deconomist

Hey Everyone:

I am trying to diagnose an issue with the TPMS system in my 2009 Maxima and having some trouble.

- In April, I purchased four new tires for the car and had them installed at a local tire shop (Tire Kingdom). The TPMS sensors worked correctly and the "low pressure" light turned off after the normal few miles were driven. No issues with the system after that.

- In August, I had a nail in one of the tires and the same tire shop patched the tire. Again, the "low pressure" light turned off after a few miles of driving.

- A few weeks later, the TPMS error message showed up (low pressure light flashing for 60 seconds, then staying on). I took the car back to the tire shop and they scanned the TPMS sensors (all were working), plugged the scan tool into the OBD, and reset the TPMS light. The light remained off for a few weeks.

- This week, the TPMS error light showed up again. I took it back to the tire store yesterday and they repeated the process. Confirmed the TPMS sensors were working (all tires were at 33 or 34 PSI) and reset the light. I told them this process was completed a few weeks ago, and was informed this was the most they could do for the issue

- This morning the TPMS error light has showed up again.

Has anybody experienced this issue? Looking for suggestions on what my next step should be. Thanks in advance for all the guidance.

ThinBlue82

iTrader: (1)

Yes, my 09 max does the same. When getting an oil change at Nissan I was told the battery in the tpms sensor was low which was causing the error. I need to purchase a new sensor but they want $350 for it at Nissan including labor which is ridiculous!

LtLeary

Same here. I did get them to tell me which sensor was "bad," had that swapped out but the error still exists. I did read there is a self diag that we can use which involves shorting out a wire (white tpms sensor wire that is ostensible near the ODBII connector that I can't find on my 09.) It bothers me enough that I may just have to go and pay the $350 to get it resolved as I can't find any alternative but to ignore the lamp.

gizzsdad

I would guess low battery as well. Rock Auto has the sensors reasonably priced, but then the tires have to be dismounted, sensors installed and then the sensors have to be registered to the car. Could shop around for an indy dealer for the labor. On my wife's 2007 Frontier, we are just living with the light. If the battery is low on one, the others can't be far behind.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...parttype,12036

wildcat08

I'm having the same issue on a 2009 Murano. First, I tried the DIY TPMS diagnostics and reset procedure but was unable to reset it. Discount Tire advised that all the sensors are 'on', then reset the light. Light stayed off for 2 weeks, now is back on.

Older gen Muranos display tire pressures individually, and displaying '--' for sensors that aren't working. However, 2009+ don't do this, so I can't figure out how to isolate the sensor.

I understand the viewpoint of, 'if one sensor battery is dead, the rest can't be far behind', however in my opinion the rest have a good chance of lasting at least 2 more years. There are many Muranos as old as 2003 with the original sensors still working. I would prefer not to spend $300+ to repair what is ultimately an unnecessary system.

Anyone have any ideas on how to isolate the affected sensor? I will try to isolate by reducing pressure one by one to see if there is one sensor that doesn't cause the 'Check Tire Pressure' message to be displayed. LtLeary, do you know how the dealer figured out which sensor was 'bad'? Through Consult-III?

LtLeary

Yes, they used their "consult" system. It read the error code from TPMS system itself. (Note the tire guy's said all the sensors "tested good" according to their system...including batteries.These would be the same codes i could have read if I can only find that elusive white tpms wire!

wildcat08

On the Murano, the connector is tucked in above the panel in which the fuse box connector is located. Look above the brake pedal and a little to the left. It's a white 2-pin connector with only 1 white wire. It's taped to another group of wires back there.

Here is the procedure to get the diagnostic codes (I copied this):

If the instructions did not work for you, there might be a problem with one of your sensors. To find out, you need to enter the diagnostic mode.

To do that, first turn the car to the on position and ground terminal of the tire pressure warning check connector. The malfunction location is indicated by the low tire pressure warning lamp blinking.

Refer to the following chart to find out the problem:


After you are done reading the code, you can turn off the car while the connector is still grounded. This will clear the stored codes.

LtLeary

Now if we could only find it on our 7th gens!

lightonthehill

I watch 'Motor Week' each week on PBS, and this past week, the 'Goss's Garage' segment had a TPMS system expert visiting. That expert said the batteries in the sensors inside the tires normally lasted from 3 to 7 years, depending on several factors.

He said that if the sensors had been in use for several years, that having one go bad probably meant the others were not far behind, and it might be a judicious usage of time just to replace all four at that time. He said this was an expensive process, and could run over $200 to have all four replaced.

And then I come here and see the number $350 for one sensor replacement. With tax, thst comes out to $1,500,00 to have all four replaced. This must be to the dealers what soft drinks or iced tea are to restaurants - charge $2.50 for a drink that costs around ten cents to make. Almost all profit.

RR5

iTrader: (6)

See my signature for the FSM, you want WT.pdf and it seems there's some new scan tool Nissan uses to talk to the TPM sensors.

