How to reset TPMS light on dash on 2013 Honda Fit ,, cold weather activated.

 

Are we talking the tire symbol --

or the letters "TPMS" showing on the dash?

The first means you need to air up one or more tires. The second means you have a malfunctioning or bad TPMS sensor, most likely because one or more of the batteries has failed.

 

I hadn't asked that question, but in my case the TPMS letters are showing, and I didn't know they used batteries... I figured it was some sort of magnetic field deal generating electrical current... being that it's in/on a ugh rotating cylinder of sorts. And here I was thinking a sensor was just bad.. as the pressure is dead on.

 

same. my "TPMS" light (darkish orange, always on) came on a while back. I check my tires frequently knowing that the pressure isn't the issue. Understanding that it could be a battery issue, how is it resolved? TIA!

 

The most cost-effective solution is to ignore it until your next tire replacement. The TPMS sensors/transmitters are inside the tire/wheel cavity, attached to the valve stem (where you add air). That's why the wheels have metal valve stems instead of the floppy rubber ones - to give the sensor something to bolt to. Note there are also sensors (not sure if Honda uses them) that attach to the inside of the wheel "barrel" with a metal strap, so floppy rubber valve stems doesn't necessarily mean there's no TPMS sensor in there.

Anyway, the tire needs to be off the wheel to access the sensor for battery replacement. Many shops will push for battery replacement whenever the tires are changed, as a precautionary up-sell. A DIYer might be able to get away with breaking the outside tire bead and pressing in the sidewall to access a stem-mounted TPMS sensor.

Whatever you do, start by figuring out exactly what the TPMS system is complaining about. It's also possible one of the sensors has failed (no longer transmitting) rather than having a low battery. The TPMS has codes for low air pressure, high temperature, low battery voltage, signal failure, sensor registration problems, radio interference, control unit/vehicle communication problems, and sensor-internal problems. Call around to auto-parts stores to find one that has a scan tool that can read Honda TPMS codes. They will usually read the codes for free, as it leads into them selling you parts.

 

Can confirm on my 2013 that I just bought it had the TPMS light on. Dealer told me it just needed the sensors to be reset. Turned out one of my sensors had died. Got replaced at Discount Tire when they were putting a new tire on. $60~ I believe.

Then they have to turn the "TPMS" light off by using their handheld tool. They plug into your OBD port. Takes like 10 minutes. All good now!

 

I use two tools. The ATEQ Quickset which reads the computer TPMS ID's and can reprogram them (it has OBD2 and usb to program it with a computer). I also have the Foxwell NT1001 which can read TPMS information directly from the sensor. I bought this stuff like 6 years ago, so I'm not sure if these models still exist.

 

It's okay I assumed the same, using batteries seems....less than optimal.

 

TPMS sensors usually have a G sensor, vibration switch, or something similar that lets them detect when the wheel is moving. That lets the sensor go to sleep when parked and wake up again when motion is detected. Even when driving, the sensor spends most of it's time napping - it only wakes up (checks the air pressure and temperature, then transmits that information) every few minutes. Being in sleep mode 99.99% of its life along with low power electronics can let their coin-cell batteries easily out-last a set of tires, often two or three. Though just like the starter battery, TPMS batteries do need to be replaced periodically.