Problem when training tire pressure sensors
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Problem when training tire pressure sensors
My left front tire pressure sensor died on me a few weeks ago (13 years old and 127,000 miles, not bad!) so I had a new one installed the other day. Today I go about re training it, and it was the first one in the sequence and the horn honked immediately when I put the magnet near it so the new one is good. But when I go to train the right front, it just won't train! The rear ones both train fine. What I don't understand is why that right front sensor won't train when it's been working fine all along (was working right before I trained it!) Has this ever happened to anyone else? Does that mean that sensor cannot ever be re trained, even though it was transmitting just fine before I tried the re training procedure? Will a sensor with a weak (but not yet totally dead) battery simply not re train? It's also one of the original sensors, along with one of the two rear ones too (yes, I had three original sensors still, which is pretty amazing when you think about it!)
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
I'm not sure how much stronger of a magnet I can find, I was at a friends house and he had a bunch of very huge magnets on the bottom of some tool trays (for keeping nuts and bolts in place) and he also had a couple of old speakers with big magnets too. With all of the magnets we tried, 3 of the sensors would train within a second or two, so I'm thinking those magnets were about as strong as I'm gonna find.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Its not a problem I've heard here before.
If the front left is beeping it means you're getting into the programming sequence so I'd say its not the magnet on this occasion. If all but one sensor trains then I'd suspect that that specific sensor is bad. I just don't know why you're not getting XXX on that sensor on the DIC. Is it still giving a reading of pressure even though it wont train? Run the car for a couple of miles and see if it gives a reading. You'd think it would transmit its old data if it hasn't been recalibrated. Bear in mind that training is just telling it where it sits on the car. It already knows its a TPS. As you say, maybe just enough to send a signal of sorts but not enough to train.
If it was me I'd replace all the original sensors now. 13/127k is almost a record I'd say.
If the front left is beeping it means you're getting into the programming sequence so I'd say its not the magnet on this occasion. If all but one sensor trains then I'd suspect that that specific sensor is bad. I just don't know why you're not getting XXX on that sensor on the DIC. Is it still giving a reading of pressure even though it wont train? Run the car for a couple of miles and see if it gives a reading. You'd think it would transmit its old data if it hasn't been recalibrated. Bear in mind that training is just telling it where it sits on the car. It already knows its a TPS. As you say, maybe just enough to send a signal of sorts but not enough to train.
If it was me I'd replace all the original sensors now. 13/127k is almost a record I'd say.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
If the front left is beeping it means you're getting into the programming sequence so I'd say its not the magnet on this occasion. If all but one sensor trains then I'd suspect that that specific sensor is bad. I just don't know why you're not getting XXX on that sensor on the DIC. Is it still giving a reading of pressure even though it wont train? Run the car for a couple of miles and see if it gives a reading.
And it's not like the 97-00 sensors are cheap either, even off E-Bay I paid a little over $100, although I did opt to go for a brand new OEM sensor. Maybe this time I'll go aftermarket or get one of the rebuilt OEM sensors for $35.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Looks like the RFA is not seeing the sensor. Just confirm it's an original?
Last edited by DeeGee; Jul 27, 2011 at 04:07 PM.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,294
Likes: 24,776
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Before you go out and buy a new sensor - try this: Place a magnet over the sensor location in the barrel of the wheel. I had a difficult time training mine on my new wheels but when I placed the magnet like described above, it allowed the sensors to sync. Just a thought.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Before you go out and buy a new sensor - try this: Place a magnet over the sensor location in the barrel of the wheel. I had a difficult time training mine on my new wheels but when I placed the magnet like described above, it allowed the sensors to sync. Just a thought.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Before you go out and buy a new sensor - try this: Place a magnet over the sensor location in the barrel of the wheel. I had a difficult time training mine on my new wheels but when I placed the magnet like described above, it allowed the sensors to sync. Just a thought.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,294
Likes: 24,776
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Since that obviously didn't work for the OP, then yea, the sensor may be dead.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Since I had an extra sensor lying around, I sent it off to a guy on E-bay who rebuilds them for just $35. It will probably take a couple of weeks (due to shipping time) so I will let you guys know how it turns out.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
I got a message today saying that my old sensor was not rebuildable, he didn't say why though. So I ended up ordering a new aftermarket sensor (Dorman) from RockAuto, it was $65 CDN. ($35 less than the OEM one I just bought)
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Hit the options button and keep hitting it until you get to a blank screen. Then hold the reset button for a few seconds and the first thing that pops up is fob training. Hit the options button again and it'll toggle to tire training. Then hold the reset button down again for a few seconds and it will begin the training, asking you to start with the L front tire first, and then it moves clockwise around the car (as long as each sensor trains that is, if a sensor won't train then it won't let you continue with the others).
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,384
Likes: 87
From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Glad you finally got a good sensor
I wonder if that's just the initial reading or if it'll be slow on every start up? Let us know.
I wonder if that's just the initial reading or if it'll be slow on every start up? Let us know.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
When I drove the car for a second time this week, it took so long for the sensor to "come online" that it triggered the "service tire mon system" message first! And then after that, it didn't work at all for the rest of the day, until later on when I drove it to a car show, coming home it finally worked again, but only after about 10 miles of driving. This sensor is garbage!! I should have bought OEM! Live and learn! And in the end I didn't save that much money, as Rock Auto ended up charging me more for shipping, plus they charged me sales tax, while the previous OEM sensor I bought from E-bay had no tax and lower shipping charges. I think I saved $17 with the Rock Auto sensor, but it cost me $40 to have the tire removed and reinstalled, so now eventually I'm going to have to pay to have that done again.
