# TPMS reset



## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Did you know: at least on my 2012 Eco, you do not need the "TPMS tool" to reset TPMS wheel location. I rotated my tires today and was looking to find a tire store that would reset the TPMS So I stopped at Michel Tire and I know the pressures were all over the board on the computer. The mgr at said tire store came out to check the tire pressure and found they were all over inflated and not even uniformly(48, 42,39, 37) . So he reset them all to 35 and told me the TPMS would reset after driving. I drove out the highway a bit and checked the computer and they were all at 35. And I was about to spend $70 on a TPMS tool. Learn something new every day!?! Unnecessary tool used for ease and convenience by dealers?


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

I have known that for years .. if you unhook the battery terminals you can reset the TPMS just by driving around the block or 2 or 4 .. adventually they reset .


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The 2011s and early 2012s could relearn their TPMS without the tool. Later 2012s and beyond require the tool. This tool is only used to tell the car which tire has which TPMS sensor. Simply driving will trigger the individual sensors to update the computer.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Patman said:


> Did you know: at least on my 2012 Eco, you do not need the "TPMS tool" to reset TPMS wheel location. I rotated my tires today and was looking to find a tire store that would reset the TPMS So I stopped at Michel Tire and I know the pressures were all over the board on the computer. The mgr at said tire store came out to check the tire pressure and found they were all over inflated and not even uniformly(48, 42,39, 37) . So he reset them all to 35 and told me the TPMS would reset after driving. I drove out the highway a bit and checked the computer and they were all at 35. And I was about to spend $70 on a TPMS tool. Learn something new every day!?! Unnecessary tool used for ease and convenience by dealers?


I'm thinking something got missed in translation here......the tire store is perpetrating mis-information.

Lets back up the bus a bit.
Each sensor is actually a transmitter.
Each sensor transmits a signal at 315mgz (megahertz).
Each sensor also has a identifier code....usually eight digits, and that identifier is transmitted to the TPMS reciever.
That code is how the reciever knows where the sensor is located.

Regardless of where the wheel is mounted, all the reciever knows is what position the identifier code was when it went through its last relearn.
So, if all four tires are rotated, each identifier is in a new position.
In the event all four tire pressures are equalized, as is the case here, yes, the display will update those new pressures but you are still not seeing the correct position of the wheel.

If you were to add 5lbs pressure to, say the right front, and that wheel was last mounted on the left rear and it was bound to the left rear using a tpms re-learn, your display will show the pressure has increased at left rear.....even though you added air to the right front.
So, currently, Patman, your wheel positions still are not correct.......try adding air to a corner and see what the results are.

Be assured, all dealers consider the tpms systems, a royal PITA.
Relearn tools had to be added to the operating expenses of the service department, many mechanics, myself included, purchassed a tool we didn't want to have.......trust me, this is not a ploy to enhance dealer income.

Every time the weather cools down dealers are blasted with tpms complaints (my light was on this morning but went off on my way here is the complaint)......there are better things to clog up a service department than adding air to tires because the temperature dropped 20 degrees last night.

Brians observation is correct.....the alternate method to reset the sensors is to disco the battery for a few minutes, reconnect and drive the car.
The reciever will fire off a transponder command, waking up each sensor which in turn will transmit current pressure and the identifier code.
The tpms reciever will store the info, record the position, and life goes on.

Downside to this method is you get to reset all the radio and clock info and the cars ecm goes back to its base programming.
So now, the whole car goes through a relearn process similar to the day you took it off the lot.

Anyways, a long winded way of saying the info given is incorrect and no.....the tpms relearn is not a ploy to enhance dealer income.

I will agree though......the GM system is piss poor design.....so far, it appears they are the only manufacturer using a centralized reciever requiring a relearn.......everyone else uses individual recievers that 'find' the sensor in just a minute or so after a tire rotation....no relearn necessary.

Rob


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## PrincesssTeagan (Nov 5, 2019)

This is an older posts, so not sure if Robby is still around, but if he is:
I have a 2016 Cruze Limited. Had a low pressure reading (25psi) on my passenger side rear tire. All others at 35psi. I tried adding air but the machine at the gas station said it was good the tire looked inflated. Figured it was just the sensor getting old or something.

The next day I come out and see the car is sitting at an angle and the front drivers side is visibly low. Now the TPMS says the passenger side rear is 17, but all others are 35. Go back to the gas station put air only in the drivers side front, up to 30psi. Now the TPMS says the passenger side rear is 30psi.

A couple days later (today) I got 4 new tires, but the sensor still says the passenger side rear is low! Should I try disconnecting the battery terminal to reset? Also saw a trick where people overinflate and then tell the system to reset on the dashboard computer and then deflate and the car beeps to let you know it knows what tire you are on or something, but I don't want to overinflate my new tires.


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## TheRealHip (Sep 1, 2014)

That won't work on your 2016.


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## PrincesssTeagan (Nov 5, 2019)

You mean the overinflating thing? Any suggestions for what might work? Maybe I can just try to reset using the display and control stalk? That seems a little too easy though


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## TheRealHip (Sep 1, 2014)

```
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TekDeals-EL-50448-Auto-Tire-Pressure-Monitor-Sensor-TPMS-Relearn-Reset-Activation-Tool-OEC-T5-for-GM-Series-Vehicle/917256454?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=8798&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=42423897272&wl4=pla-51320962143&wl5=9030157&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=115781454&wl11=online&wl12=917256454&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI___Y8KLs6QIVVT2tBh3-WQslEAQYASABEgJJPPD_BwE
```


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## TheRealHip (Sep 1, 2014)

TPMS TOOL


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

As already stated.

The inflate only works with the 11 and 12.

A relearn tool like posted above is what's needed for all newer models.


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## PrincesssTeagan (Nov 5, 2019)

I bought the tool and relearned the car, but it still says the one tire has a psi of 17 even though it is 4 days old and has good pressure. 
Does this mean the sensor is dying? The car is a 2016. Not sure how long the sensors last.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

PrincesssTeagan said:


> This is an older posts, so not sure if Robby is still around, but if he is:
> I have a 2016 Cruze Limited. Had a low pressure reading (25psi) on my passenger side rear tire. All others at 35psi. I tried adding air but the machine at the gas station said it was good the tire looked inflated. Figured it was just the sensor getting old or something.
> 
> The next day I come out and see the car is sitting at an angle and the front drivers side is visibly low. Now the TPMS says the passenger side rear is 17, but all others are 35. Go back to the gas station put air only in the drivers side front, up to 30psi. Now the TPMS says the passenger side rear is 30psi.
> ...


@Robby is still around, but you have to alert him you need a response by either hitting the reply button before you type a response (after works as well, but it is out of sequence then), quoting him (a little more advanced) or mentioning him like I did at the beginning of the paragraph. 

The way I read your post, the tires are not in the same place as when the system was originally taught. You see the front drivers is low, but the TPMS says the passenger rear is low. Then, I presume, you had a shop install the tires and they did not relearn the system for you as required by law. Take it back to that shop and ask them why. They should have fixed this prior to you leaving. Also the only charge should be for a new sensor or set of sensors if that is what is needed as this could have been fixed when they installed the new tires.


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