Re: 2016 Outback 3.6 dashboard

> a TPMS tool to sync the different set of tires to the car.  As far as I
> know, the car records only 1 code per tire position; i.e., you cannot
> have a code set for winter and another code set for summer.

But! one can purchase _programmable_ TPMS sensors and 'clone' the existing
sensors, so that you can have a summer and winter set of tires and change them (all four at once) seasonally without having to re-program the car.

None of my Subarus track TPMS and tire _position_, so I can rotate positions without causing problems.

Sincerely,
Duane


On Sunday, August 16, 2020 at 12:40:19 AM UTC-5, VanguardLH wrote:
> <> wrote:
> 
> > Do all new cars have this TPMS system?   Does replacing a tire consist
> > of a trip to a tire dealer plus a trip to a car dealer?   Or does the
> > tire dealer eal with the TPMS also?  All this I don't want or need.
> 
> TPMS has been mandated in the USA since 2008 on all new cars.  Only if
> you bought a new car before then, or bought a used car that was made
> before then might TPMS not be used.
> 
> Been a long time since I bought tires from just a tire-only store.  The
> shops I use sell tires and do service, so they have the TPMS tools.  If
> the battery is dead or the sensor went bad, the new one is likely a
> generic that has standard scan codes instead of a manufacturer specific
> unit with unique codes hence making later re-sync easier to do.
> However, if the sensor has to get replaced (dead battery, damaged) then
> the tire must be removed from the wheel.  No way to squeeze the sensor
> package through the tiny hole for the air valve stem.  That incurs labor
> along with rebalancing the wheel after putting in a new sensor and
> putting the tire back on.  Then the tech has to sync the new sensor to
> the car, so the car can connect to and read the sensor.  You can call
> your favorite car shop or the dealer to get prices on sensor replace and
> sync.  It won't be cheap per wheel.  Unlike replacing tires on an AWD
> requires replacing all 4 tires at once, the TPMS sensors can be replaced
> one at a time.
> 
> TPMS sensors aren't particularly accurate.  The recommended tire
> pressure might be 32 PSI, but the sensor won't fire a warning until the
> tire is rotating and pressure has dropped to 25 PSI.  When the tires
> have worn and need replacement, that's a good time to replace all TPMS
> sensors in all wheels.  TPMS is legally mandated to be present in new
> cars sold since 2008.  There's nothing mandated that car owners must
> replace defective or battery-dead sensors.  However, with or without
> TPMS sensors, you should be checking your tire pressures regularly.  The
> recommendation is every month, but I usually don't bother until 3 month
> intervals (because I put very little miles on my cars), or whenever I'm
> working on or around the car.  I have a digital guage which records the
> peak air pressure (so I can remove it and then look at the reading) and
> a small 2-gallon air compressor in the garage, so checking and inflating
> are pretty easy on the car after sitting in the garage to cool down.
> PSI also drops about 1 PSI for every 10 degree drop in temperature.  If
> you drive your car everyday, don't be surprised if you lose 1.5 PSI
> every month.
> 
> If you haven't disconnected the battery since the error codes went away,
> an OBD tool should be able to check for TPMS error codes from history.
> I got an OBD2 tool to plug into the OBD port on the car (under the dash
> on the very left side near the hood release latch) which has an Android
> app to read error codes, look at history, and other diagnostic data.
> The OBD meter at the shop will likely be more complex, plus the shop
> will likely have different models to read different year ranges of cars
> and different cars to understand the data.  I'd have to do the same
> online search to find out what are the codes for TPMS errors.
> 
> If the dash indicators went out, that was because you corrected the low
> pressure by inflating the tires up to their recommended PSI (fronts are
> often different than rears).  That indicates the battery is okay in the
> TPMS sensor(s) inside the affected tires.  TPMS is still working.  I
> wouldn't recommend deflating the tires down to 25 PSI and drive around
> (to activate the sensors) to see if the light comes back on.  If you
> keep the tires properly inflated, you won't see those indicators again.
> However, you said it's a 2016 Subie.  If you haven't changed the tires
> since buying it new then you're probably about due for new tires
> depending on your daily average mileage.  Figure to replace the TPMS
> sensors in all wheels when you get a new set of tires.  No point in
> paying for a new set of tires plus installation and balancing while
> keeping the sensors to only have to remove the tires to replace them a
> year or two later.  
> 
> If you swap tire sets, like between winter and summer sets, you'll need
> a TPMS tool to sync the different set of tires to the car.  As far as I
> know, the car records only 1 code per tire position; i.e., you cannot
> have a code set for winter and another code set for summer.