TPMS Head Scratcher

[OmnexPete]

I've a 2015 Octavia 2.0l 4x4 Elegance diesel estate. Best company car I've had to date. I said the same about the one before. They just keep getting better and better! My other two engineers are also now converted to Skoda

Presently it's got a set of 17" alloys on and has TPMS.

In my garage I've a set of 16" winter tyres, off rims. I used these on my last Octavia (2012 hatchback), local place used to swap them on and off the rims for a crate of Stella

I was all set to buy a set of 16" rims to put these on the current car, BUT then I thought... TPMS...

How does it work on my car? I can't find anything of any use in the book. The dealer was only interested in selling me a set of their winter wheels and tyres.

The valve stems look perfectly normal rubbery things, whereas my mum's Toyota has very obvious valve stems with metal collars which are the TPMS sensors.

I'm wondering if my car uses the ABS sensors to measure the circumference and doesn't actually have sensors in the rims?

It can tell you which tyre needs checked. The book tells you to swap wheels round to even out tyre wear. How on earth would that work with sensors in the rims? I have an alloy spare wheel and the only mention of TPMS when changing a flat is to check the pressure and run the reset procedure via the Infotainment touch screen.

Yours,

Confused of Fife.

[MrAdamwood]

It uses the wheel speed signals to detect rotational differences, a flat tyre will rotate slower. It's pretty rubbish.

[OmnexPete]

Thank you!

That explains why a; the stems look normal, b; it doesn't seem to care about the rim location on the car.

That makes my life a lot easier, and cheaper.

I guess, TPMS like that is slightly better than nothing.

[neiln]

My experience of a slow puncture showed it works well and alerted me to a problem with a pressure of well over 20 psi left. 

[Gerrycan]

The only time mine has worked - I had a nail in a rear tyre and handling had not been affected at all at that point.

SO I would say it is useful, works and should not be ignored if a warning comes up.

[OmnexPete]

Likewise Gerrycan and neiln. I picked up a screw in a tyre not long after I got the car. The system alerted me to check the pressure of one tyre, which I did and found it low. A couple of days later the same thing. So I took it into the tyre place and they found the screw and fixed the tyre.

How many of us *HONESTLY* check tyre pressures even weekly?

[Oxboll]

The ABS TPMS is highly flawed. It can be set off and give false warnings if you hit a pot hole or if you make a turn on a bumpy road.

 

I find it very frustrating, having to check tire pressure relatively often only to find out everything is ok. 

[wlange]

I had both normal TPMS and the ABS sensor based. Both have issues if you ask me. A "complete" TPMS system I had earlier, did not show the real pressure value, only alerted when pressure was down. In other words it did not do much more than a simplified system, while being extra expensive, fragile and giving constant failure reading when changing to winter wheels...that is unless you put additional 500-600€ on the table for extra set and programming, only to have a lamp go off on your dash. In short lot's of hassle and no genuine advantage over Skoda's solution. I have never experienced erratic reading of ABS based one (not a single alarm from pot holes, bumpy roads, etc) and whenever I see fault, I simply check pressures.

[Redboy]

It uses the wheel speed signals to detect rotational differences, a flat tyre will rotate slower. It's pretty rubbish.

Yes it's basic but it works. So not rubbish.

[PetrolDave]

I had both normal TPMS and the ABS sensor based. Both have issues if you ask me. A "complete" TPMS system I had earlier, did not show the real pressure value, only alerted when pressure was down. In other words it did not do much more than a simplified system, while being extra expensive, fragile and giving constant failure reading when changing to winter wheels...that is unless you put additional 500-600€ on the table for extra set and programming, only to have a lamp go off on your dash. In short lot's of hassle and no genuine advantage over Skoda's solution. I have never experienced erratic reading of ABS based one (not a single alarm from pot holes, bumpy roads, etc) and whenever I see fault, I simply check pressures.

There are actually 3 types of TPMS that VAG have fitted over the last 10 years:

 

1) sensor based but with basic display (as fitted to the B7 A4) - this has pressure and temperature sensors in all 4 fitted wheels but the basic display just warns if one of the 4 tyres has a low pressure.

 

2) sensor based with advanced display (as fitted to the C6 A6) - this has the same wheel sensors but the MMI display shows the pressure and temperature of each wheel, so you can actually see which wheel has low pressure.

 

3) ABS wheel speed sensor based (as fitted to most current VAG models) - this uses the ABS wheel speed sensors and an algorithm to determine change in rotational speed of a wheel and infer from that that the pressure is low.

[Skaut]

Have had a couple of false alarms in two years, usually when temperature drops in the autumn.  Forgot to reset TPMS when I put my 16" winter wheels on a while back but not had any warnings.

[OmnexPete]

Steel wheels seem to be available pretty cheaply. Any reason not to fit steel rims?

For example;

http://www.oponeo.co.uk/steel-wheel/steger-st8247#19362231

[glosrich]

Well its your car...but steels are ugly and the go rusty after a couple of winters.

A set of 16" alloys isnt loads more

Try mytyres also.

[OmnexPete]

Ah but, it's not my car

It's a company car. We already have the tyres, just need rims. I'd probably whack some trims on them anyway.

Where can I find alloys a little more than £26 a pop?!

