 0000000 hack may not work after all

On my Gen2 it does indeed turn off the TPMS light, but it seems like the effect is temporary. I will see how long the TPMS light stays off this time, but I believe it was over a week last time.

Also entering the same Code twice does not work, as the four codes entered must be unique.

So I appear to be out of ideas to turn off the TPMS light permanently, except the possible idea of entering zero codes for all four tires. The only other hack idea I have left is to buy a new TPMS and hook it up externally say to spare tire to turn off the TPMS light.

 

My apologies, but managing TPMS is still a good way to use mini-VCI.

Eventually the final "fix" for me is to buy a sensor from Amazon, take the tire over to a tire repair place, and they can put the TPMS in. I can then register the code with Techstream. And the only way I know which tire was bad is via Techstream.

Having 3 good TPMS is better than None!...None is what you get when one goes bad on a Toyota. Looks like I lost one at 9.5 years and the 3 others are still ticking.

Other vehicles (Cruze etc) let you see the pressures on the car's screen, but I think Toyota only gives us the warning light, so that is the problem.

Ultimately I am just trying to learn the limits of what can be done DIY.

 

My wife just said: "Hooray! the TPMS light is off today!!"

But somehow it seems to take Gen2 a while to figure out I faked it out with the 0000000 code. We'll see how long it takes to come back on. I did do it a little different this time...outside chance it will stay off but I am not optimistic.

This time, I put the zero code in for a "good" tire. So now it has 37 psia in the data register, even though the 37 psia is not getting updated. Last time I put the zero code in for the "bad" tire so the NA bad reading was still in there. Then I gave the "bad" tire a good TPMS code, so now it has a 37 psia real reading in the data register.

In another thread, PiP owner @Rebound found the zero code did not work for him, suggesting the PiP updates the data more instantly than my 2006...stay tuned.

 

Our TPMS warning light is still off 3 days later...but we don't do many long trips these days so I do not know if we did a longer trip if the system will start to realize the tire with the 0000000 code is not getting updated. I will of course report back...

 

Tried that. Turns out that idea does not work. It needs 4 unique codes.
Right now I am good though...no lights on yet.

 

Argh! our TPMS light came back on today, after I let the car run in PARK for a good while. Thus it appears we have a time lag in Gen2 where it takes the system a while to (week or so) to wise up to the 0000000 code. So I am out of ammo on trying to turn off the TPMS system or a tire. I keep trying things.

>>in any case, Techstream approach for Gen2 works temporarily as long as it works

 

Having so far failed at using Techstream to disable TPMS to turn off the darn warning light, I am resorting to Google to find other solutions:

Here are three solutions:
How to disable TPMS - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums
Turn off your TPMS light FOREVER! | Tacoma World
Disable TPMS | Toyota Tundra Forum

These are:
(1) One I also thought of, hooking up good TPMS to a pressure source outside the tire;
(2) In Toyota's, disconnecting TPMS lead wire to the combination meter
(3) Locate DENSO TPMS receiver module (where is it?) and disconnect appropriate wires

 

And here are some prior PriusChat ideas including one from pEEF
Anyone know how to disable TPMS ? | PriusChat

pEEf shows how to disable Gen3 TPMS with a paper clip jumper but there is no discussion of Gen2 (several asked about Gen2).

@RobH says he reset his TPMS computer for 5 tire codes (including spare) so I wonder if we can set it for 3 tires? I ask RobH