Anybody getting a "TPMS" dash light showing a malfunction in the tpms system? When I read the code it indicates a low signal reception error. This is different than a low battery error from a sensor. I read on a Honda Odyssey forum that Honda vans seem to have this error when a driver is using a smart phone in the car or around the dash? It seems plausible to me. Have you experienced this error?

2010 Honda Fit Sport
1,800 miles
MT
Aftermarket JVC indash receiver

 

I use an Android smartphone with bluetooth in the dash region (via a JVC in-dash unit) but haven't seen this problem. '09 Sport, MT.

 

I have,Means one or all of the tires are below the minimum tire pressure.check your tires with a air gauge to see.I have a 09 sport,Had lite come on last week.[Did not drive it for 2wks.prior] All the tires [4]only had 27psi in each.Put them all up to 33psi and the lite went out.

 

What code did you pull?

If it is a signal issue something is close by to cause it. Sensors will need to be reset to pressures, most likely by Honda. Cause of interference will need to be discovered - post back, many will benefit.

 

I wonder if the car had the TPMS modules activated early and then the car sat at the dealer for a while (thereby using up the battery in the module).

A 2010 Fit could've been built as early as sept 2009. Then again, I have no idea how long the batteries would last, I think many members here don't encounter it, because they replace their wheels and ignore the TPMS light or even get new TPMS sensors (i did). So very few would have stock TPMS going for long.

I have a HID kit in my car, the relevance is that the ballast throws a MASSIVE electro-magnetic field that pretty much knocks out my radio when I turn it on. All FM stations get huge amounts of static when my lights are on (i use my ipod most of the time anyway). But my TPMS is fine, though I am using aftermarket sensors (maybe they have stronger signals?)

 

These Honda fit sensors are a pain in the ass.

I decided to go the old fashion way and go sensorless

 

Any after market tint?
tire pressure warning light... - MyG37
I work as a tinter and of course this subject is widely debated but anecdotal evidence suggest Fords at least are very prone to this TPMS problem.

 

No window tint. The TPMS light is different from the low pressure "wheel" tpms light. The TPMS light signifies a failure somewhere in the tire pressure system. This is a salvage car tgat I rebuilt. When I had the interior and dash out, I did Fatmat everyrhing that I could stick sound deadener on. I may pull the tpms controller and try attaching my own external antenna.

 

I pulled the DTCs this evening. I had five DTCs stored: 32,34,36,38, and 41. 32 thru 38 are Tire Pressure Signal Failures. 41 is an abnormal signal reception error by the TPMS unit. I would say all these codes relate to something affecting the radio signals being received by the TPMS unit. I am inclined to point to either the new JVC dash stereo or the FatMat sound deadening that I added to the whole car. So, I removed the TPMS unit. It's very tough to get a hand on as it's high up under the dash, in front of the speedo, and impossible to even get my hand on it. I ended up pulling the gauge cluster so I could put a flat blade screwdriver on the plug to depress the locking tab and use another screw driver to pop the plug out. In the end, I think you could use a large flat blade screwdriver to pop the retaining tabs holding a couple cables in the way underneath, and then use the same screw driver to slide the TPMS unit out of its bracket (it slides into a couple of plastic rails on the bottom of the box, and has a small tab that locks it in). Then you can grab it and guide it downward, and then remove the wire plug. The unit itself is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I opened it up (one end is hinged) and its just a small circuit board with a plug socket for the cable. I thought in the worst case I'd replace it with a used or new unit ($327 list form Honda). So I tinkered on. When you take the circuit board out you can see a small disk on one end that is obviously the cheap little coil antenna. It is really maybe a 6" piece of wire wrapped around a about a 1" piece of plastic. I figured why not solder a longer length of wire on the top end and hang it down into the dash. So, I took a single piece of wire from a Cat5 cable about 12" long, put a piece of shrink wrap on the end to hang down, and soldered the other end onto the end of the coil antenna wire. I then hot melt glued the wire to the round coil disk, drilled a small hole in the end of the TPMS case, and reassembled it all leaving the wire hang out of the unit about 12". I then reinstalled the TPMS unit. I went for a test drive and so far so good. No codes or lights yet...The proof will be over a few days of driving.

 

My wife has that same problem, the light comes on at the first freeze. It usually goes off in a few days. Mine came on once but was off next start up. Its the moisture freezing in the TPMS sensor.

 

Well, the TPMS light came back on my commute to work this morning. I am now thinking the TPMS unit is faulty. If I could find a used one I'd swap it out. As far as the sensors go, I just had winter tires installed on Friday, the day after the TPMS first came on, and I know the wheels sensors checked out at the tire shop.

 

yah, i highly doubt consumer grade wireless product is messing with your TPMS radio signals. i think you got a faulty one or one with low battery.

 

I ordered a used one from a salvage yard. I'll swap out the TPMS control unit. Each time the TPMS light comes on, the stored codes are low signal from all 4 tires, and an abnormal signal at the control unit. Sounds fishy to me--I blame the main unit. As a last resort, the piece of electrical tape behind the gauge bezel seems like a sound fix...

 

Happened on mine as well. Turned out that the valve stem core wasn't tight enough from the dealership...

 

I had intermittent "TPMS" light and the tire shop found no problem, so I bought an ATEQ VT30 and as soon as the light went on I stopped the car and found the sensor that would not send and had the tire shop replace that one. Problem over. The VT30 is a good tool to have. It keeps mechanics honest because you can immediately check if they broke the sensor when they break down your tire off the wheel. I have the Quickset tool as well so I can change to my winter wheels myself.

 

How do you turn off the "TPMS" light?

I tried to see if my brothers scanner had a "bypass" for the TPMS but no luck...