[London Les]

I like the ABS system - its cheap and works. Provided it is reset after wheel or pressure changes, I've found it to be reliable and picked up a slow puncture I had from a roofing tack - and I was able to drive to Kwikfit to sort it.

[CCTaylor]

I like the ABS system - its cheap and works. Provided it is reset after wheel or pressure changes, I've found it to be reliable and picked up a slow puncture I had from a roofing tack - and I was able to drive to Kwikfit to sort it.

Had 2 Alarms in 7500 miles, one nail and false alarm. I must get a simple stick pressure gauge to keep in the car so that I can check pressures if the alarm goes when I am out and about. I think it is a useful addition to the car.

[wlange]

Had 2 Alarms in 7500 miles, one nail and false alarm. I must get a simple stick pressure gauge to keep in the car so that I can check pressures if the alarm goes when I am out and about. I think it is a useful addition to the car.

 

One of the best "investments" everyone should make. One I have currently is already serving now 4th or 5th car; one of the best spent 3€ I would say

Funny thing is that years ago that was so obvious to have one, but now people seldom know how even to use it properly...just recently I've seen a guy struggling to take a reading of tyre pressure; kind of sad if you ask me.

[BoxerBoy]

I like the ABS system - its cheap and works. Provided it is reset after wheel or pressure changes, I've found it to be reliable and picked up a slow puncture I had from a roofing tack - and I was able to drive to Kwikfit to sort it.

Yep. It's simple. It works well enough. As above, remember to push the reset button after fitting a new tyre or changing over winter/summer wheels.

Much more reliable than a certain B.M.W. System that is giving grief to someone near me. One of those fancy sensor in wheel jobs that they are struggling to recalibrate after a wheel replacement.

I tried OE Skoda steel wheels but actually lost a cheap wheel trim when I hit a pot hole. The I moved to cheapish VAG alloys I found on either G-Tree or The Bay which I got refurbed in satin black. Still going strong. There are many out there.

ps - carrying a simple pressure gauge is a no brainer

[Westlake7901]

I have no experience of the vag system but the one on my previous BMW was rubbish. I noticed that one front wheel looked flat so checked it and it had only 9 psi in it. The tyre was of a different type to the others so maybe that made a difference.

Also, because of this, if the tyres got too warm e.g. On a run to the airport, the different treads changed differently and the system bleeped indicating a fault, of which there was none.

My advice? Keep the tyres on the axles the same.

[wlange]

My advice? Keep the tyres on the axles the same.

 

As far as I know it's rather mandatory both from the practical point of view and the legal one. I'm 99.9999% sure that in case of any accident, even if you were hit from back, the insurance would not respect any claim...not to mention what the police would say...

[pist0nbr0ke]

As far as I know it's rather mandatory both from the practical point of view and the legal one. I'm 99.9999% sure that in case of any accident, even if you were hit from back, the insurance would not respect any claim...not to mention what the police would say...

sorry, but as long as tyres are correct size, load rating and have legal tread you could legally have four different brand tyres on a car. Insurance would not be affected as long as the above applies.

My OCD wouldn't allow it, but that's nothing to do with the law

[wlange]

sorry, but as long as tyres are correct size, load rating and have legal tread you could legally have four different brand tyres on a car. Insurance would not be affected as long as the above applies.

My OCD wouldn't allow it, but that's nothing to do with the law

 

Well, it's then different than in Germany and Poland...does not change the fact that people are still doing it :P

[banksie]

sorry, but as long as tyres are correct size, load rating and have legal tread you could legally have four different brand tyres on a car. Insurance would not be affected as long as the above applies.

My OCD wouldn't allow it, but that's nothing to do with the law

Not sure what your saying here, but you shouldn't have winters on one axle and summers on the other even though they are correct for the car. Insurance companies would riggle out of paying very easily just by showing any of the numerous article in Autoexpress recently.

[Ootohere]

'Shouldn't',  is an Opinion not a rule or regulation or legislation,

tas far as Insurance Cover you can have the correct speed and load rating and different tyre sizes front and rear as a BMW might, 

or a Audi RS 3 on the front.

 

For decades now going to ski centres and hill roads i have fitted Snow or Winter tyres to the drive wheels early on in the Autumn / Winter, and later on when snow is lasting longer 

if it has fallen i will fit the 2nd pair.

All totally legal and works perfectly well and has Valid Insurance cover.

 

But as the Journalist and Motoring Press & Tyre Companies show you, you should always fit 4 winter or snow tyres, all the videos and articles tell you you 'should'.

[pist0nbr0ke]

Not sure what your saying here, but you shouldn't have winters on one axle and summers on the other even though they are correct for the car. Insurance companies would riggle out of paying very easily just by showing any of the numerous article in Autoexpress recently.

 

Absolutely not recommending mixing 'winters' & 'summers' and I would never do it. (Unless in an emergency - I don't carry a spare 'winter')

 

wlange was suggesting mixing brands was a problem (I think), which as I said, is certainly not an issue, although I wouldn't personally do it if at all possible.

 

Insurance companies would have to prove that incorrectly specified/illegal tyres contributed to, or caused, any accident to avoid a payout - they can't simply refuse a claim based on the presence of mixed brands or types. If the tyres were illegal, however, that could go against any claim regardless of circumstances, as it shows a lack of very basic road worthiness checks/care & maintenance. I cannot for the life of me understand people that take short cuts/chances with tyres.