TIRE PRESSURE WARNING CHECK CONNECTOR
The tire pressure warning check connector can be grounded in order
to initiate self-diagnosis without a CONSULT-III. Refer to WT-44,
"Self-Diagnosis (Without CONSULT-III)". The tire pressure warning
check connector (1) is located behind the lower portion of the instru-
ment panel LH, above the hood release handle.

LtLeary

Thanks, i will look again.

Norm Peterson

It's worth the time to see if there are any aftermarket TPMS sensors that will work with your year and model. If so, you won't be held hostage at the dealer's parts counter/service department.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=tpms+se...TR&pc=HPNTDFJS

Or, if you're willing to ignore the light and any beeps and what-not, do nothing. Something I might have done from time to time, and something that lightonthehill would at least understand.


Norm

lightonthehill

It is very clear that Norm was lurking somewhere in the background during my earlier driving days. There are horror stories I could relate here that only Norm would understand. But I doubt if he went to the extreme of running tires until the tread was gone, and the fourth (and final) ply was clearly showing completely worn through. Money was very tight for me during the 1940s and 1950s.

dr_2010SV

Yes aftermarket TPMS exist but don't buy the cheap stuff.
I bought a set of Schrader TPMS (40700-1AA0A) from EBAY about a year ago and they work great.
Set of four ran $140.00. I also purchased a little torque wrench to insure proper install before taking the tires/wheels in for mounting, worked slicker than snot.
http://stores.ebay.com/WheelsCapsand..._sid=639099184

Norm Peterson

Heh . . .

My first car (a 1957 Pontiac Star Chief of uncertain maintenance history) ate well into the outer shoulder area of one left front tire, and all the way through the same place on a snow tire I threw on there as a temporary replacement because that's all I had that would fit (I think it came with the car as a second spare). One of my first lessons in alignment and steering/suspension condition. Mid 1960's.


Much more recently, only ten years ago last month, well, here's what's left that I kept (outboard sidewall, left rear tire). Only had to snip a few cords to completely sever it from the rest of the tire. Long story short, the car remained surprisingly composed and controllable from the initial puncture almost all the way to what you see here (and only a little woozy then), but most of the credit for that goes to fitting the tires to unusually wide wheels, technically half an inch above max recommended (225/60's on 8.5" wide). Now you know why I don't like to see or read about tires mounted on min-width wheels just to have a big, wide tire look.[/offtopic]







Norm

lightonthehill

Norm - I loved those 1950s Pontiac Star Chiefs. My first V8 powered vehicle was a '55 Star Chief. Pontiac called the colors Firegold and White Mist. I still have photos of that car somewhere. I lived in MD, NC, AZ and CA while owning that car, and loved that thing. It had well over 250K miles when I traded it in on a '61 Bonneville.

Like you, I learned about tires the hard way. But we both eventually learned. Sometimes learning things the hard way is more educational and less likely to be forgotten.

deconomist

It was a failing battery. Took it to a local shop and cost about $85 out the door. Should have been about $200 but they gave me a break as a new customer.

Norm Peterson

$40 - $60 for the part (purchased individually) plus maybe 0.3 hour of shop time . . . $85 sounds about right.


$200 would have been outrageous - quite possibly more than the cost of a new OE tire for the same wheel. I dare suggest that the regulators who put the TPMS regulation together were only reacting to the introduction of run-flat tires and the Explorer/Firestone mess, and never bothered (or refused) to look any further to imagine the sort of gouging that could result.


Norm

lightonthehill

If, as this thread seems to show, the batteries in the TPMS sensor in each wheel will last from three to seven years, and cost around $200 each to replace, then the whole TPMS thing, as useful as it might be, is turning out to be one of the more expensive items on the vehicle to keep in working order over the long haul.

I would have thought the car companies and the government working together could have come up with something a little more reasonable to maintain.

Well, actually, I guess I didn't expect such rational thinking from either the car manufacturers or the government.

Norm Peterson

The batteries in the TPMS wheel sensors absolutely do have a finite life span, and this topic comes up from time to time in one of the maintenance & repair industry magazines as a business opportunity for independent shops (though with no suggested pricing that I remember reading).

Methods of extending the life by putting the sensor to sleep are already in use, else the specter of this as a running expense for the consumer would have shown up years ago. But I've also heard fairly recently of one car mfr at least experimenting with indirect sensing again, which would eliminate the issue of tiny battery lifespan entirely - although it might make fitting different wheel and/or tire sizes problematic (something that could be even more bothersome to a track day/autocross/drag race enthusiast or those who maintain two or more sets of tires depending on the time of year).


Norm

LtLeary

No joy, I even cut away some tape to see if they may have gotten a little over-zealous with their cable dressing.

The FSM does say it should exist, but I can't find it short of tearing out the dash.

Have you personally seen one? I am thinking previous year information got into the fsm!