Procedure to reset TPMS sensor ?

MiamiJoe · Oct 2, 2017

Hello fellow members.

I recently purchases a pre-owned 2011 RAM 1500. Since I bought the truck, it had a front/left TPMS sensor error. There was no reading on the front left tire.

I bought a new sensor (online, as I thought 174$ the dealership quoted me was insane).

I had the new sensor installed, but the TPMS error is still active, with no info on pressure for the front left tire.

I read that I have to drive the car a bit until it reset, I drove around 30 minutes at least (highway), shut the car off, left if for about an hour, and then drove again around town for like 20 minutes. Error still present.

Did a get a faulty new sensor or is there something I'm not doing after the replacement of the new sensor ?

Thank you all!

Kingsize · Oct 3, 2017

Disconnect your battery for a while. Give it a shot again. If that doesn't work, see your local dealer.

ColdCase · Oct 3, 2017

After the battery reset, you could try moving the wheel/tire to a different corner and see if the problem follows. If the fault follows, its a sensor issue (sensors are easy to break). If not, its a truck issue, perhaps the antenna for that corner.

stimpy433 · Oct 3, 2017

Also make sure you have the correct frequency TPMS sensor, they have changed a few times over the years.

ColdCase · Oct 3, 2017

Good point, most tire shops will check the sensors for free. If one is off frequency its pretty easy to see.

huntergreen · Oct 3, 2017

Possibly the new sensor is defective.

TRCM · Oct 3, 2017

If you google 2011 ram owners manual.......and click on the top one, you can download for free a digital copy of the owners manual which tells you this as well as a bunch of other stuff.

And it's easily searchable....unlike the paper manual.

soSincerious · Oct 3, 2017

any TPM system I've dealt with has to be programmed when a new sensor is installed ...

Tach_tech · Oct 3, 2017

The reset procedure is to drive the truck, shouldn’t take to long. Only on some of the newer 2500 and bigger trucks do they have to be programmed. The OE sensors are expensive but they are also much more reliable and less prone to failure. I’ve had nothing but issues with aftermarket sensors as a FCA tech. They never seem to work properly.

You could try getting it programmed but If you’ve already driven around for awhile, there’s a good chance the new sensor is either defective or the wrong one.

There’s also the possibility that the left front sensor wasn’t the failed one. Sometimes when a sensor fails, the tire pressure module will get confused with which sensor is where, and may show the left rear sensor as actually the left front.

ColdCase · Oct 4, 2017

soSincerious said:
any TPM system I've dealt with has to be programmed when a new sensor is installed ...

I don't think I ever recall a FCA vehicle with OEM sensors that needed to be programmed, not sure about HD trucks. Many aftermarket sensors have to be programmed to match the vehicle, however.

Pacific rim vehicles are notorious for having to return to a dealer for reset/programming, especially Toyotas. They have been slowly moving to more modern self programming sensors, only 15 years behind the curve.

Wahrsuul · Oct 4, 2017

My TPMS light has been on since I got the truck. The dealer says there aren't any sensors in the wheels. Is there a way to tell from outside? If not, where can I get replacements?

ColdCase · Oct 4, 2017

I don't think you can tell visually as they are not obvious unless you break down the tire. Tire shops have a portable test scanner that they can take from wheel to wheel to see if anything is alive in there. I used to get OEM sensors off eBay, but dunno what the best source is currently.

MiamiJoe · Oct 4, 2017

Thanks for all the input. Will try the battery reset. The sensor I purchased is the correct frequency (433mhz) and is the same part number. I actually put the new (aftermarket) sensor side by side with the one that was on the rim (seamed original sensor, was made in UK though which seamed odd) and all numbers (frequency + part numbers) are the same.

I'm guessing it;s a bad sensor. I have the option to get a sensor at Tire Kingdom (which is still way less then the dealer).

Will also try to swap front left with front right and see if the error moves to the right side.... it's just a pain, as each time it needs to be done at a tire shop, it's not something i can do my self (other the rim swapping).

Tach_tech · Oct 4, 2017

Honestly this is something that would take 5 minutes to diagnose at the dealer. We have a tester for it, takes a few seconds to read the sensor and it comes up pass or fail.

Having to pay the tire shop each time to move tires around would be a pain and a waste of money.

I know lots here like to **** on the dealers but if you’re unable to do much of the work yourself it would be worth it to see if you have any reputable dealers near by, give them a call and see what they’d charge to test all your sensors.

