2007 Factory TPMS - Anyone happy with it & problem free?

[gixerboy]

As it appears that our car is only missing a couple of optional extras, I thought I would consider a retrofit of the genuine TPMS. Before I did, I wondered if anyone who has the factory TPMS on a 2007 could tell me if they are happy with it and if it has been trouble free. Plenty out there seem not to like it but would be interested to find out if there are any / plenty that are happy with it and no problems? 

 

Cheers, 

 

Ben.

[slow_nick]

I retrofitted the factory indirect TPMS on my FL. It was a pretty easy job and so far it has correctly detected two punctures before I've spotted them visually. Never have a false positive or a false negative.

Edited 19 June, 2020 by slow_nick

[Aston_Bodger]

Come as standard on my VRS, and I'm happy with it so far, I did get a puncture felt it just before the light and beeps com on.

 

 

Trev

[wiilydog]

its a worth while extra as it has helped to detected slow punctures especially if you don't check your pressures that often.  Mine has been problem free for 14 years and never had any false warning either.

[Phil-E]

I retrofitted it to my previous Octavia. It worked very well.

 

Never had any false alarms. And the one time it did ping up a warning was while on the motorway. I pulled in at the services and checked the pressures and the rear right tyre had indeed gone down. Turned out to be a screw right in the middle of the tyre.

 

It's obviously never going to be as accurate as the full system with the sensors on each valve but when it detects problems such as this it can literally be a life saver.

[gixerboy]

On 18/06/2020 at 21:48, slow_nick said:

I retrofitted the factory indirect TPMS on my FL. It was a pretty easy job and so far it has correctly detected two punctures before I've spotted them visually. Never have a false positive or a false negative.

Brilliant, many thanks, that is really good to hear. 

On 19/06/2020 at 11:22, Aston_Bodger said:

Come as standard on my VRS, and I'm happy with it so far, I did get a puncture felt it just before the light and beeps com on.

 

 

Trev

Perfect many thanks!

[gixerboy]

Thanks everyone for your replies that is not what I was expecting and really good news. I will have to go and read about the different systems as do not know what difference is between indirect and full and then decide which one to go for as a retrofit. 

 

Many thanks for all your time in replying. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Ben. 

[slow_nick]

Indirect = the system measures wheel rotation speed (through the ABS sensors) to determine if one tyre is lower than the others. I'm not 100% sure but I think it can detect two simultaneously deflating tyres. It seems to need a tyre to drop by 15-20% before giving the warning. Each time you pump your tyres up you have to hold a button on the dash to make the system re-learn the pressures which can take up to a couple of hours of driving. Advantages: doesn't require anything fitted to the wheel, so if you have a spare set of wheels for winter you can easily swap them over, re-learn, and it'll work. Disadvantages: not as accurate as direct.

 

Direct = there are pressure sensors fitted inside each wheel attached to the valve. The car continuously read the exact pressure of each tyre and warn which one is low. Only a very small drop is required to trigger it because it is very accurate. Advantages: extremely accurate and some systems can show the pressure of each tyre on the dashboard. Car doesn't need to re-learn pressures as the expected tyre pressures are programmed into the car. Disadvantages: required hardware fitted in each wheel and the car. The pressure sensors in the wheels are battery powered and have a limited lifetime and usually a non-replaceable battery so the whole unit has to be replaced. If you have a set of winter wheels, things become a real pain.

 

The mk2 only came with the indirect system, but with enough motivation it is possible to fit the direct system (which VAG offer on other vehicles). It's expensive and a lot of work. The indirect system can be fitted in an hour and you can buy everything you need for about £25.

 

The first time mine activated I checked all the tyres and couldn't even tell which one was losing pressure. I thought it was a false alarm until I got to a supermarket air machine and found the back left tyre had dropped to 1.8 bar (normally 2.1). There was a nail in it. I had the tyre repaired and 3 weeks later the warning came on again. Yet again couldn't see anything obvious and properly checked all wheels and sure enough one tyre had a screw in it.

 

 

Edited 22 June, 2020 by slow_nick

[justwilliam80]

hi is there a problem just signed in I am a 80 year old skoda fan not used to computors can you contact me on [deleted] thanks justwilliam80. THANKS

Edited 15 November, 2020 by DeanVRS20VT
Email removed.

[langers2k]

3 hours ago, justwilliam80 said:

hi is there a problem just signed in I am a 80 year old skoda fan not used to computors can you contact me on

Welcome @justwilliam80

 

I wouldn't advise posting your email address on a public forum, it's likely to make you a target for spam and phishing emails. I've asked a mod to remove it for you.

 

It's not clear from your message if you're having a problem, looking for help or just saying hello

 

If you are having issues, give us a brief description and if someone can help, I'm sure they will.

[07vrScout]

I appreciate this was from a while ago...

 

Is anyone able to advise how to rig the indirect system up? 

 

I'd be looking to install it on a FL and pre-FL.

 

If anyone's near Leicestershire and happy to guide me through it/assist, even better! 

[slow_nick]

On 21/11/2020 at 17:16, KarlTDiCombi said:

I appreciate this was from a while ago...

 

Is anyone able to advise how to rig the indirect system up? 

 

I'd be looking to install it on a FL and pre-FL.

 

If anyone's near Leicestershire and happy to guide me through it/assist, even better! 

 

I retrofitted the indirect system on my FL. I used this kit from ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263004775932

 

It took me about 2 hours to do the whole job and most of that was spent removing and reinstalling the glovebox which in the end I realise wasn't necessary.

 

The wiring in the kit piggybacks off the ESP button for its 12V power for the button illumination and also the TPMS reset signal (and ground).  You will need to remove 3 wires from the ESP button connector and insert them into the new connector that comes with the kit. Then insert the wires from the kit loom into the ESP button connector. I seem to remember the wiring loom as I received it had the connector for the TPMS button wired wrong, but I studied the wiring diagrams for the car and corrected it.

 

 

 

Next you need to feed the long red wire through into the engine bay. There is a grommet through the bulkhead in the passenger footwell up high and to the left. I removed the glovebox to get to it but it is possible to do it without. Reinstalling the glovebox is a PITA and I wouldn't want to do that again.

 

In the engine bay remove the battery so you can access the ABS pump. Disconnect the large plug on the side and disassemble it so you can get to the connector block inside. If your ABS pump is an MK60EC1, you need to connect the red wire to pin 35. You'll have to push out a tiny rubber bung that's in the connector. Put the connector back together and reconnect it to the ABS pump making sure you lock the connector on.

 

In VCDS under ABS controller you need to enable I think Byte 3 Bit 0. There are at least two other checkboxes on other pages about TPMS, those are for the direct system, so ignore them.

 

Once coded you should see the TPMS warning light briefly illuminate when you turn the ignition on. Press and hold the reset button and the light will illuminate and then extinguish and you will hear a chime. That means the system is going to learn your current pressures.

 

I apologise for the photos being terrible

[Jojo1985g]

I find the system works quite well on my car FL VRS. I fitted my winter wheels set the pressure then decided to swap fronts for rears as rears had a bit more tread. 

 

At the time I had 2.2 bar front and 2.3 bar rear. 

 

After driving for a short while the TPMS flagged an issue as it noticed the pressure was different to what it was expecting. 

So it's able to detect even a small change in pressure.