Hi,

I have the TPMS light on. Tire pressure is good. I suspect failing battery in TPMS because they are 15 years old. I have iCarsoft MB v2.0, but I don't have the TPMS menu under the Service tab. iCarsoft's website says that v3.0 can work with TPMS.

How can I read TPMS voltages and reprogram new serial numbers? Is there a way to enable TPMS service in iCarsoft v2.0, but firmware/software upgrade? Should I buy v3.0 and sell v2.0? Is there a better way to reprogram TPMSs?

Can I replace batteries in existing TPMS or is it too much trouble? Then I would not need to reprogram anything. I have a spare set of TPMS for Toyota that I haven't used. They are 315 Mhz. Will they work? The battery is spot welded on them.

Thanks.

 

15 years is exceptional -- on average about 9 years is what you can expect. Batteries cannot be replaced -- they're molded into the sensor. Most tire shops can install new sensors -- call around and get some quotes.

 

Is there an inexpensive tool to verify the battery voltage in these sensors? Will Autel TS508 or similar show me the voltage? Do OEM Mercedes TPMSs support voltage read function? I've done it on a Toyota using Techstream, but I doubt it will work on a Mercedes. I have the TPMS light on, but I am not sure about the cause. I know that the tire pressure is good. Actually, the light went off after I overfilled each tire to +3 psi (34 and 38 psi, for front and rear, respectively, instead of 31 and 35 per spec), but the light was on with tires filled to spec pressure.

Do I need to buy the OEM sensors or any 315 Mhz sensors would work? I have PMV-C010 made by Pacific. Will they work?

I was able to read some information from TPMS system with iCarSoft MB v2.0. I've got 4 serial numbers (3x7-characters and for some reason 1x8-characters). It says the Antenna is 315 Mhz, it shows pressure to each tire (2.2-2.5 bars), and it shows temperature (~10c), but no voltage. There were no error codes reported by iCarsoft. I tried clearing error codes anyway, but it did not reset the light. I also tried driving around, but the light stayed on. After I overfilled the tires, the light went off. iCarSoft said that MB v.2.0 cannot program new sensors.

 

The problem is that even if the TPMS sensors had a means of measuring their battery level, once the battery depletes and the sensor can no longer send pressure information, it can't send battery level information either. So if your sensors are 9 years old or more and you can't read pressure, then you can assume the batteries are shot.

Go to tpms.com and you can shop by vehicle, model and year to find out what you need. The tires need to be partially removed (the bead seal needs to be unseated) from the wheels to remove the old sensors and install the new ones. If you buy a set online and carry them in to a tire shop, you'll likely be charged for installation unless you bought your tires there. If you buy the sensors at the tire shop, the sensors might cost more, but installation is likely included. The tire shop will also register the new sensor IDs in the TPMS system and calibrate the pressure settings. Call a couple shops and find out what the best deal will be.