TMPS question
 

anyone ever had a problem with the TMPS when it begins to get cold outside? i cranked up my fit today and it iwas on. so i stopped and looked at the tires and they are all inflated. none look low or anything. just wondering. please lemmie know

You have to check the air pressure, not just look at the tires. Radial tires always look low. The TMPS usually goes off when the pressure is under the recommendation. Mine went off when all my tires were at 25 psi. WAY too low. Put them up around 45 psi cold.

awesome ill try that. its just started getting cold in these parts. i didnt know if it had anything to do with it

Two things: First, colder air takes up less volume than warm air, so your tires will naturally lose some pressure in colder temperatures. Second, the rear tires in particular have very little weight on them at a standstill and could probably be darn near flat and not look it. Third, assuming the TPMS is broken instead of doing exactly what it was meant to do is, uhmm, unwise. Oops that was three things.

its alllllll gooood. the rears were at 25psi. put a lil air in them = light went off. Thanks yall

The recommended pressure is 32 PSIG (2008 Sport).

Does anyone know
a) what powers the circuitry in the valve stems
b) where pickup sensors are mounted

I asked our local dealer and got an uninformed answer.

a) according to a trade magazine I was reading the other day, a non-replaceable battery. I know I've seen older designs that used the centripetal force generated by the rotating tire to power the sensor (moving a magnet through a coil of wires), but newer sensors use a battery, if there is a sensor at all. Some (not ours) use the ABS system to tell if a tire is low and have no sensor inside the tire. (a low tire takes longer to travel the same distance as an inflated tire) That type of TPMS doesn't work, however, if all of the tires are low. Whoops!

b) at the other end of the valve stem. The sensor itself is part of the valve stem. If you have the tires removed for any reason, make certain to tell the technician that you have TPMS so they don't tear it up dismounting the tire. Recommend that the valve stem be unscrewed and the sensor allowed to drop into the tire before dismount.

What I want is a way to reset TPMS so it will tell me when mine drop below 40 psi. I keep my Base tires at 44/45 psi, so TPMS is pretty much useless to me unless I pick up a nail or something.

Yeah, I read the same thing on Wikipedia. What we have is a Direct TPMS system, while some older model cars, such as an Olds Alero my mom used to drive, have an Indirect TPMS. Here's the link in case anybody wants to check it out:

Tire-pressure monitoring system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I try to keep my tires at around 32 psi. I'm uneasy about raising it too much above that.

Thanks.

With b) I meant to ask what in the car receives the pressure signals generated by the circuitry in the wheel - a single receiver or one for each wheel, and where located.

one for each wheel, in the wheelwell.. the honda sensors go on a battery that lasts up to ten years

Thanks. Where in the wheel well? I want to look at it unless it's covered in plastic.

it should be rectangular black boxes, but in the front the fender liner would be covering them. i have an 07, but i work at an acura dealer so i know tpms

Yeah I never keep my tires above 32 psi

I think that's only for the higher grade systems, I'm pretty sure the Fit and Civic don't have a sensor in each wheel well (and can't tell which sensor is alarming)

whaddya know, youre right, its under the dashboard.. looked it up on honda.in just now.. no wonder honda systems are such a pain in the ass compared to acura ones

What is honda.in?

honda interactive network, the factory dealer resource

I just had a TPMS issue with a rental car. It was quite cold the day I got the car and the car had been sitting in one place without moving for at least a day. I got in the car and the TPMS alert was on. I looked at the tires and gave them a kick, and they seemed okay, so I drove to my house and checked them with my tire gauge. The tires all had over 30psi. Later that day I started the car again and the TPMS alarm was off. It never came on again.

So yes, I have had problems with TPMS in cold weather, and the problem had nothing to do with how much air was actually in the tire. If anyone could shed light on that I'd be grateful.