# TPMS sensor failure(?)



## v8318cid (Oct 3, 2012)

Ok, here's an odd one for you guys. I recently took a trip of approximately 570 miles during which I encountered an issue with the tire pressure monitoring system. The Service TPMS warning came up on the DIC indicating some sort of failure (flashing TPMS light as well). I checked the appropriate screen to determine if any sensors were malfunctioning and sure enough the right rear sensor was showing the double dash. Didn't really think much of it and assumed a vehicle reset may fix it. Before I could really settle into that idea, though, a second warning popped up and now both rear wheel sensors stopped responding. So, assuming I would see if I could make OnStar earn some of the money I pay them, I contacted OnStar to ask about it. Naturally the nice lady I spoke with couldn't answer my question and the people she said that I should talk to were out of the office on holiday. Joy... Anyway, not long after hanging up with OnStar, the front passenger sensor stops responding. Now I'm down to one sensor. To make a long story short, by the end of the return trip only one sensor was showing offline, which I took as a potential overheating/temperature-related issue. My question to you guys is whether anyone has run into this. Of course I got the usual "could not reproduce" from the dealer when I took it in, but that didn't surprise me, nor do I fault the dealer in this case. GM doesn't play nice with dealerships and warranty claims when there is no evidence of a failure (computer diagnostics=pathetic excuse to refuse warranty claim) None of the sensors showed as failed by the time I took it in. Has anyone heard of these sensors overheating before? Facts to note here: '12 Cruze ECO w/ 6MT, average tire pressure was 43 psi, outside temp was 68F, no electronic modifications in the car, no tunes. Had a minor mishap with GM's answer to a spare tire, but since the "tire slime" is supposed to be compatible with the sensors, I figured this shouldn't have any bearing (a small amount of sealant may have gotten into the tires when I filled them prior to departure-long story...).


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Hmm, that is very odd. And you run sufficient pressure in your tires, plus with them being LRR already, you shouldn't have built up much heat in the tire. Might just be a weird glitch. I know there are tools to reprogram sensors (such as a replacement sensor), so maybe the dealer could reprogram all of them for you to match what the computer thinks the sensors should be? Of course there's a chance the sensor itself is defective...

If GM isn't much help (even though they should be for warranty), you could try contacting this company to see if they can help diagnose. I don't know if they make the Cruze sensors, but they do make TPMS and may know what's happening.

Schrader TPMS Sensors for OEM


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## jgaul79 (Sep 2, 2012)

I had the same thing happen just last week. Took it into the dealer and they didn't see anything unusual. Told me ro bring it in when it happens again.

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## novaol (Dec 28, 2012)

So how long before the built-in battery goes flat on the TPMS!

Novaol - Cruze member from Singapore


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

Maybe I'm missing something here. How do you know the failure was a heat issue?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Odd. OP is guessing on the heat issue. I wouldn't trust the TPMS in the tire that got the slime, even though GM says their slime is safe for the TPMS.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

obermd said:


> Odd. OP is guessing on the heat issue. I wouldn't trust the TPMS in the tire that got the slime, even though GM says their slime is safe for the TPMS.


Have a small hole in back tire now. Was just about to put in slime until I read this. Didn't even think about the TPMS. Crap.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

novaol said:


> So how long before the built-in battery goes flat on the TPMS!
> 
> Novaol - Cruze member from Singapore


My grandpa has an '04 Mountaineer with first gen TPMS, all original. I keep telling him he needs to replace the original tires due to age, and have advised to have the TPMS replaced too. The tire stores he's talked to tell him they have rebuild kits for when they do. Granted he only has 70k on it, but age will get them. They do all work still though- one went low one time in the last year and it alerted them.


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## montess1 (Oct 13, 2012)

Does the car still have the stock antenna ? I had to take my Monte in for the RR tpm not responding and GM had a recall on the antenna and control module that picks up the signal from the tpm.


