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TPMS Warning Shows Wrong Pressure

4.3K views 9 replies 3 participants last post by  Matt-In-AZ  
#1 · (Edited)
2019 Pacifica L Gas. Slightly lower morning temperatures today, circa 54F. My wife made a quick errand of about a mile and called me, saying that the tire pressure warning turned on. The LR tire was indicating 30 PSI, all the others were at 31 PSI. Tires are Pirelli Scorpion AS-5, 235/65-17.

So I turned on my BAAC (Big A** Air Compressor) and got the hoses ready. Here are the actual results from two known good gauges before bringing pressures up to 40 PSI.
  • RF 38 PSI
  • RR 39 PSI
  • LF 38 PSI
  • RR 39 PSI (Edit: I meant LR)
The TPMS readings on the instrument panel screen were clearly wrong. Is there a way to recalibrate the car's system so the reading more closely approach reality?
 
#3 ·
I generally agree, but a reading of over 1-4 PSI cold to warm is normal. Anything beyond that and I would say they are reading incorrectly. If I understand the OP correctly, the dash reading was 30 PSI when the gauge readings were 38-39 PSI. That is outside the normal IMO.

To the OP, I believe the low pressure warning is modifiable with AlfaOBD, if you are comfortable knowing the variance of the OEM TPMS is off, you can lower the threshold.
 
#4 ·
Driving the 3/4 at 54F mile that her errand entailed seems terribly unlikely to cause the pressures to increase by 9 PSI. Also, I edited my original post to fix the typo about the LR pressure.

This is not the first time that I've seen the pressure difference between the TPMS indication and known good gauges. It's just the first time I have asked about it.
 
#6 ·
AlfaOBD. Which means a trip to the dealer. Not a big deal. Something to add to the next visit.

Here in this part of Arizona, "cold inflation" is a moving target. Checking tire pressure at 0600 can be at 32F or 109F. 35 PSIG at those variations means different things.

Many years ago, I was responsible for an equipment trailer that ran LT245/75-16E tires. We normally kept those tires at 70 PSIG in a garage climate-controlled to 85F. There came a day when the garage needed work, so we moved the trailer to a covered spot where the ambient temperature was 112F. If I recall correctly, that 70 PSIG rose to about 80 PSIG over the space of six hours.
 
#7 ·
AlfaOBD. Which means a trip to the dealer. Not a big deal. Something to add to the next visit.

Here in this part of Arizona, "cold inflation" is a moving target. Checking tire pressure at 0600 can be at 32F or 109F. 35 PSIG at those variations means different things.

Many years ago, I was responsible for an equipment trailer that ran LT245/75-16E tires. We normally kept those tires at 70 PSIG in a garage climate-controlled to 85F. There came a day when the garage needed work, so we moved the trailer to a covered spot where the ambient temperature was 112F. If I recall correctly, that 70 PSIG rose to about 80 PSIG over the space of six hours.
Purchasing AlfaOBD and a compatible adapter should put you right at the cost or under of a dealer visit. Many dealers charge their minimum rate for these things, I think my dealership is up to $169 minimum to look at a vehicle for a non-warranty issue. Just food for thought...might even be a forum member near you willing to help that already has AlfaOBD!
 
#8 ·
I'm looking for suggestions for AlfaOBD devices. Stand-alone or Android-connecting. Based on what I have seen, I am willing to pay up to maybe $500 if the device will also communicate with a Subaru.
 
#9 ·
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I'm looking for suggestions for AlfaOBD devices. Stand-alone or Android-connecting. Based on what I have seen, I am willing to pay up to maybe $500 if the device will also communicate with a Subaru.
Any android device will do, I recommend Android over Windows as it seems to have less issues with compatibility and is more portable. If you don't have an Android phone, you can use an old phone or tablet (or a friends who is willing to part with it). I recommend OBDLink MX+ (just missed the holiday sale which is about the only time they can be had for under $100) as it is the most compatible and feature rich OBDII adapter but you can start with cheap OBDII readers for around $15 that will work for much of the programming that can be done with AlfaOBD. If your vehicle is a 2018+ model year, you will need a security gateway module bypass adapter as well.

AlfaOBD

OBD Link MX+

SGM Bypass

Cheaper OBDII adapter that worked for my 2014 Ram

The issue with cheaper OBDII adapters is that sometimes other adapters have to be used in conjunction with them to properly communicate with certain modules on the CANBUS. The OBDLink MX + intelligently switches these pins for you logically prior to connecting to specific modules. In addition, some OBDII adapters have a baudrate that is too slow to successfully connect to some modules and make changes. That being said, the cheap one Iinked to allowed me to change many settings on my 2014 Ram and even program mileage/engine hours in the odometer of an upgraded replacement cluster.

AlfaOBD works across all Stellantis vehicles and is not tied to a specific VIN. One license essentially has unlimited uses and is tied to your Google Play account.