If you are buying alloy rims you can have the OEM TPMS sensors transferred. As I understand it, they don't work with or can't be installed on steel rims ...and I wanted steel for the low price and to avoid issues with corrosion in winter conditions for "winter-only" shoes. Hopefully when the factory wheels are reinstalled the will can be reset and won't be an issue until next winter. Incidentally, the top of the steering wheel blocks actually the TPMS indicator from sight, unless you're rather tall. (Not sure if that's a good thing)

 

I don't actually know if the rims are steel or not (there SSR's)

PS I see your from MN, I am to

 

FWIW......

Just picked up the Fit yesterday and I'm interested in swapping the wheels, so I figured we'd experiment a little.

Having my daughter watch the light, the TPMS reacts immediately as air pressure is decreased then increased with wheel on the car. Same result with the tire off/next to the car.

I took the tire to the back yard (approx 60') and dropped the pressure while she watched the light. No warning light, tire pressure at 15lbs. I walked the wheel toward the car, and the indicator tripped about 15' away. Repeated with same result.

Not conclusive, but it seems to lend credence to Hocker's theory about the sensor distance factor. Removing the wheels from the vicinity, or keeping them well inflated nearby looks like it should keep the TMPS indicator extinguished.

 

what about removing the TMPS sensors.. then DESTROYING them?

 

my base model has steelies with hubcaps and TPMS

i'll end up either swapping the sensors onto my new wheels or try the 60 feet away trick. or else some electrical tape to cover the light from behind

 

I went to autocross and put a set of aftermarket wheels and tires on the FIT and drove it all day and home about 8 miles with no TPMS light at all.

Had the stock rims in the garage 15 ft away in the garage that night.

Took the Fit out 26 mile trip with aftermarket wheels still on and the light went off.

Mounted the stock wheels in same position as original after I got home and light went out on the dash after 3 blocks of driving.

If TPMS light will go off if stock wheels are put back on then you can run aftermarket wheels anytime and if needed put stock wheels back on to turn light off for safety check or other reason.

Otherwise you have to use special resetting tool to sync up the TPMS on each wheel with the car, usually a job for the dealership.

I had not heard of the Honda Recall for TPMS valves. My Fit is only 2 months old now.

 

This might sound weird. If the TPMS is based on a radio signal, maybe you should consider wraping and taping foil around the sensors to damper the signal when you store your stock wheels away. Also, some people have been complaining about seeing the tire sensors going off in about 20+ miles. I'm suspecting that honda did something tricky like as if they linked the TPMS with Traction Control System. I can't confirm or prove any of it, but it can be possible. Honda might've pulled a fast one on us. Also, I wonder if you pull next to another 08 fit with low tire pressure, would the sensors trigger?


IT'S A CONSPIRICY! YOUR TPSM IS SENDING DATA TO ALIENS FROM OUTER SPACE!

 

fyi....from the 08 fit service manual:

"Tire pressure sensor...The sensor transmits the internal tire information to the control unit once every 60 seconds when the vehicle speed exceeds 28 mph (45 km/h)..."

"...The tire pressure sensor goes into sleep mode when the acceleration sensor detects the wheel is stationary for 5 minutes or more continuously."

--------------------------------------------------

about a month ago, the honda dealer swapped my aftermarket rims (w/ tpms) from my a/t fit to my m/t fit. the tpms light was off when i left dealer...approx 23 miles later...the tpms light comes on.

took it back to dealer. they didnt properly initialize the tpms. they said it needed to be driven 23 miles before they could be sure the tpms initialize was successful. they drove it 23+ miles after initializing it a 2nd time and the tpms light didnt come on and has been off ever since.

 

Nice work. I was waiting for my service manual for this very reason. Thanks.

 

"...The tire pressure sensor goes into sleep mode when the acceleration sensor detects the wheel is stationary for 5 minutes or more continuously."

Assuming you have aftermarket wheels without TPMS sensors, I wonder what would happen if you mounted the naked OEM sensors somewhere in the wheel well...

Light off or no?

 

Interesting query... that would depend if the "acceleration sensor" is in the wheel units or the gauge pod (where it is in most Hondas, for stability control, etc). In the new CRVs for example, having the TPMS light on disables the VSA (stability control).


My bet is that the light will stay on.

Are you proposing removing the sensors from the OE wheels thus defeating the system...

Wouldn't the sensors tell the control system that your tires don't have any air in them if they were not mounted???

 

"Are you proposing removing the sensors from the OE wheels thus defeating the system...

Wouldn't the sensors tell the control system that your tires don't have any air in them if they were not mounted???"

Well, that's what I thought too, but you're right, it would depend on where the acceleration sensor is.

How hard is it to remove the bulb from the gauge cluster I wonder. Just received my SSR Type C's with Potenza RE760 Sports (16") from Tire Rack mounted and balanced already. I don't like the TPMS system, I can tell when I have a low tire, and I sure wasn't going to pay $300 for new sensors.

 

"How hard is it to remove the bulb from the gauge cluster I wonder."

Removing the gauge cluster is easy enough it turns out (go to post #7):

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...t-cluster.html

Haven't done it yet to try and remove the bulb but will update when I do. Got a crapload of mods waiting to be done when I get some actual time and it isn't so freaking cold.

 

here, check this out:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...nator-diy.html

 

Thanks Tofuman.

Rep to you.

 

"Haven't done it yet to try and remove the bulb but will update when I do."

Well, now that the TPMS light is on it really doesn't bother me near as much as I thought it would. Car has so many indicator lights anyway something is nearly always lit up.