What Is a TPMS Programming Tool?

In the EU, car manufacturers are legally required to fit all new vehicles they sell with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Initially, this law only covered passenger vehicles when it was rolled out in 2014. However, a new regulation was passed that makes it mandatory for new SUVs and commercial vehicles to be equipped with a TPMS by 2022.

What exactly is the TPMS? It is a technology that monitors your tire pressure and warns you about underinflated or overinflated wheels. Having the right tire pressure is good for fuel economy and your vehicle’s performance. More importantly, it is essential in preventing accidents and keeping you safe while you’re on the road.

Indirect & Direct TPMS

Before we talk about the TPMS programming tool, let us discuss about the two kinds of TPMS. The first one is the indirect TPMS which computes tire pressure through the rotation speed of the wheels as the car is running.

An underinflated tire has a higher rotation speed as compared to other tires despite travelling the same distance. However, if all tires are equally underinflated, it will not be detected by the indirect TPMS sensor. This is one of the reasons why manufacturers now prefer the other type of tire pressure monitoring system, the direct TPMS.

Majority of new vehicles use the direct TPMS due to its accuracy. In this type, TPMS sensors mounted inside the wheels monitor the tire pressure and temperature.

The sensors send the signal to the engine control unit (ECU), which functions like the brain of your vehicle’s engine. Then, the information is displayed on your car’s dashboard, specifically the warning light that looks like an underlined exclamation point between parentheses.

TPMS Programming Tool: What It Is & How It Works

A TPMS programming tool is used to program TPMS direct sensors before they are installed in your car. This device is typically used when installing new TPMS sensors, particularly after-market programmable or configurable ones.

The tool ensures that your sensors are programmed to your car’s specific make, model and year. Remember, these programmable sensors do not contain any pre-written protocols. Hence, you need to configure them to match your vehicle’s specifications.

You should not confuse the TPMS programming tool with the TPMS relearning tool as they are completely different but equally useful.

The relearning tool is used when you install new sensors or rotate your tires. It is named as such because the ECU relearns the location of the new sensors as well as their protocols. The device pings the sensor, so the ECU can connect with it.

TPMS Programming Tool: Does It Prevent Sensor Malfunction?

The TPMS programming tool is a very useful device, one that ensures that the sensors work properly.

However, it does not prevent them from malfunctioning.

There are a variety of reasons why sensors may stop working properly. Some of the most common causes are physical damage to the sensor caused by a simple tire change and sensor’s battery ran out. When these situations happen, your TPMS warning light turns on even if your tire is not underinflated or overinflated.

Cases wherein a vehicle shows a low tire pressure warning sans any tire pressure problem is not uncommon. Many car owners find this very inconvenient and even annoying. Hence, some of them opt to use a TPMS bypass emulator to avoid this pesky issue.

Some choose to bypass the TPMS to cut down on expenses as replacing the sensors or having them programmed can be expensive.

This device works by disabling or resetting the vehicle’s dash light indicator without having to remove or replace any part of your car. Currently, trusted manufacturers have TPMS bypass emulators that work on different make and model of vehicles.

If you are tired of dealing with TPMS issues like programming your sensors, you can do the same thing – install a TPMS bypass emulator. After all, as long as you are diligent in monitoring your vehicle’s tire pressure and knowledgeable about tire pressure issues, the TPMS is just a nice add-on to your car’s capabilities and not an essential device.

Want to learn more about bypassing your TPMS? We’d be happy to talk about our high quality TPMS bypass emulators. Call us today on UK: +44(0) 77 837 25020 or IRL: +353(0)83 847 8878.