# TPMS



## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

J. V. said:


> I have a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. I have the TPMS indicator light on just the last couple weeks. Tire pressure is good. No reset button on my truck and disconnecting the battery did not reset it either.
> 
> I am getting conflicting info online.
> Does each wheel have its own sensor? The indicator light does not tell me which tire it is. Apparently there is a sensor module under the hood as well. All the info I am getting points to both as possibilities.
> Thanks in advance.


There is one sensor on each wheel. Part of the valve stem. I'm not familiar with how Chrysler Corp sensors are reset. But I would suspect any tire store can reset them.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Mike Milam said:


> There is one sensor on each wheel. Part of the valve stem. I'm not familiar with how Chrysler Corp sensors are reset. But I would suspect any tire store can reset them.


Thanks Mike. But my confusion lies is there both sensors in each wheel and is there a module for all four wheels under the hood?
That 5 locations of interest. I wonder why the system only shows one indicator light but not which wheel is causing it?
It seems some people are telling me the sensor under the hood measures all four wheels and illuminates the light when any one of them need attention.
And I have also been told I need Dodge to program it or them.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

If the air pressures are good, I wonder if the problem is in 


J. V. said:


> I wonder why the system only shows one indicator light but not which wheel is causing it?


Could be because the fault is in the communication module and not in the wheel sensor.

So the sensors and TPMS are known that the used to work ?


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

When you disconnected the battery.
Did you remove both terminals then press the horn to drain out remaining power?

My guess would be a dead battery in 1 or more of the valve sensors.


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

J. V. said:


> I have a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500. I have the TPMS indicator light on just the last couple weeks. Tire pressure is good. No reset button on my truck and disconnecting the battery did not reset it either.
> 
> I am getting conflicting info online.
> Does each wheel have its own sensor? The indicator light does not tell me which tire it is. Apparently there is a sensor module under the hood as well. All the info I am getting points to both as possibilities.
> Thanks in advance.


each sensor has a battery that last at least 10 years. Could be a sensor.


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## SARG (Dec 28, 2020)

As others have mentioned .........the sensor batteries "croak". For me it's a system I can do without rather than spending the "hundreds" to replace ............... especially when the "new" sensors may have been on a shelf for decades. We have three 07 vehicles with the TPMS light on.
Black electrician tape has been my remedy.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

SPS-1 said:


> If the air pressures are good, I wonder if the problem is in
> Could be because the fault is in the communication module and not in the wheel sensor.
> So the sensors and TPMS are known that the used to work ?


Yes, I bought the truck brand new and anytime I saw the indicator light was when winter comes and I needed to add some air/nitrogen. It always reset on its own. So yes it has worked fine all these 12 years.



Nut'n'Done said:


> When you disconnected the battery.
> Did you remove both terminals then press the horn to drain out remaining power?
> My guess would be a dead battery in 1 or more of the valve sensors.


No. I removed the negative battery terminal and let the truck sit for close to an hour. All cluster arrangement reset including the clock.
I now know the sensors report to the module (thanks to you guys) and the sensors have batteries in them. I did not really know how it all worked.



rogerwh said:


> each sensor has a battery that last at least 10 years. Could be a sensor.


Well I gotta start somewhere. I guess sensors first then module?



SARG said:


> As others have mentioned .........the sensor batteries "croak". For me it's a system I can do without rather than spending the "hundreds" to replace ............... especially when the "new" sensors may have been on a shelf for decades. We have three 07 vehicles with the TPMS light on.
> Black electrician tape has been my remedy.


I have kept this truck almost brand new inside and out. So the tape is not an option. I would rather find a way to disconnect all of it, but not sure that will turn off the indicator light. Remove the module maybe?
I may want to sell it and want it in as perfect shape as it can be.

Oh...The indicator blinks for a bit then stays on.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

J. V. said:


> Well I gotta start somewhere. I guess sensors first then module?


If they are 12 years old, they are due anyways.

You might be (unpleasantly) surprised at the cost of a communication module. It may communicate with more things than just your tire sensors, such as your key fob. So new key fobs might come with it.


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## Nickd83 (Feb 5, 2020)

We have a 2013 Sprinter that had an issue with a tire, which has been off the truck for a while, and the TPMS indicator blinks for a while then stays solid, which sounds like your issue, so likely a sensor, probably can scan with an OBDII to figure out which wheel


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

J. V. said:


> Thanks Mike. But my confusion lies is there both sensors in each wheel and is there a module for all four wheels under the hood?
> That 5 locations of interest. I wonder why the system only shows one indicator light but not which wheel is causing it?
> It seems some people are telling me the sensor under the hood measures all four wheels and illuminates the light when any one of them need attention.
> And I have also been told I need Dodge to program it or them.