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## v8318cid (Oct 3, 2012)

I suspected a heat issue because of the way the three sensors stopped responding at around the same time (give or take 30 minutes given that it was a 9 hour drive). Once the tires cooled down, the sensors seemed to work again. Granted, for short stops they only worked for about 10 minutes before going dark again. As for the tire slime, I can't say exactly which tires, if any, actually got any inside. The slime is supposed to come out of the clear tube that runs along the perimeter of the pump rather than the black tube if I understand the directions correctly. Some of the material came in contact with the black hose, so the perceived impact should be minimal. GM swears the slime is safe for use with their TMPS sensors, but they do make a recommendation that the owner should seek immediate assistance with any damaged tire. Sort of leads me to believe they aren't quite as certain about compatability as they would like you to believe...
As far as the antenna goes, yes, its original as is basically the whole car, minus the engine shield. I never was one to make a lot of changes to a new car since I seldom keep them more than 3 years.


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## DaleBird82 (Dec 1, 2012)

Sorry to bring this back from the dead- but any news on this? I had and still have the same issue. Dealer saw a TSB (bulletin) on older Cruze's (I have a '12 Eco 6MT too) - and replaced the remote control module (which has actually given me some issues since they replaced that- sometimes it won't lock immediately) ... Every time I drive more than 100 miles in one trip I lose anywhere from 1 to 4 sensors. Kind of annoying and it makes me pull over every time just in case..... But get this- the dealer first blamed my plastic-lined, thin aluminum valve stem caps- saying they were creating interference!!! HA! "Try running it without caps and see if the problem comes back" ... well it did. I have taken over 50 photos of it happening at different times and days, along with periodic videos. I'd be excited to hear if anyone has had this problem AND has gotten it fixed.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

DaleBird82 said:


> Sorry to bring this back from the dead- but any news on this? I had and still have the same issue. Dealer saw a TSB (bulletin) on older Cruze's (I have a '12 Eco 6MT too) - and replaced the remote control module (which has actually given me some issues since they replaced that- sometimes it won't lock immediately) ... Every time I drive more than 100 miles in one trip I lose anywhere from 1 to 4 sensors. Kind of annoying and it makes me pull over every time just in case..... But get this- the dealer first blamed my plastic-lined, thin aluminum valve stem caps- saying they were creating interference!!! HA! "Try running it without caps and see if the problem comes back" ... well it did. I have taken over 50 photos of it happening at different times and days, along with periodic videos. I'd be excited to hear if anyone has had this problem AND has gotten it fixed.


Hi DaleBird82, 
Sorry to hear about the issues you've been experiencing with your vehicle. Should you like us to look into this further for you or document any comments/questions you have please contact us via PM with your name, contact info (address, phone), VIN, mileage and name of dealer.

Thank you,
Sara (assisting Stacy)
Chevrolet Customer Service


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## RodM (Apr 24, 2012)

Has there been any fixes for this problem yet? I have been having the same issue but with only one sensor. I just had tires replaced two days ago and they installed sensor kits in all tires and reset the TPMS positions. My wife just called and said the Left Front has the dashed line error.

I have not been able to check to see if the problem goes with the tire or not but I think it does because the last time I rotated the tires and didn't reset the positions and it showed the error in a different location If I'm diagnosing it correctly. This is a 2012 LTZ Cruze with 67K miles on it and the problem started after the warranty expired and I didn't want to pay to have it fixed since it was so intermittent.

I'm good at troubleshooting and repair if I have diagrams and/or schematics info on where things are located.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

RodM said:


> I have been having the same issue but with only one sensor.


Then it sounds like a sensor issue. There's only one receiver and it's used for all the tires. The location is identified by the sensor's ID - not by where the signal is coming from.

The sensors are rather small and sealed. I think you'd be better off replacing it.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

RodM said:


> Has there been any fixes for this problem yet? I have been having the same issue but with only one sensor. I just had tires replaced two days ago and they installed sensor kits in all tires and reset the TPMS positions. My wife just called and said the Left Front has the dashed line error.
> 
> I have not been able to check to see if the problem goes with the tire or not but I think it does because the last time I rotated the tires and didn't reset the positions and it showed the error in a different location If I'm diagnosing it correctly. This is a 2012 LTZ Cruze with 67K miles on it and the problem started after the warranty expired and I didn't want to pay to have it fixed since it was so intermittent.
> 
> I'm good at troubleshooting and repair if I have diagrams and/or schematics info on where things are located.


Hi RodM, 

Very sorry for the recent concerns, and can imagine how frustrating this may seem. If you decide to bring this concern back to the dealership's attention, feel free to let us know if you need any additional assistance. Just send us a private message over along with your VIN, current mileage, contact information and preferred dealership. 

