Hi there, new to this site and looking for some help please. I bought a 1 year old Octavia recently and the above warning is coming on intermittently with warning 'beep' when I start the car. It immediately goes out and the car drives fine. I checked tyre pressure and reset the onscreen tab in the car. This didn't sort it. Booked it into the Arnold Clark garage I bought it from and they did diagnostics test and reset the computer. They found no fault. Took it home today and the third time I started the engine the warning came on again! Getting a bit frustrated about this. Anybody experienced this or got a suggestion? Thanks. Grant

The TPMS on the O3 works by comparing rotational speed of the tyres using the ABS wheel speed sensors, not by measuring tyre pressure (there are NO sensors in the wheels).

 

So take a look at your tyres, does one of them have less tread depth or be a different type (manufacturer, size, WHY) from the others?

Welcome to the forum.

 

Commiseration on using an Arnold Clark Dealership Workshop.

Maybe consider going to Henrys for future servicing etc.

 

george

Are you sure you don't have a slow puncture?

The other issue that springs to mind is a bent alloy - I know the golfs were having that issue a while back.

We are talking Arnold Clark dealership here.

First thing to look at is all 4 tyres, not just to see that all 4 match or there are 2 matching pairs, you need to check all 4 are the correct size.

(also the Speed / load rating are as should be, but thats another story.)

As others say above.

I've had mine trigger maybe six, seven times in 21k miles, across two different Octavias, but never any problems when checked. One Octy had Michelins all round, but quite worn on the fronts, the other has Continentals and Bridgestones but same tread depth all round. I'm obsessive about checking and maintaining correct pressures so put it down to a flawed system.

Thanks everyone. Will check the tyres tomorrow-interesting it could be something to do with slow puncture (but garage said pressure was correct yesterday) but also wear/size/different makes I hadn't considered! Will report back but garage today agreed to take it back in to investigate further. Thanks again. Grant

Mine warned me of a lower pressure on the nearside rear which turned out to be a slow puncture from a screw. I've thrown one of my 17" Audi winter wheels on it as I'm currently doing 12hr shifts for the next few weeks and not got time to fix it. It's been on a week so far and not warned me once even though the tyres are different and the originals are far more work than my winter tyre. Even when I swap to the whole set and forget to reset the monitoring system it never warned me :-S

Good story of your experience.

Shows the system on your car is really not worth calling a TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System)

But then we know they monitor the circumference of a tyre not the pressure.

 

Really the system was introduced for when run flat tyres were fitted, it is amazing how many could have a puncture and not be aware.

No surprise either how many never check tyre pressures regularly, or even reset after a car has had a service carried out or new tyres fitted so have no idea what the pressures are.

 

PS

When you fit a whole set of matching tyres even slightly different total diameter from the previous set there may be no need for the TPMS 

to warn as there is not an odd sized tyre in the 4.

Then again it may, its all a lottery on a budget TPMS.

 

PPS

My new Seat has 'Continental ContiSeal' tyres fitted as OEM, and comes with no Spare Wheel or Tyre sealant system in the boot.

Looking forward to see how good the TPMS is.  Must go and let a tyre down 5 PSI and see.

Edited 24 September, 20169 yr by Offski

Any links to how it measures circumference? I must say I'm a but dissapointed that it doesn't actually measure pressure like other cars, I've had it throw a report and it was impossible to reset it without leaving it overnight. I suppose it makes sense given my wife's vw will show you the actual pressures whilst mine doesn't.

Indirect tpms doesn't exactly measure circumference as far as I know, rather relative velocity against the other wheels and known values (hence the reset).

It does work - caught a slow puncture the other day before I could but is no where near as good, or expensive as direct tpms which has wireless pressure sensors in the wheels.

Edited 24 September, 20169 yr by gullyg

Basic terms it picks up the rotations of a wheel. not match another, or the others, because you can run different tyre sizes front and rear, and its not just from wheel spin it is picking up. (but sometimes that does cause false warnings.)

 

It picks up a tyre being smaller so turning more than the other tyre on that axle (i know they are not axles)

 

So that is the difference in circumference.  The outside of a circle.

I'm a but dissapointed that it doesn't actually measure pressure like other cars.

Indirect TPMS is now a common fitment on many cars, even so-called premium brands such as Audi - my 2007 B7 A4 Audi had "proper" TPMS but the later B8 & B9 A4 models all have indirect TPMS.

Mine has come on to let me know about a puncture.

Counting rotations are a effective way of monitoring tyre pressure. If you drop the pressure the rim gets closer to the road surface and the rolling radius is reduced. This smaller rolling radius means that the wheel has to turn more often to travel the same distance.

I assume that when you use the info-tainment system to set Tyre pressure monitoring the computer calibrates over a set distance when you drive off then starts to monitor each wheel revolutions comparing them with the others. Once one starts to turn more often than calibrated value to travel a set distance the warning will come on.

There is probably a problem with the system in OPs car. It may be the sensor system or the wiring on the affected wheel.

The TPMS can be triggered by hitting a bump in the road too - especially if it happens while you are turning.

 

I've had this happen to me numerous times in the exact same turn/highway access!

When I check the tire pressure after getting the alarm everything will be fine, and I just need to reset the TPMS on the headunit.

 

This is probably due to the fact that while hitting the bump one wheels gets a split second at a different revolution than the other tires and the alarm goes off.