There is one sensor in each tire on the vehicle. The spare tire has no sensor. There is one monitor that monitors all four sensors. Each model of vehicle's monitor, monitors a signal that is specific to that model. You can purchase sensors that are already programmed to your vehicle or you can take the vehicle to a dealer that programs the a unprogramed sensor and charge you twice what it’s worth.
These are already programmed for your vehicle.





2008-2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor - Mopar 1AMTP3350A - - PartsGeek.com


Buy 2008-2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensor Mopar for a low price of $43.97 at PartsGeek. FLAT RATE SHIPPING on most Mopar 1AMTP3350A orders.



www.partsgeek.com


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## Osh (Apr 17, 2010)

Full size spares DO have a sensor.


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

Osh said:


> Full size spares DO have a sensor.


A sensor on a spare would be useless. If you have a flat, the monitor shows only one flat at a time. 
My Buick only monitors four tires. RF, RR, LF, LR, no SP.


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## SpentPenny (Dec 15, 2020)

Your sensor in one of the tires may have a dead battery. They require replacement from time to time - usually after years but you said it is a 2009. My Challenger reported which tire was low, my Mazda does not. Depends on the sophistication of the system (cost).


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

I always figured TPMS were for the lazy. The light on my '08 Nissan p/u would come on at random times, then go off some time later, and always came on at one particular intersection. I learned to ignore it. I don't know if a scan tool will show which sensor is bad. Some sensors aren't that bad - some a stoopid expensive.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

lenaitch said:


> The light on my '08 Nissan p/u would come on at random times, then go off some time later, and always came on at one particular intersection.


All you got is one light ? -- that's a cheap system. You should have a screen where you can pull up the psi pressures on each tire as you are driving.

At least two of my past few cars have had run flat tires (can't remember if the IS did). When you have run-flats, you definitely need pressure monitors or if you had a puncture, you likely would not notice until the tire totally disintegrated.


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## LawrenceS (Oct 21, 2020)

J. V. said:


> Yes, I bought the truck brand new and anytime I saw the indicator light was when winter comes and I needed to add some air/nitrogen. It always reset on its own. So yes it has worked fine all these 12 years.
> 
> 
> No. I removed the negative battery terminal and let the truck sit for close to an hour. All cluster arrangement reset including the clock.
> ...


So the basic rundown of your system is each sensor has a non serviceable internal battery, they tend to last 8-10 years before the batteries die. The sensors all have unique ID codes they transmit on a radio frequency to the control module, the sensors will typically use an internal inertia switch to turn on which prolongs the battery life as they are not always transmitting. The module is on a network that communicates with your gauge cluster and when there is a fault the cluster lights up the TPMS indicator. So there isn't really anyway to turn off the light without fixing the problem, either the gauge module gets fault information from the TPMS module or say the TPMS module was bad(or removed), the gauge module(and probably every other module on that network) would code for loss of communication with the TPMS module. I don't know the specifics of your system but I do know some will use combination modules as it's really just a radio frequency reciever, so removing it may cause more issues.

The TPMS control module will have listings for tire's 1-4 and it will assign the sensor ID codes to each listing in the order they are registered as instructed by the scan tool. I work on Honda's for a living so ours go driver front, driver rear, passenger rear, passenger front. But that isn't relevant in the long run because with tire rotations or replacement the sensors can end up anywhere on the vehicle and it doesn't really matter where they are.

So scanning the vehicle with a TPMS capable OBD2 scanner will give a code probably saying tire x low battery or signal failure, you'd then have to reference the data list with the scan tool to see what the sensor ID is for the tire it is listing, you'd then need a radio frequency TPMS tool to ping each sensor and read the ID code to figure out which position that sensor is on the vehicle, either by cross checking the ID or finding the sensor that doesn't read and you could also verify the working sensors ID codes match the other 3 tires.

So looking a little at aftermarket stuff, there is some confusing terminology. Programmed doesn't mean you can just throw it in and be good, it means it has a sensor ID code preprogrammed into it and it still needs to be Registered to the module. I've never run across Clone-able sensors, but I would assume it would require a functioning sensor to work and if yours is dead it probably won't and really the only application I can see cloned sensors being useful for would be multiple sets of wheels so you don't have to register sensors ID's to the module whenever you swap wheels.