Wahrsuul · Oct 5, 2017

Not sure I can trust my local dealer, I've heard so many conflicting reports. Might be the way to go though, the truck is about due for the 120k maint.

ColdCase · Oct 5, 2017

MiamiJoe said:
Will also try to swap front left with front right and see if the error moves to the right side.... it's just a pain, as each time it needs to be done at a tire shop, it's not something i can do my self (other the rim swapping).

? I was suggesting moving the rim/wheel/tire from one corner to another (swapping)

Most tire shops check sensors for free, which may be the easiest.

MiamiJoe · Oct 9, 2017

So I went back to Tire K today, as they quoted me 67$ for a new sensor installed (way better then the $170 from the dealer ship).

The tech guy said, before we take out the new sensor that I installed last week, to test the sensor with a special tool they had and see if it's sending info to the car, he came with a handheld thing and went on each wheel/valve, and said all sensors are sending info.... strange right?

He then hooked up their scan tool, and was getting an error from the front left TPMS sensor (the one we replaced), the error was something like: sensor ID not recognized, he then added the sensor ID from the sensor, initialized the relearn procedure and said, take if for a spin for 15/20 minutes above 30 mph and we'll see if it works.... in my mind I was sure it was not (as I was almost sure the sensor I got was either bad or not for my truck), but I said I'll give it a try.

Didn't even make it to the end of the street and the yellow warning light went off and I had a pressure reading on my dash!! yeeeeey!!!

So, for anyone installing a new TPMS sensor, I bought mine from amazon for 13$ delivered in 2 days (thanks prime), had it installed at TK, and didn't work right of the bat. Don't forget to tell the rep to start the relearn procedure and it will work 100%

Tach_tech · Oct 10, 2017

MiamiJoe said:
So I went back to Tire K today, as they quoted me 67$ for a new sensor installed (way better then the $170 from the dealer ship).

The tech guy said, before we take out the new sensor that I installed last week, to test the sensor with a special tool they had and see if it's sending info to the car, he came with a handheld thing and went on each wheel/valve, and said all sensors are sending info.... strange right?

He then hooked up their scan tool, and was getting an error from the front left TPMS sensor (the one we replaced), the error was something like: sensor ID not recognized, he then added the sensor ID from the sensor, initialized the relearn procedure and said, take if for a spin for 15/20 minutes above 30 mph and we'll see if it works.... in my mind I was sure it was not (as I was almost sure the sensor I got was either bad or not for my truck), but I said I'll give it a try.

Didn't even make it to the end of the street and the yellow warning light went off and I had a pressure reading on my dash!! yeeeeey!!!

So, for anyone installing a new TPMS sensor, I bought mine from amazon for 13$ delivered in 2 days (thanks prime), had it installed at TK, and didn't work right of the bat. Don't forget to tell the rep to start the relearn procedure and it will work 100%

Glad you got it working. There is no relearn procedure to be initiated on your truck, so I’m not sure what he did if anything. What likely fixed it was having the ID programmed manually instead of waiting for the truck to pick up on its own. We seem to run into issues like this fairly regularly with aftermarket sensors, they’ll look identical to the OE but they can just be a pain in the ass to get to work properly.

Either way I’m sure you’re happy to have the damn light off.

MiamiJoe · Oct 10, 2017

Tach_tech said:
Glad you got it working. There is no relearn procedure to be initiated on your truck, so I’m not sure what he did if anything. What likely fixed it was having the ID programmed manually instead of waiting for the truck to pick up on its own. We seem to run into issues like this fairly regularly with aftermarket sensors, they’ll look identical to the OE but they can just be a pain in the ass to get to work properly.

Either way I’m sure you’re happy to have the damn light off.

I trust what you are saying, but I was next to the tech will he was working on my truck. He had like a handheld scanner, he put that device close to each valve and the sensor ID popped up and if it's transmitting or not, then he hooked up a diagnose machine (not small handheld, like a bigger/thicker tablet) to the OBD port, and he got that error for the front left sensor (sensor ID not recognized, and he had a couple of options in a list, one being begin re initiate or something like that, after he did that, a message popped up saying "have customer drive vehicle for 15 minutes above 30 mph".

I saw both procedures being done, as I was literally with the tech next to my tuck while he was doing it.

Either way, I had the new TPMS sensor installed last Saturday, so it was installed for a week, I drove it on 75 for well over 30 minutes at over 75mph. I've driven the truck everyday for a week, after the above procedure, the sensor worked, not sure what he did, but I'm sure he did something

Procedure to reset TPMS sensor ?

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