builthatch

"Tire Pressure Monitor Inoperative" showed up randomly on my dash whilst driving locally last night. all tire pressures are perfect. i pulled the fuse (position 70 in the rear block) and it didn't make a damn difference. that and the type of message leads me to believe something is going on with the receiver portion of the system in the car. i looked on a parts diagram and it looks like it's somewhere near the left rear but i can't see it when peering in the first aid kit hole.

it shows no messages but when i click on TPMS in the menu it says that message about it being inoperative. and the yellow tire icon is lit up all the time on the right side of the cluster.

any suggestions or experiences with this before i bring this thing to the dealer on Weds? the service advisor said he asked a tech and it could be anything. not very comforting. i HATE HATE HATE bringing my car to the dealer because i'm super duper **** about condition and people hamfisting stuff on my car. i don't even like people looking at it wrong, let alone feeling it up with their careless hands/tools.

'09 w/ 2700 miles, BONE STOCK.

builthatch

anybody have any background with this issue?

ZephyrAMG

Replace TPMS?

builthatch

well, that is a very broad solution. are you speaking from experience that this message requires the sensor(s) to be replaced, or the receiver(s)/control unit? i am curious if anyone has experience with this particular issue and if they had trouble with their dealer diagnosing it. i've read that there have been some TSBs tied into harnesses, the control unit...all sorts of stuff. none of it was very detailed and didn't help clear anything up. the sort of thing where they posted about it and once it got fixed they never returned to explain what happened.

i am trying to be armed with as much info as possible to prevent the dealership unnecessarily taking my car in multiple times like what has happened to others on the web. it is not very convenient. also, to keep them away from my car as much as possible because it opens the door for damage. i've been doing this a long time and nobody is as careful with your stuff as you are.

ZephyrAMG

I suggest this because I have been on the forum for some time now and I remember reading about some people with the same issue. They went ahead and replaced the TPMS and issue solved. Those sensors can be finikey at times and if a sensor is going off with everything WNL, usually its the over sensitive sensor. Just like our MAF sensors we have.

Your car all seems to be ok and the TPMS is an issue causing the signal to go off. Replace and see what happens. I am also like you...I HATE TAKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I hate people man-handling my baby. No one cares about your belongings unlike you yourself. That's also why I NEVER valet.

Good Luck.

builthatch

yeah it's the worst. i have to stress with them countless times that i'm terribly **** about keeping it mint and it makes me look crazy but i don't care - they need to know otherwise they'll treat me like the rest of the bums out there who don't give a damn just as long as people see them driving a Benz. they let the guys wash the car, hit it with a buffer, let water spot up on the clear and windows...*shudder*.

oh well we'll see what they say on Weds. thanks!

builthatch

I'm here and they've checked it all out. Apparently all the components are responding to tests just fine so they are applying a TSB that involves something with the ground for the TPMS control module. I asked for a copy but they said they can't provide it. Anyone know how I can check that out? I'll be here for about two hours for the repair. Fingers crossed.

Update: the fix worked. Apparently there is a ground issue where it invites interference which makes the control module freak out. They moved the ground, as well as shortened it.

JimPap

Its been a pretty good while since this thread was active but I'd like to try to find out more about this tire pressure monitor inactive issue.

A few weeks ago, I had to have a tire replaced and I suspect that they may have damaged the sensor. Only problem is that it took several weeks for the message to show up. As my C300 is a 2008, I can't confirm that the tire/wheel generating the message is the same one that was replaced.

Nor do I notice any extra vibration which would indicate a loose piece of sensor bouncing around inside the tire.

So I'm stuck. Don't really want to take it to the dealership unless they have a tech bullitin about it.

Any suggestions?

roadtalontsi

If you are wanting a bulletin on tpms you'll be waiting a life time. Do you want a bulletin for changing oil before you bring it to someone lol. It's probably a dead sensor. Your car is an 09' most likely 08' production making it a good 6yrs old - the batteries in the sensors. They are rated for 96 months new, however in those last few years of life they start acting up. pulling fuses isnt going to fix your problem.

builthatch

who replaced the tire? i would start there. if the car had no TPMS issue for the last six years and then a few weeks after a tire is changed, there is a sensor inactive issue...that's fishy. it could also have nothing to do with it, but the timing is interesting.

i'm curious who your reply is to since the guy above said his car is an '08.

roadtalontsi

both of yall, Both of your cars are getting a little old. look at the sticker on the b pillar where the drivers door is, that shows the production year and month if you are curious. I've seen 03' model cars produced in early 2001, they just sat a long time on the docks or customs. Probably a sensor taking a crap. You can also try letting all the air out and re-airing the tire up. The pressure sensors start transmitting with a large change in pressure. (supposed to be asleep while sitting in storage on the parts shelves and wake up when pressurized) Rotation is also supposed to wake them up as well which yours doesnt seem to be responding to.

builthatch

this thread is almost a year and a half old. my problem was fixed by the dealership 5/1/13 - they applied a TSB re: a ground being moved for the TPMS control module in the trunk and the issue has never resurfaced.

roadtalontsi

ya im retarded. i dont look at dates. Im not used to people bumping old *** threads no one ever does that except on this board lol.

builthatch

it's ok. i figured that was what was going on

i notice that on lower traffic forums like this, that happens pretty often. and i'm totally cool with it...because it shows the poster searched.

i was a global moderator on the largest honda forum on the web, which had massive amounts of traffic. when someone would post a question, invariably someone would reply "SEARCH", haha...mainly because no matter what question was asked, there was definitely another thread about that very subject.