Your best bet would probably be finding a shop that is willing to install and register sensors you provide and just replacing all 4 due to the age so it's not 1 more dead every 3 months, doesn't have to be a dealer, I'd assume any reputable independent shop should have TPMS tools or a tire shop. The hard part would be finding a shop willing to use sensors you provide, because if they don't register for whatever reason, they are still going to charge you and you might have to pay again. Also without diagnosing the issue first there is no guarantee that sensors is the fix.

As for sensors most aftermarket stuff is crap, factory parts or the OE supplier for the factory parts would be the way to go, in your case according to rock auto it looks like Denso makes the sensors for Dodge.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

No, not all vehicles and not all model years. For instance, the early years of 2nd gen Toyota Tacomas like mine originally had a sensor in the full size spare but they did away with that after 2008 or so.
,


Osh said:


> Full size spares DO have a sensor.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

SPS-1 said:


> All you got is one light ? -- that's a cheap system. You should have a screen where you can pull up the psi pressures on each tire as you are driving.
> 
> At least two of my past few cars have had run flat tires (can't remember if the IS did). When you have run-flats, you definitely need pressure monitors or if you had a puncture, you likely would not notice until the tire totally disintegrated.


I don't think it was unusual for systems back in that era to simply have one light. More modern LED and TFT displays have allowed a lot more flexibility in dash display beyond simple icon lights. Our 2010 Hyundai was the same. My current Honda has a per-tire display that I can call up. Thankfully, our 2017 Hyundai doesn't have the feature - it is not mandatory equipment up here as far as I know.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

@LawrenceS 
Thank You. Good info and now I have a plan. When I implement the plan is another story.


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yes, even today many mfgs here in the US take the minimalist cheap way out to satisfy the mandate and have only one light and no way to tell which tire it is. I have told this story here before but it bears repeating. A lady I worked with had a nice relatively new Lexus and she was getting the TPMS light. She was all proud of herself for dealing with this on her own by inflating ALL her tires. Of course, the light went out and she thought it was all good. Then it happened a couple more times and she handled it the same way. I took her out to the parking lot to show her what was really going on. One tire had a nail and a slow leak and was at normal pressure. The other three were at ~55 psi. Many cars have better systems that indicate specific pressures by tire, but that is not required... but it really should be.



lenaitch said:


> I don't think it was unusual for systems back in that era to simply have one light. More modern LED and TFT displays have allowed a lot more flexibility in dash display beyond simple icon lights. Our 2010 Hyundai was the same. My current Honda has a per-tire display that I can call up. Thankfully, our 2017 Hyundai doesn't have the feature - it is not mandatory equipment up here as far as I know.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Dodge Ram 2009-Present How to Reset TPMS


When swapping to aftermarket wheels or changing out the TPMS in your tires, the dreaded TPMS light may illuminate and stay on. Let's sort...



dodgeforum.com





If you can't reset your TPMS, one of more sensor batteries is dead. Typically they're sealed, so no replacement battery, just replace the entire sensor and valve stem. Since they're all the same age, if one is dead, the others aren't far behind, so replace all 4.


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## FirebirdHank (Jan 31, 2021)

The sensors have to be programed to the location on the vehicle. The last time I had the tires rotated on my car I got a low tire warning for the rithe right front. I checked and the right rear was the low one. I had the same tire shop do the repair and asked if they do the re-learn every time they rotate tires. He responded sometimes that step gets skipped. So, don't rely on the in-dash read out, check them all with an accurate gauge. Also, on a lot of vehicles you can re-learn the sensors to new locations with a sequence in the owners manual. (if you rotate your own tires). If you don't the sensors will still work but the rear-out will be for the wrong locations.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

If it turns out to be a sensor, I recommend buying the whole set online, and having them replaced the next time you're in the tire shop for new tires. Should be less than a hundred bucks.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

HotRodx10 said:


> If it turns out to be a sensor, I recommend buying the whole set online, and having them replaced the next time you're in the tire shop for new tires. Should be less than a hundred bucks.


Thanks. Any suggestion as to good quality sensors? I see so many and prices are are all over the place.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

J. V. said:


> Thanks. Any suggestion as to good quality sensors? I see so many and prices are are all over the place.


I got mine from Amazon, and limited my options to those that had high reviews from at least a few hundred reviewers. Mine are still sitting on a shelf in my garage, waiting for the next trip to the tire shop, although my tire shop said they'd replace them for me for free anytime. Probably has to do with how many tires I've bought from them. I have 6 vehicles I bring to them for tires, but almost always I walk in the door with a price from Ebay or Tirerack for them to match, which they always do.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Did you know TireRack is getting bought by Discount Tire?


