Tire pressure sensor fault.

[Guest]

Today, in my 2013 ffe I got a message in the left side of the dash that says "tire pressure sensor fault" and the little tire icon is blinking. I can hit ok to dismiss the message but the icon persists. Ive stopped and started the car a few times and the message comes back. I checked my tires and they all read 32 lbs. Perhaps a bit low but I dont think it would cause a fault. I checked with forscan and I can read the pressure of all 4 tires no problem so it must be working. It does also indicate that there is a fault present. I have no cheap phone chargers or other sources of interferance in the car. I hooked up an obd2 code reader that I have to try and clear the codes but it wont connect but Ive read that the ev is not compatible with those readers and causes the link error. Does forscan have the ability to clear codes? I also learned that the car does not like it when you start it with something plugged into the obd2 connector. Yikes, I got an ssn triangle and a traction control error and a bunch of beeps. Scary stuff. I had read thaat someone tried one of those progressive insurance safe driver dongles in their ffe and had the same results. So, anyway, if I can read all the pressures then why the fault?

 

[EVA]

If you have the TPMS pairing tool, you might try pairing the sensors again. Kind of like rebooting the computer.

 

[triangles]

Yes forscan can clear all the DTCs.

 

[Guest]

Thanks all. I dont have the tool but Im gonna clear all the codes. There are a bunch left over from when the 12v battery was replaced. Is there a way to retrain the tpms without the tool on the ffe? Do you think that the pressure at 32-34 psi would cause a fault?

 

[Guest]

So, I cleared all my old codes with forscan. Except for the tpms code which cant be cleared because its still active. So I filled the tires to 38 psi. Im watching the pressures go up with forscan and the system seems to be working. I get to the right rear and it does not move off of 31.5. I fill it to 38, check it with my digital gauge and its still showing 31.5. It seems to be stuck or something. I guess its showing the last pressure before it went bad. Im still bumper to bumper covered on the car. Do you think this is covered? Btw, forscan is a really neat tool. It takes a little bit of figuring out but lots of good useful stuff in there.

 

[Pearl]

Sounds like a bad Sensor. Warranty item.

 

[EVA]

Agree, trip to the dealer, warranty coverage.

As far as I know there is no way to pair TPMS without the tool. Even with the tool, the procedure is horribly complicated (press this button, press that pedal, turn this here, do that, do this thing, and then that - all within 3 seconds of each other; and then go to each tire and press the program button until the horn honks) I made up that procedure, but it isn't far from what you have to do.

 

[Pearl]

It's actually fairly easy to program the TPMS Sensors if you have the tool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uo8KcY_Q-0

 

[FiSh]

Pretty sure you can program without a tool. Here're steps that I found:
If your vehicle has push-button ignition:

1) Make sure all tires are inflated to the vehicle's recommended inflation pressures (found in the owner's manual on the door placard)
2) Make sure the ignition button is OFF then press and release the brake pedal
3) Hold the ignition button down for 2 seconds, release it, and then tap the button once. The vehicle should be OFF. Hold the ignition button down for another two seconds, release it, and then tap the button once
4) Hold the ignition button down for two seconds again. The vehicle should be in RUN mode, engine off
5) Press and release the brake pedal
6) Tap the ignition button once so the vehicle is OFF
7) Hold the ignition button down for 2 seconds, release it, and then tap the button once. The vehicle should be OFF. Hold the ignition button down for another two seconds, release it, and then tap the button once
8) Hold the ignition button down for two seconds again. The vehicle should be in RUN mode, engine off
9) The horn should sound letting you know the vehicle has entered into TPMS relearn mode
10) Starting with the driver;s side front tire, activate the TPM sensor by deflating the tire for 10 seconds. Wait for the horn honk to confirm that the sensor has been registered to the vehicle. It may take up to 20 seconds for the horn to honk
11) Once the horn sounds, move on to the passenger side front tire and repeat the process. Each tire should only take 30 seconds or less.
12) After the passenger side front tire has been learned, continue on to the passenger side rear tire and finishing with the driver's side rear tire
13) You may now turn the ignition to OFF. If the horn does not sound, the sensors were learned successfully. If the horn sounds twice, then the process must be repeated because there was a malfunction
14) Make sure all tires, including the spare (if equipped) are inflated to the vehicle's recommended inflation pressures

 

[triangles]

I don't know much about how the TPMS works on the FFE but this looks like it could be an easy way to "clone" your TPMS so you can switch between summer and winter sets of tires without having to do anything every time you change a set of tires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6p6xV4PlHc

 

[Pearl]

I don't know much about how the TPMS works on the FFE but this looks like it could be an easy way to "clone" your TPMS so you can switch between summer and winter sets of tires without having to do anything every time you change a set of tires.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6p6xV4PlHc

This is true, you can have both summer and winter tire TPMS paired to the car, but if you want to use an OBD tool, such as FORScan, and you want to see individual tire pressures, then you DO need to do the procedure so the car know the location (FR, FL, RR, RL) of each tire.

 

[triangles]

So if you don't do the procedure and you rotate your tires (ie. swap front to back) and you get a flat rear tire the car will think it has a flat front? Sorry if this is a stupid question. I really do not know how the TPMS works on the FFE.

I guess what I'm trying to understand is if I never intend to use forscan for looking at the TPMS info then it really doesn't matter. Right?

 

[FiSh]

FFE does not show which tire has low pressure, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Pearl]

Correct. If you don't care where the specific low pressure warning is coming from, then no need to re-learn the positions at a tire rotation. The warning light on the dash only indicates that one (or more) of the tires is below pressure. You have to figure out which one on your own.

 

[EVA]

And, if you have winter tires, there is no need reprogram every time you switch tires. The car remembers both sets of TPMS sensors.

 

[Anti_Climax]

press and release the brake pedal three times, turn the key to the run position, repeat, and then finish in the run position.

I wonder how to do it when there is no key.

 

[Blajanfire]

Hello everyone. I just bought a 2017 ford focus electric and it had the low tire pressure light on. I put air in the tires, still on. I figured I had bad tires so ignore it because I live in the snow belt and put new winter tires on today. The low tire pressure warning light is still on. What gives?! I can’t figure out how to reset it either. Should I take my car to a Ford dealership? Would something like this be covered on the battery warranty? I have 48,000 miles on my car.

 

[shaq3six]

Hello everyone. I just bought a 2017 ford focus electric and it had the low tire pressure light on. I put air in the tires, still on. I figured I had bad tires so ignore it because I live in the snow belt and put new winter tires on today. The low tire pressure warning light is still on. What gives?! I can’t figure out how to reset it either. Should I take my car to a Ford dealership? Would something like this be covered on the battery warranty? I have 48,000 miles on my car.

I have same issue with FFE 2015. I found a procedure on YouTube to reset; but never did.

 

[Blajanfire]

I have same issue with FFE 2015. I found a procedure on YouTube to reset; but never did.

What is the YouTube link? All I’m finding is how to do it on the ICE version of my car.