Hi everyone,

Anyone had TPMS issues with their Octavia Mk 4s. There are many posts on the forum and the Internet regarding TPMS issues but nothing related to the Octavia Mk 4 in particular. Quite a few posts for VAG group as a whole, but no fixes published. Seeing as many of us are suffering Software issues with the Mk4, I thought I would add this post.

I’ve been getting an INDIRECT TPMS warning quite regularly for the last couple of months, more or less every other day. Driving along I’m getting a warning about a TPMS error and a flashing warning light which stays on constantly after a minute or so. When the engine / Ignition are turned off and then back on the warning light disappears (as noted in the handbook), so I assume this is a spurious warning and not logged as a fault on the ECU? The central screen tells me to check pressures and the car picture / symbol shows amber illuminated tyres. If I go onto the next Tyre menu (the one with the small plan view of the car) none of the tyres are illuminated amber (seen a number of posts on the Internet where this shows the faulty tyre illuminated in Amber).

To try and solve this I’ve done the following:

·         Checked all tyre pressures to the figures shown on the filler door label, 2.6 Bar Front & 2.7 Bar Rear (Normal driving).

·         Monitored tyre pressures daily – NO loss of pressure noted at any time, confirmed with two different tyre pressure gauges (I was off work with COVID last month, the car didn’t more for ten days, no loss in tyre pressure when rechecked)!

·         Checked the security of the valve cores (Simple tool for this as I had this issue on another car).

·         Monitored the outside air temperature to see what impact this has, basically none! (air temp during the period has been between -2⁰ and +12⁰ C.)

·         Obviously, checked the tyres for damage.

·         Reset the TPMS on the screen (advised to press the caption several times to ensure the new readings have been registered by the system). Doesn’t seem to give an audible warning to say it’s accepted the readings on mine.

Car is due for it’s 1^st service in April so I'll ask the dealer to look at it, but as I found last year with my sticking AUTO HOLD and the Parking Brake which were intermittent (previous post of mine), unless there is a Fault Code the dealer won’t do anything (I’m told Skoda will not authorise repairs without a Fault Code).

I really want to like this car. Relatively affordable to buy and run, drives well, pulls the caravan OK, looks good, but I’m tired of the number of faults I’m getting on a new car. I’m still waiting to see if Skoda is going to repair the ‘iffy’ paint on the roof, reported to the dealer last September and again in October. Admit the issues don’t stop me using the car but it’s annoying and doesn’t inspire confidence in the product.

Any TPMS comments folks would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,

Chris

Not had any TPMS messages or warnings with the Octy 4 in 8000 miles.

Had a few in my wife’s CityGo and hire cars of various brands - none of which were actually valid as all tyre pressures were fine.

Hope they can sort your faulty system…

@AviationNutHave you checked the tyres for bulges, cracks, etc on both outside and inside edges? And also checked the wheels for dents, etc. possibly from kerb damage?

 

Any of these can cause any indirect TPMS system (from any manufacturer) to throw errors as they create unusual patterns in the signals from the ABS wheel speed sensors which the indirect TPMS system use.

I have had a false TPMS warning on the Octy 4 and I used to get it on the previous Octy Mk3. The first time it happened I took the car to the local tyre shop: 'Tyred and Exhausted' (Ha Ha). They took the wheel off and checked the tyre and said nothing was wrong and So I accept these could be false alarms but I always check and monitor the tyre pressures for a few days to make sure that there is not a genuine problem. I understand it as a warning rather than a definite puncture.  BUT the warning has always been accompanied by a screen with the suspect tyre highlighted. I think the warnings may originate from specific road surfaces where a wheel may be bouncing off the surface because I often got the TPMS warning after crossing the old Forth road bridge which has lots of expansion joints. But if you do not have a display highlighting the faulty tyre it sounds like a deeper problem. I like the car too, it has its foibles but the 1500 petrol engine is sweet, the car is very spacious and comfortable, the fuel economy is excellent and it looks good in petrol blue.

Not strictly true that if no Fault Code there is no Fault that requires Warranty work so Skoda will not cover that.

 

The warnings  constantly coming up if all is well with the tyres and pressures and no fault showing when there is a faulty is a Fault.  Difficult to find though. 

 

Pressures set cold and checked cold is as it should be, 

But,

Something to check is the heat of the tyres,

So as soon as a warning shows and the tyres are hot you want to get stopped & check the pressures ASAP and also the heat of the wheel metal & the tyre. 

 

A £1.99 Digital Fridge Thermometer saves burning fingers on wheels, hubs / discs.  

 

 

Edited 13 February, 20224 yr by roottoot

Thanks for your comments guys, interesting!

No wheel or tyre damage from what I can see. Also when the warning comes up there is no indication of a fault from any tyre. Tyres or brakes are not warm or hot, not normally been driving for long when the warning  appears. 

My note about the fault codes came from comments from the technician last year when it was in for the Auto Hold and Electronic Handbrake release issue. Let's hope the dealership are more proactive when it's in for service in April. I have a few issues for them to look at.

We'll be looking to offer a direct TPMS retrofit for MQB2020 vehicles (Octavia being amongst them)

 

Just working on the capability to create the necessary datasets with the correct vehicle information included 

 

This would do away with the quirks you're experiencing with the  indirect system

 

Main motivation is my formentor is driving me mad, so it's reasonably high priority 😂

 

Edited 13 February, 20224 yr by East_Yorkshire_Retrofits

The MQB onwards indirect systems need upto 1hour of driving to gain the required info when you press the button to reset the values after you physically alter the actual tyre pressures...

 

I'd go on a different road or for a longer drive..if you're just doing very short trips...

On 13/02/2022 at 18:30, AviationNut said:

Thanks for your comments guys, interesting!

No wheel or tyre damage from what I can see. Also when the warning comes up there is no indication of a fault from any tyre. Tyres or brakes are not warm or hot, not normally been driving for long when the warning  appears. 

My note about the fault codes came from comments from the technician last year when it was in for the Auto Hold and Electronic Handbrake release issue. Let's hope the dealership are more proactive when it's in for service in April. I have a few issues for them to look at.

 

I get that error roughly once every two months. Every time i've had the tyres inspected by the local independent tyre shop and every time I get told to just reset the TPMS and carry on as normal.