Tyre Pressure monitoring

jonnyhtfc90

Active Member
Jul 8, 2016
4
0
Hello all,

Having trouble with the tyre pressure monitoring system on my 2014 Leon...

The system is constantly going into error mode. Not telling me that any pressures have changed, just saying Error and the light on the dash flashes. Checking pressures and resetting the system fixes it for a few days but the error always comes back. I've suspected that the system in my car doesn't work properly since it failed to detect a completely deflated tyre with a nail in it, but still, has anyone else experienced this?
 

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Hello all,

Having trouble with the tyre pressure monitoring system on my 2014 Leon...

The system is constantly going into error mode. Not telling me that any pressures have changed, just saying Error and the light on the dash flashes. Checking pressures and resetting the system fixes it for a few days but the error always comes back. I've suspected that the system in my car doesn't work properly since it failed to detect a completely deflated tyre with a nail in it, but still, has anyone else experienced this?

The system does not actually measure tyre pressure.

It uses the ABS sensors to measure wheel speed and compare it to the other wheels.

The theory being that an underinflated tyre is smaller diameter and will turn faster than the others.
 

Big Col

Active Member
Nov 5, 2013
626
89
North Ayrshire
Hi,

no experience of errors but the system on my previous SEAT, an Ibiza, was pretty poor. It never detected a soft tyre and even driving on a total flat it only came on after about 5 miles.

Yet, every time I got new tyres fitted it was on immediately.
 

Cuprobbie

Active Member
May 4, 2016
91
26
Hamilton
I found it to be almost useless.

I detected a flat rear tyre by the strange handling of the car way before the system alerted me.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
I've found the system fairly untrustworthy. It has flagged up a tyre that was low but it can totally miss it at other times. It is certainly no substitute for checking your tyres.

It's a kid-on tyre monitor and one that can give people a false sense of security.
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
It pinged up on my Leon almost a year ago...and it was correct...right rear had a puncture (nail) and it was reading 20PSI on the handheld tyre pressure checker, while others were all 30+ PSI...

Now I have an Ibiza with 17 inch (40 profile) rims, so normal pressure is mid 30s for fronts and low 30s for rear...warning pinged up the other day...I thought :censored: only had it 2 months and tyre puncture again!!! pulled over at service station with air facility (in case) to see if anything is amiss, checked with my tyre pressure checker, all tyres ok...so I just set tyre pressure on car, and left it, hasn't pinged since.

It was snowing that day though..and -2 outside on summer tyres...

So yea it's a bit hit and miss...
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Oh no, this is something that I didn't want to read about, so I'd better pretend that I did not read this!

Seriously though, it does sound like this "indirect" TPMS thing does lose its data when the car is stopped, so can take a few miles to confirm that a tyre has got flat maybe overnight - correct me if I'm wrong!

But this is all meant to be good as you will get a warning, pity about the timing though! My 2011 Audi S4 does not have a dip stick for checking engine oil level, which is brilliant - except, if you are being clever and want to check the oil level, the plan is, start car and drive for about 5 miles, stop and wait 5 minutes, switch on ignition and request an oil level reading - now how "brilliant" is that!!

Knowing about this system's limitations, I bought a dipstick before I collected that car - but as time moves on, the engines will get built in a way that does not let you wind the clock back and go all retro, in fact some later cars with this system would require you to cut up the engine cover or air cleaner to fit a dip stick in, if indeed you did manage to buy one of the correct length!

MOT people world wide must be quite happy with these indirect TPMS as they are becoming mandated in quite a few countries. The "better" direct TPMS versions also have their limitations and are very fragile and expensive to replace wheel units that have failed or have been trashed during a tyre repair/replacement - I've heard, some time ago, that if you had a puncture and it was known that TPMS wheel sensors were fitted, a lot of tyre places would trash that tyre and replace it to avoid costly wheel unit damage!

Edit:- I think that in some places, all cars are being fitted with direct TPMS - this seems to be true as at least most parts cats I have looked at (VW group) include the parts listing for a direct TPMS where we in UK seem to only get indirect TPMS.
 
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trebor

Active Member
Dec 13, 2014
231
29
Worcester
I have found the system to work reasonably well on the Leon.
I had it ping up about a week after I'd had the Cupra. Checked pressures and the front left was about 5 psi down on the others. Had a good look around tyre and couldn't see anything so I put some air in thinking I'd monitor it over a couple of days. RESET system and it pinged again about a week later - again about 5 psi down on the others, so I took the wheel off and tried the bowl of water with a bit of washing up liquid - no signs of any leak. Turned out to be a very slow leak on the valve and a quarter turn on the valve core fixed it.

