Tire Pressure Light Reset

[bobb25]

I have a 2009 Legacy with 47K original miles. I keep the tires at the recommended pressure, but the TPMS light has been staying on. I had the sensors checked at two different places and both places said the sensors are good. The internet says I should reset the light by pushing the button below the steering wheel, but I can't find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. TIA Bob Edited December 11, 2021 by bobb25

[apexi]

I can't offer much help, but it wouldn't surprise me if 1 or more sensors is dead. When the sensors in both my winter wheels and oem wheels went bad, the batteries still showed up as "good" or "ok" when I checked them with an autel tpms tool. New sensors in my oem wheels fixed the problem for me. Never got around to dismounting and installing new sensors in my winter wheels. Edit: I'm not aware of any button to reset the tpms light.

[Pleides]

Did you check your spare tire? There may be a sensor there, not too uncommon.

 

If you can find the button on the steering wheel then it would likely be in the glove compartment or, if your car has one, in the infotainment system.

[bobb25]

Did you check your spare tire? There may be a sensor there, not too uncommon.

 

If you can find the button on the steering wheel then it would likely be in the glove compartment or, if your car has one, in the infotainment system.

Thanks for your reply. The spare just has a regular tire stem with no sensor.

 

There's no reset button on or around the steering wheel, and none in the glove compartment either (I've triple-checked all over). It's a 2009 Legacy and has no infotainment system.

[Max Capacity]

FWIW, I put a piece of black electrical tape over that light on the dash a week after having four new tires mounted 4 or five years ago. Two of the sensors had dead batteries. No way was I paying that much money for something you don't need.

 

You don't need this system to drive the car, tape works great.

[bobb25]

I can't offer much help, but it wouldn't surprise me if 1 or more sensors is dead. When the sensors in both my winter wheels and oem wheels went bad, the batteries still showed up as "good" or "ok" when I checked them with an autel tpms tool. New sensors in my oem wheels fixed the problem for me. Never got around to dismounting and installing new sensors in my winter wheels. Edit: I'm not aware of any button to reset the tpms light.

Thanks for your reply. Are you saying there are two parts to the sensor and the Autel only checks for a good battery?

[Max Capacity]

I think he's saying that tool didn't show the real issue. Sounds like he replaced all four sensors ?

 

I had a Professional tire and wheel shop tell me I had two dead sensors, in tires I just paid to have mounted a week earlier. I wasn't about to pay all that money to replace the sensors.

[apexi]

Basically I think my tpms tool was telling me the batteries in the sensors were good, when they were not.

 

Around 2017 my oem wheels with oem sensors started to give me the tpms light when my pressures were all fine. When I checked with my tpms tool, it claimed all the batteries were good, and that it could read info from the sensors, as shown in the attached example image I stole from a tacoma forum. After like 9 years and 220k, I knew my car wasn't lying. So I blindly bought some cheap sensors on rockauto clearance, had them installed next year when I had the tires replaced, and the new sensors fixed my issue.

 

A couple years later, the same thing started to happen with my winter wheels/tires which had aftermarket sensors that were about 7 years old. Same story, tpms tool says all the batteries are "OK" and it can talk to the sensors. I do vaguely recall that both times, one or two of the tire pressures displayed in the tool was off a bit, indicating to me that there might be an issue with the sensors. I'm horrible at explaining things, sorry if it's still not clear.

[silverton]

The batteries in these sensors are only good for a max of 10 years. You're at 12. As far as I know, there is no driver accessible button to reset tpms. a tool is required.

 

While I understand where Max is coming from, there are two sides to the coin, I want every thing in my car to function as it did when new. If there is something that doesn't function, it's a broken car.

[Max Capacity]

The batteries in these sensors are only good for a max of 10 years. You're at 12. As far as I know, there is no driver accessible button to reset tpms. a tool is required.

 

While I understand where Max is coming from, there are two sides to the coin, I want every thing in my car to function as it did when new. If there is something that doesn't function, it's a broken car.

 

 

I remember the reason we have TPMS. I didn't agree with it back then and still don't.

 

But I'm a car guy, and can feel when something isn't right with my car. But in the interest of safety and soccer mom's, we all have to put up with TPMS.

 

 

For those that want to get new sensors, I would think the tire shop would reset the light for free.

[dgoodhue]

I remember the reason we have TPMS. I didn't agree with it back then and still don't.

 

But I'm a car guy, and can feel when something isn't right with my car. But in the interest of safety and soccer mom's, we all have to put up with TPMS.

 

 

For those that want to get new sensors, I would think the tire shop would reset the light for free.

 

I found many shops charge for programming the sensors and/or charge an exorbitant amount for the sensors.

[bobb25]

Big thanks to everyone for your comments.

 

I took the car to a different tire shop. They used an Autel MaxiTPMS TS608 and it showed the right front sensor was bad. I had them replace it and the light has stayed off.

Edited December 22, 2021 by bobb25

[Max Capacity]

Can you please tell us what it cost to have it replaced ?

[bobb25]

Can you please tell us what it cost to have it replaced ?

The invoice said $89.99 for the MX1 sensor + $2.70 for 'Misc shop supplies' + $5.56 PA tax, for a total of $98.25. There was no breakdown for labor.

[Max Capacity]

Thank You.