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My experience with 07 TPMS

kmeleon

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
78
Hey guys,

I installed my 20's on my Av yesterday and wanted to post about my experience as I think it may clear up alot of issues people are having. I bought my wheels and tires mounted and balanced with TPMS sensors  (Shrader 315 MHZ part #RBBRGM1 15254101)installed from Tire Rack. After installing I went for a 20 mile ride or so, about half way into the ride the alarm came up about "Service TPMS System". So I let it go for the night. THis morning I figured I would relearn each sensor (never even messed with it after installing them) to get it working again. So I followed the instructions in the owners manual to the "T" and could not get the system to recognize any of the new sensors. I tried inflating, deflating, a little of both etc. etc. Nothing worked. So I called Tire Rack to see what they had to say. They told me to take it to my delaer and they could probably help me, if not call them back. So I called my dealer (it was 11:55am, they close at 12pm) and talked to the Service Mgr. He told me about a "nightmare" he had with a customers 07 Tahoe a few months back where they had to change a BCM before they got it to recongize the new sensors :eek:. He told me he would look at it and try to get it to relearn and that it would cost $25 if it went easy. If it was more than that it could be $100's!!! I figured before I do that I would go to a few Tire Rack installers in the area.

I went to the closest one where I knew a guy from high school who still worked there. They had a green activation tool  there they brought out but it wouldn't even see the sensor. At this point I started to think that Tire Rack didn't even install the sensors. They took it in and put it on a rack to mess with it a bit. They got the system to recognize the front 2 sensors but not the rear 2. I wasn't actually in there with them so thats what they told me anyway. So I left at that point and took the truck to another installer where another old buddy of mine still works.

This place is a little bigger and is in more of a city area where they probably see more aftermarket rims. They immediately said they can do it. Their tech walks out with a pinkish red scan tool and I'm thinking here we go again, but this one actually started beeping and lighting up!!! :D So they did all 4 and their tool recognized the signals they were putting out. We then put it into Relearn mode, and he walked around each tire in order of the manual with his tool. Each time his tool picked up the signal the trucks horn honked!!! When he finished the Left Rear it honked twice. We turned the truck off and then started it and it was seeing all 4 tires and the correct tire pressures! So its working!!!

What I'm wondering now is whether or not this is a one time deal and from here on out I can use the procedure in the owners manual or if everytime I change rims (I'm going to switch to the 17's in winter and the 20's in the summer) I'll have to go to this place to use their scan tool?

Anybody have any thoughts? Pics soon to follow, these things look sick! :wave:



 
Oh what a great feeling when things work out after the "all hope is lost" feeling.    :E:  I'm still running stock 18s on the 07 Z71 and I think I will stay with those for a while. 
 
I'm glad that worked out for you, kmeleon. I'm wondering what my guys did at Tire Engineers here in town, cause I haven't had one problem so far. I went from 17s to 20s. I had mine installed in December of last year and never had a problem. Never got an error message or anything...anyway, glad you got it working right.  >:D
 
To be honest with you Cop, once I got them on and seen how good they looked I figured I'd have issues :E: I'm just trying to help pass the technical info along to make the next guys trip a little easier. The TPMS is actually a pretty cool thing, it amazes me and I'm an Elecronics Tech :D Hopefully now that they've been activated once my truck will see them easier next time.
 
I just bought an 07 avalanche and I am new to this whole tpms concept. I have 22's I plan to install which came off my last truck. What happens if you install rims with no TPMS sensors, Does the truck complain, how often does it complain, can you disable the TPMS alarms or disable the entire TPMS mode all together. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
502ss
 
Congrats on the purchase, if you decide to install the new wheels without sensors the truck will "complain" every time you start the truck. It will be the first and the default message on your DIC. You will also have a yellow flat tire alarm on your dash. To my knowledge you cannot disable the alarm, although you could pull the bulb or cut the wire on the dashboard to the flat tire alarm.
 
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