New wheels and TPMS sensors; how to program?

I ordered a set of new wheels from Tirerack.com with new TPMS sensors installed.

I then took them to Discount Tire and had new tires mounted on them.

I picked up the Tundra and no codes or error lights. I drove a short distance and checked the tire pressure. It showed only 33 lbs of air in LT285/70R17 10-ply tires. I returned to the Discount tire shop and had them aired up to 45lbs.

The tire tech said that the actual pressure was 38 psi before he aired them up and not the 33 psi showing on my dash. Weird.

I drove it for a week and forgot about it, then today, I suddenly got a TPMS warning light and message saying there was an issue.

Pulled over and checked and tire pressure was fine. TPMS system no longer showing any pressures.

I looked up a couple of videos and they said to turn the key to "on" and then press the TPMS reset button until the warning light flashes 3 times, then drive for 20 minutes.

When I press my ignition switch twice to "on", the TPMS light is already on. Pressing the reset button causes it to start flashing and it will just keep on flashing. Driving it for a few minutes causes the light to stop blinking, and remain steady. Still no air pressure data.

I tried this a couple of times and no progress.

Who should I go to for getting the sensors to sync? TireRack, or Discount Tire?

I've had custom rims put on Toyotas before with aftermarket TPMS sensors and haven't had issues.

Is there a trick to getting them to work on the Tundra?

 

Sounds like Discount Tire didn’t program in the new sensors. This is common when I switch on/off my winter tires, they don’t remember to reprogram, so I take it back to the air check lane if open and they do it there without an appointment.

 

Discount doesn't need to program them. The 2020 and 2021 models will register the sensors to the truck automatically through the ECU. Its just a PITA and takes time. Every truck reacts differently though. Some register fairly quickly, some take longer.

 

This process is a pain and the manual is poorly written. I have dealt with it quite often. If I'm reading correctly, currently you have no pressures displayed and the flashing light? Try this and see what happens. Turn the ignition on without starting the truck. Hit the button so that the light starts flashing. Let it flash until it turns solid. It will flash for 1 to 2 minutes. One is stops flashing and turns solid, it should say something like "Racalibration in process, please wait until finished". Once you see that, shut the ignition switch off. Start the truck and drive as normal. As you drive, the system will start to program itself. Every truck is different, so it may take 3 or for miles, or it could take 10 miles for example. If you drive say from home to work as your initial drive and the pressures haven't come up yet, give it time. Once you initially hit the button to start the process, you don't have to hit it again. You can shut the truck off, and the process will pick back up from where it left off. This is all depending on if the sensors that you have are compatible.... I would confirm this with Tire Rack. These newer trucks don't like most aftermarket sensors. I put OEM Toyota sensors in mine.

 

In my experience with a 2021 Tundra and 2022 4Runner, both ECUs have 4 slots (plus a optional spar slot) for specific TPMS sensor IDs and and after a winter tire change or tire rotation easiest way to get back to normal is to use a TPMS reader that then connects to the OBD2 port, about a 5 min process. Discount Tire will do this for free if asked specifically for it. There are possibly other ways for sure.

 

With the push button start, I am assuming that "on" is when the button is pushed twice so that the dash lights up and is equivalent to turning the key to the position just before start?

 

Yes that makes sense to me. Mine is key start.

 

Haha just tried this out and it legitimately works, this is pretty cool. Did a tire rotation and removed two wheels out of the rotation, got the usual tpms warning the next day then tried this process and all set to go in 10-15 minutes.

 

Glad it worked for you. It took me quite a while to figure it out on mine.

 

Sounds like for 4runners they don’t have a tpms button, I can’t find one. However in the menu there is a tpms reset option so will give that a shot. I wonder if Gen3 Tundras are the same (no physical button).

 

Correct...the 4Runner TPMS stuff is in the menu. We have a 2020.

 

Well, poop... I've tried all the suggestions and my sensors just aren't working.

When I push the button to the "on" setting, the dash and all warning lights come on, just like when you would turn the key to the last position before starting the engine. But, the TPMS warning light is already flashing and pressing the reset button does nothing. I wait until the light stops flashing and turns solid. I then turn the ignition off, then immediately start the engine. There is no message about re-calibrating the sensors.

What I get on the screen displaying the TPMS info is a message saying the system is experiencing a malfunction and to report to the dealer.

Looks like TireRack screwed up when they installed sensors in my rims that don't work with my vehicle.

 

I noticed hitting the tpms button didn’t do anything while the tpms light was flashing. Then I kept hitting it after the tpms light went solid and after a while the notification changed to recalibrating as well as the tpms light turns off. I waited like 30 seconds then shut down the vehicle (was in the on position the whole time previously). Then turned on the vehicle and it still said recalibrating, drove it 1 mile and it then popped up with all 4 tire pressures.

 

I had to disconnect the battery today when I installed a new RC CAI system. TPMS light no longer on, but still no tire pressures.

 

When I got new tires from DT, there was a sensor that was completely dead. They apparently don't always validate them before saying "it's done".

 

Try the procedure that I posted again and see what happens this time.

 

Ok. I’ve read through all the postings on TPMS programming problems for 2021 Toyota Tundras and all the advice regarding using special replacement sensors. I replaced my steel wheels with alloys and used aftermarket TPMS sensors that initially did not program, even after an attempt by my local tire store using an Autel programmer. I got the one minute flashing tire light and then a solid one, and the tire pressure reading continually stated it was in programming mode. After 300 miles and no change, it was back to the tire store I went. The team there called Autel and were instructed to ID my original TPMS sensors from my truck’s ECU and (as I read in a few forum entries) “clone” the new ones by assigning the original sensor IDs. Must be pretty easy to do because it didn’t take long once they were given the instructions. Now, my aftermarket TPMS sensors are programmed at the 315 hertz frequency and my ECU is being fooled into thinking it has those original factory sensors. Most important, the truck’s display is providing the correct tire pressure for all four tires. My biggest fear was being saddled with very expensive valve stems and forking out more dough for 4 additional sensors from my Toyota dealer. Contrary to what you may have read, NOT NECESSARY!! I love my Tundra.

 

I wouldn't expect your external tire pressure gauge to read exactly the same as the TPMS. If might, but there's always going to be variances between devices. My external tire gauge is 2 PSI off from the TPMS. No way to know which is truly the correct one. I just split the difference.

 

Just to add to the TPMS topic, I just got my 2020 Tundra back from the dealer for it's 60,000km service just last week and I had to get them to re-flash (that's what they called it) the factory sensors on the stock aluminum rims that came with the truck because they weren't being 'read' by the vehicle.

Long story short, I bought the truck in the fall and TPMS worked fine. Took the stock wheels/tires off and put on studded winters on factory rims with aftermarket TPMS and was able to recalibrate the winters no problem using the re-set button. Then, two weeks ago I went to swap the tires back to the factory wheels/tires/TPMS set-up and the vehicle would NOT recognize the factory TPMS no matter what I tired (and I tried what I thought was virtually everything). When I dropped the vehicle off for the service I told them the stock wheels/tires/TPMS was not reading at all - the service tech there told me that factory TPMS require 're-flashing' in order to work and will not simply re-set with the button under the dash (do not know if that is true, that's just what the tech told me). $50.00 later (on top of the rest of the 60,000km service charge) everything works fine.

 

The tech was wrong. It's a PITA but the 2020 will read them without having to be reflashed.