I check my pressure reasonably regularly and I'm quite happy that the system flags up with approx 5 psi difference.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
It's not unusual for tyres to loose air slowly over time. If both tyres on an axle loose a similar amount of air the Leon system can't detect it.
 

Seastormer

Cupra Leon VZ2 300/CBF1000
Apr 25, 2014
5,007
693
68
Edinburgh (Scotland)
It's not unusual for tyres to loose air slowly over time. If both tyres on an axle loose a similar amount of air the Leon system can't detect it.

Yeh. but if you are doing your normal fortnightly tyre pressure checks you would pick that up. The system is for a single tyre leak/puncture, and would be very unusual getting two same axle tyres punctured at the same time, so in theory should warn of a one tyre difference. I have had no false warnings, and always reset the system after adding any air or getting new tyres fitted.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Yeh. but if you are doing your normal fortnightly tyre pressure checks you would pick that up. The system is for a single tyre leak/puncture, and would be very unusual getting two same axle tyres punctured at the same time, so in theory should warn of a one tyre difference. I have had no false warnings, and always reset the system after adding any air or getting new tyres fitted.

Fair comments, what I expect from TPMS is that it will give you early warning of a tyre deflating while you are driving, the rest of the essential car checks can be carried out as before TPMS came along!
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Yeh. but if you are doing your normal fortnightly tyre pressure checks you would pick that up. The system is for a single tyre leak/puncture, and would be very unusual getting two same axle tyres punctured at the same time..

Yes, fair point. When I first got the car I assumed I wouldn't have to check the tyre pressures. Mistake, but one I cash see a lot of people masking.
 

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Strange - I have the opposite experience to many others.

I check pressures every two weeks and then set the pressure monitor in the MFD.

Twice in the last 12 months - the warning has come up when the offending tyre with a nail in it was only 4psi below the set pressure.
( two different tyres and both have been fixed since - no more warnings have come up )
 
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danlock92

Active Member
Apr 15, 2016
14
0
Mine is useless on my 2016 1.4 150. Always telling me my front tyres are low. Took it to Seat, they swapped front to back and back to front, back tyres started alerting me to low pressure. Would check the pressures and they were totally fine. Swapped the fronts and backs to original and the fault moved back to the front. Had all my tyres checked and all are ok with no punctures/foreign objects. Guess it's just something I'll have to live with!
 

DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Mine is useless on my 2016 1.4 150. Always telling me my front tyres are low. Took it to Seat, they swapped front to back and back to front, back tyres started alerting me to low pressure. Would check the pressures and they were totally fine. Swapped the fronts and backs to original and the fault moved back to the front. Had all my tyres checked and all are ok with no punctures/foreign objects. Guess it's just something I'll have to live with!


Are you checking your tyre pressures when they are COLD ?

After setting them - Do you go in to the screen and reset the tyre pressure monitor ?

Mine has been as good as I could expect at spotting a puncture.
 

danlock92

Active Member
Apr 15, 2016
14
0
Are you checking your tyre pressures when they are COLD ?

After setting them - Do you go in to the screen and reset the tyre pressure monitor ?

Mine has been as good as I could expect at spotting a puncture.

Yep been checking them cold every 2 weeks (ish), have also been resetting the alert - almost on a daily basis!
 
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DEAN0

Old Git
Feb 1, 2006
5,288
300
Preston - UK
Yep been checking them cold every 2 weeks (ish), have also been resetting the alert - almost on a daily basis!

Very odd because the system uses the ABS wheel sensors to compare wheel speeds.
Not sure how the ABS is working properly if the same sensors are playing up for the tyre pressure system.
 

Love-Cupra

Active Member
Jul 29, 2016
75
0
Netherlands
Very odd because the system uses the ABS wheel sensors to compare wheel speeds.
Not sure how the ABS is working properly if the same sensors are playing up for the tyre pressure system.



To share my expriences, sofar, only one ping in my LEON and a correct one too as one tyre
with low pressure.
If the ABS sensor will "see" which wheel is low, why not state this in the display ??
Seems a whole lot more easy and nearly no extra cost

My VW Golf was also so fitted with the TPM and hardly alarm, once pinged underway and as I
did not feel anything just completed the last 3 minutes. Could not see any problem and kicking
also did not reveal a thing, but after 30 minutes I returned and a flat. Garage found a nail
in it, so the TPMS was very correct - spot on.
 
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