Patsy G
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## Lethal Tendencies (Nov 12, 2014)

Anyone find a cause for this. I have a '12 LS with 36K miles and the right rear sensor is not sending a signal. Thanks


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## ssnscruzeeco2015 (Dec 29, 2014)

TPMS is a strange system, some manufactures have an onboard relearn function, that once activated with activate adjacent sensors that may not be associated with the car and then register them to the car. (They actaully have a warning to keep the car away from other ones when conducting system reset) This might have been the case here, it is convienient when switching seasonal rims and tires, owner, and wallet friendly.

Sadly, in the case of my Pontiac Vibe (AKA toyota parts) the changing of sensors requires the sensor ID's to be registered directly in the ECU, therefore eliminating the risk of associating the wrong sensors with the car and then have the system fault later on when it can not find them.

I now have the activator, just to avoid the tire pressure change process to activate them after a rotation.

I am still looking for a way to make my Vibe intergrate with my winter rims.

WRT your issue.... hae you rotated the rims and conducted a relearn process to see if the failure moves?


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## Lethal Tendencies (Nov 12, 2014)

ssnscruzeeco2015 said:


> TPMS is a strange system, some manufactures have an onboard relearn function, that once activated with activate adjacent sensors that may not be associated with the car and then register them to the car. (They actaully have a warning to keep the car away from other ones when conducting system reset) This might have been the case here, it is convienient when switching seasonal rims and tires, owner, and wallet friendly.
> 
> Sadly, in the case of my Pontiac Vibe (AKA toyota parts) the changing of sensors requires the sensor ID's to be registered directly in the ECU, therefore eliminating the risk of associating the wrong sensors with the car and then have the system fault later on when it can not find them.
> 
> ...



No I haven't tried to relearn them. Is the procedure in the owners manual? Thanks


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Lethal Tendencies said:


> No I haven't tried to relearn them. Is the procedure in the owners manual? Thanks


Nope. I can't remember what year is the cut-off, but later years can't do the relearn without the tool.

Did it used to work? Was anything changed (tires rotated) since it last worked?


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

Since there have been a few posts here lately, with no real answers given, let's start at the beginning.

Do you have any aftermarket accessories plugged into your vehicle.? This could include anything from a dash cam to an electric heating pad. What devices are they, if any? The TPMS sensor board is located forward of your rearview mirror behind the plastic cover at the top of your windshield. The closer you have certain electronic devices to this area, the more likely they are to interfere with the signal. This can also affect your remote unlock, as this is used by the same circuit board.

How old are your TPMS sensors? These sensors have an expected battery life of 5 to 10 years. It is possible that they could start to fail earlier though.

Have you used any tire sealant to repair a leak? While many modern tire sealants are TPMS safe, there may still be some available that are not.

If none of these circumstances apply, then you may have a problem with the TPMS receiver board.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Usually-------------when the tpm for a particular wheel position gives a line on the DIC that sensor battery or transmitter has gone to tpm heaven.

Always have the system relearned before replacing parts to be assured the wheel position is correct.
There have been times the relearn will resolve the concern.....just needed a radio transmitted wake up call.

Other times, the system will work correctly for a day or two and then the 'Service TPMS' warning comes up and you are back to the lines at a particular wheel position.
When this occurs, that specific moniter requires replacement.

In general, if the receiver has a problem you will have the lines at all four positions.

For the record, a TPM rebuild kit is just the seals or 'o'rings that hold the valve stem for some cars.....the Cruze does not use this......it has a replaceable tire valve assembly that the moniter is screwed on to.

So, a 'rebuild kit' for a Cruze is simply a new tire valve.

Rob


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

If the problem were on the receiving end, I'd expect the issue to either be more intermittent, move to different tires, or some other such "flakiness". If the problem is consistently with one tire, then I'd expect that either the system has the wrong ID memorized, or there's something wrong with that sensor.


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## Lethal Tendencies (Nov 12, 2014)

Aftermarket remote start,1 year old. The remote start receiver antenna is up by the rear view mirror. But been there a year and never interfered before. Tps sensors are original.No sealant in the tire.


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

For a '12 you most likely will need a relearn tool, or take it somewhere that can do it for you. I bought a relearn tool off eBay for $50 used. Works great.

Most likely though, you have a bad sensor, since it is only the right rear that is not working. Replacement is probably going to be your only solution.


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