# Tire Pressure Monitoring System Fault..TPMS is Wonkers!



## 87GTi (Feb 18, 2001)

I have not seen this problem noted in any of the numerous threads here (and elsewhere) that talk about TPMS. Here's the story about my 2004 V8 Touareg and TPMS ...
Car started showing 'defective wheel' and 'flat tyre' warnings a while back. So I started carefully monitoring the tire pressures daily in the mornings. Also checked temps after highway driving when the temps would be higher (inflated) due to driving. Result: the tires are not leaking at all. Pressures are exactly as spec'd, 39F and 45R. At this time the MFI would let me see the actual tire pressures and they were right on with the actual reading.
Then the 'tire pressure monitoring system fault' started showing up on a daily basis. I went to my dealer and after diagnosing they said the monitor/sending unit was going and they could replace it under my extended warranty (VW Real Driver Platinum). Which they did.
The moment they changed the unit is when things went wonkers.
As I'm checking the tire pressures there in the dealers shop the unit says I have 31 psi at all four corners. I checked them. Impossible. So my service guy says that since the sending units on the wheels are almost 60 months old (he says anything over 35 months is considered to be worn out by VW) the only way I can get the units replaced is if they show a 'defective wheel' or 'flat tyre' fault, which could be shown to be an error in the unit and hence replaceable under warranty. Problem is the car has been stuck at 31 psi since the repair (5 weeks ago) and the car is still 'in learning mode' (yes still 5 weeks later). According to the technicians doing my weekly visit to plug into the car they say the system is normal and it must be the sending units. My service writer is trying to find someone who can tell him why the PSI is stuck and why the car has been learning since they replaced the module, but so far no luck.
Has anyone ever heard of this or experienced this before? The module is brand new and has the updated software, etc. but maybe it's gone bad (not so according the service dept.). And can I get the system turned off completely if they cannot fix this thing? ? I really don't want to spend $1300.00 just to get 4 sending units that remind me to check my tires, sheesh. Any ideas are appreciated.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System Fault..TPMS is Wonkers! (87GTi)*

The sensors will report their remaining life when a VAGCOM or dealer's computer is connected to the car. My car is almost 5 years old and the sensors are reporting about 29 to 30 months remaining life.
I suspect the problem is with the control module in your car or the antennas, not the sensors. I am having a similar problem and have shut the system off until I can get to 50k and have the car serviced.


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## wineman (Sep 17, 2003)

*Re: Tire Pressure Monitoring System Fault..TPMS is Wonkers! (spockcat)*

?????? Spockcat have you ever had a dealer check you sensors remaining life ?
I have spoken to 3 different Master Tech at 3 different dealers and Russ at Revolution Supply (TPMS Store) and they all say the sensors are meant to last 60 mo. or 75000 miles whichever comes first, after that they can become to weak to transmit a good 'quality signal', they will start acting up. 
Russ sent me sensors last week Beru RDE9005 they have a Manufacture date of 5/11/08 so they are already 8 months old. I plan on installing these on my 06 V10 next week and putting those ones on my 04 which started the fault warnings back in early Nov. 
Footnote : TPMS store warranty 60 mo. or 750000 miles whichever comes first.
Spock...not to say your reading of 29-30 months remaining life is wrong but ....I'd put some wine on the line, and bet a dealers 5051 scan would come up with a much lower #
Anybody with an 04MY better get ready for this NOW .... it's your sensors ........ Many early 04 MY Tregs had defective modules, well documented here back in 04. If yours has been functioning correctly for the last 4+ years it most likely is not the Module suddenly going bad, its the sensors dying ......
Second: 87GTi DON'T BUY FROM YOUR STEALER ...... get them on E-Bay from the TPMS Store for *$ 91.66 *each .....or Tire Rack These are exact match for MY04-06 
Check the other threads posted in the last month on this subject you'll see what I mean ....


_Modified by wineman at 11:25 PM 1-29-2009_


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## tommy2004 (Dec 20, 2007)

Would these be the same sensors you would change when changing the brakes?


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## wineman (Sep 17, 2003)

*Re: (tommy2004)*

Not even close.....ones inside your tire rim attached to the inside of the valve stem, the other on the brake caliper


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## BoBa524 (Apr 18, 2007)

big problem right now with tregs is that the sensors are running low on battery life and in cold weather conditions the battery is too weak and cause fault light to come one. 
sensors start at 96 months and once they drop into the 20s you might start seeing the problem. each tps sensor is around 240 bucks, i just did all 4 at work and it cost the guy 1,200.


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## 87GTi (Feb 18, 2001)

*Re: (BoBa524)*

I recently had the main unit changed under extended warranty. But I'm hoping to get Tyre Failure errors to show which would mean the tire sensor is bad and it too would be replaced under warranty. Right now I'm not up for spending 12 big ones just to tell me to check my tire pressure; that's the same price my dealer gave me. Thanks for the input.


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: (87GTi)*

You always have to option of dropping the system entirely and just using a tire pressure gauge to check pressures. I abandoned mine over a year ago and I don't miss it at all.


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## 87GTi (Feb 18, 2001)

*Re: (Yeti35)*

But without a VAG the error code (tire with a cross slash) always stays on in the MFI. And if you pull the fuse you just lose the ability to access the TPMS in the MFI; it still shows the tire symbol. I would like to totally deactivate it but I do not think you can do it without a VAG-COM unit.


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: (87GTi)*

No, you need a VAG Com cable and software to do it. There is no pulling of the fuse to disable it. If you know someone locally who has a cable and is willing to help you, here are the instructions on how to do it. http://www.clubtouareg.com/for....html Follow the directions and you should not have any problems. I removed my module, but that is not necessary.


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## Cubs2k (Jul 23, 2007)

*Re: (Yeti35)*

This is what I plan on doing.....just gonna buy a Vag-com instead of the sensors.


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