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Now, only if they would put a DT in our area. Closest one to here is a couple hours away, on a good traffic day.



huesmann said:


> Did you know TireRack is getting bought by Discount Tire?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

huesmann said:


> Did you know TireRack is getting bought by Discount Tire?


Lucky me, Discount Tire is my tire shop.


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## Jonclarke1302 (Apr 14, 2021)

tool to test and reset is about $12.00 at least for gm and ford. 
bought one a few months ago. also good how to reset may be a simple method.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

Jonclarke1302 said:


> tool to test and reset is about $12.00 at least for gm and ford.
> bought one a few months ago. also good how to reset may be a simple method.


Good to know. I'll probably just let my tire shop continue to do all that for me, though. That doesn't cost me anything.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

I would wait till I buy tires and replace all the sensors at that time.


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## lenderman_k (Aug 9, 2021)

If your local walmart has a tire center they will test and reset the sensors for free. If they need replaced they are $30 each.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

lenderman_k said:


> If your local walmart has a tire center they will test and reset the sensors for free. If they need replaced they are $30 each.


That's good to know. I thought they would all be in the range of $60 apiece, like my tire shop. Just out of curiosity, is that $30 replacement cost standalone, or only if you're having them do other tire work?


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Old Thomas said:


> I would wait till I buy tires and replace all the sensors at that time.


I only have 20,000 miles on these. It may be a good while until I need tires. I only drive about 5000 miles a year.


lenderman_k said:


> If your local walmart has a tire center they will test and reset the sensors for free. If they need replaced they are $30 each.


Dodge quoted me $102 per sensor and $164 for labor. Crazy.


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

The sensor price at the dealer is quite expensive.
The labor is depended on where you live really.
However, 1.5 hours labor isn't far off the price here a $135/hr
It's difficult to get 4 sensors replaced here for under $400.


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

I paid about $60 and $80, for the sets of 4 sensors I got for my Impala and Nissan frontier, respectively, so $15-$20 apiece from Amazon. As I mentioned earlier, my tire shop (Discount Tire) said they'd replace them (and do everything necessary for the vehicles to read them in the right locations) for free, anytime I wanted to bring them in.


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## Nut'n'Done (Nov 28, 2021)

You could get 4 sensors from Amazon for around a hundred bucks here as well.
The problem with that, most shops will not install them or provide any type of warranty if they do not supply them.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

If you think about it, simply putting new sensors in will _at minimum_ cost you the usual fee for mounting and balancing, plus whatever the cost is for the sensor.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

My valve stems are metal. So are the ones on my wifes car. Looks like aluminum? I am seeing rubber stem sensors. Whats up with that and am I locked into factory stems?
Or does the rubber stem fit into the metal housing?


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

J. V. said:


> My valve stems are metal. So are the ones on my wifes car. Looks like aluminum? I am seeing rubber stem sensors. Whats up with that and am I locked into factory stems?
> Or does the rubber stem fit into the metal housing?


I believe the hole in the rim is pretty standard. Either rubber or aluminum will fit. I want to caution you about the aluminum caps on the rubber stems. The last time I checked the pressure of my tires, one of the aluminum caps bonded to a rubber valve stem and I couldn't get it off. The tire shop said they see it a lot. The copper of the rubber valve stem and the aluminum cap, don’t get along very well.


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## Woodsplinter (Aug 25, 2021)

Put air in the spare tire!


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Woodsplinter said:


> Put air in the spare tire!


The spare has a sensor? Its not a full regular tire like I'm driving on. Never crossed my mind! I will check it.


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## rogerwh (Mar 1, 2021)

J. V. said:


> The spare has a sensor? Its not a full regular tire like I'm driving on. Never crossed my mind! I will check it.


You do need to check the spare, but it doesn’t have a sensor.


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## diyorpay (Sep 21, 2010)

I may have missed it if someone already mentioned...
The reset after adding air to the suspect tire(s) is to meet a certain speed. The computer then takes a new sample and 'reports' the result ie light stays on or goes off.
May be buried in original manual.
Was a surprise to me.


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## LawrenceS (Oct 21, 2020)

J. V. said:


> My valve stems are metal. So are the ones on my wifes car. Looks like aluminum? I am seeing rubber stem sensors. Whats up with that and am I locked into factory stems?
> Or does the rubber stem fit into the metal housing?


The metal ones are aluminum and they tend to oxidize around the rubber seal at the base of the stem and leak, it's possible dodge updated the parts to rubber stem ones because of this.

I did find this class action against dodge which might be the reason.








Chrysler, Dodge Lawsuit for Tire Deflation, Valve Stem Problems


Chrysler has been hit with a class action alleging a defect in certain 2009-2011 Chrysler and Dodge minivans and trucks can cause tires to deflate without warning.




www.classaction.org





Valve stem size is universal for passenger vehicles. Also the stem that attaches to the wheel isn't the sensor, it's just how the sensor is held in. The rubber ones have a brass bung on the inside that a screw holds the actual electronic part of the sensor to the stem, the metal stems either have the sensor molded or clipped into the stem.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

rogerwh said:


> You do need to check the spare, but it doesn’t have a sensor.


Right. Most people never check the pressure in their spare, and when they need it, it's flat.


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## Pishta (11 mo ago)

Here is what I found chasing a '12 Dodge Caravan TPMS issue. The SX model I have does not differentiate between tires even with a scan tool, it just reports if any are low. If the tire light goes on, it senses a low tire, if it flashes, it has lost the signal, ie your 10 year batteries are shot. They are replaceable IF your willing to chip them out and replace with .99 store CR123 batteries (really) and silicon them up. If they cost $37 a piece and you need 4, bring it over and give me $130 and Ill get that light out! The TPMs you buy will train the PCM to their frequency after about 30 minutes over 45 mph at full tire pressure. I think the receiver scans for any frequency (in a range) and picks it up as these are super low power like 8 foot transmission range. You cannot reset the sensors with "a button under the dash", FAKE NEWS! These reset after 30 minutes on the road if the batteries are good.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Pishta said:


> Here is what I found chasing a '12 Dodge Caravan TPMS issue. The SX model I have does not differentiate between tires even with a scan tool, it just reports if any are low. If the tire light goes on, it senses a low tire, if it flashes, it has lost the signal, ie your 10 year batteries are shot. They are replaceable IF your willing to chip them out and replace with .99 store CR123 batteries (really) and silicon them up. If they cost $37 a piece and you need 4, bring it over and give me $130 and Ill get that light out! The TPMs you buy will train the PCM to their frequency after about 30 minutes over 45 mph at full tire pressure. I think the receiver scans for any frequency (in a range) and picks it up as these are super low power like 8 foot transmission range. You cannot reset the sensors with "a button under the dash", FAKE NEWS! These reset after 30 minutes on the road if the batteries are good.


Where do you live? I'm all in on getting the light off no matter how. Also Dodge wanted over $100 per tire to replace them.
Let me ask you something. The valve stems are metal. All the sensor stems online look like rubber. Whats up with this?


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## HotRodx10 (Aug 24, 2017)

J. V. said:


> Also Dodge wanted over $100 per tire to replace them.


Well, that's the dealer. If you buy them online, and bring them to your tire shop the next time they're doing something that requires unmounting the tires, they should install them for free. If they won't, it's time to find a new tire shop.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

HotRodx10 said:


> Well, that's the dealer. If you buy them online, and bring them to your tire shop the next time they're doing something that requires unmounting the tires, they should install them for free. If they won't, it's time to find a new tire shop.


How do I buy the correct stem? Mine are metal. All the sensor stems I see online are rubber.


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## Pishta (11 mo ago)

J. V. said:


> How do I buy the correct stem? Mine are metal. All the sensor stems I see online are rubber.


Rubber stems are fine. They all have a metal thread on the bottom where the locknut threads on and secures them to the rim. Next time your at Autozone or Kragen, check out the metal stems. They look big thumbtacks: run them into the hole from the inside of the rim and then screw on the locknut. Same way you install the new TPMS stems.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

Pishta said:


> Rubber stems are fine. They all have a metal thread on the bottom where the locknut threads on and secures them to the rim. Next time your at Autozone or Kragen, check out the metal stems. They look big thumbtacks: run them into the hole from the inside of the rim and then screw on the locknut. Same way you install the new TPMS stems.


Thank you. So the rubber stem and the metal stem are two separate pieces? The metal part is attached to the rim and the rubber stem goes up into it? I guess I can reuse my metal part and just get the rubber stem with sensor?
I will check the auto parts store. Maybe buy what I need there? I'm sure they can expain there as well. Thanks again.


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## Pishta (11 mo ago)

The stem has a metal base to accept a lock nut. stem tube can be metal or rubber it's usually metal on a TPMS. Old 25 cent stems were all rubber that were pulled in rim with a rigid grommet fit, Friction fit. New valves are metal.


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