I have a 2007 Triple black convertible, MN6, Z51.
We (my wife and I) campaign this car... mostly autocross, but also some track days.
I just purchased new LG Motorsports World Challenge wheels (18x10 front, 19x11 rear), and some Toyo R888 rubber (265x35x18, 305x30x19).

I also purchased 4 GM TPSs.

After mounting and balancing, I took it to my GM dealer to re-set the computer for the new TPSs.

They could NOT get any of them to be recognized.

I don't really care if they are working or not.... IF...
it will have no deleterious effect on the car.

I know that if the rear/front tire diameter difference is less than .75 inches, the computer will complain, and likely put you into "Limp" mode.
My new tires are .90 inches difference, so that should be OK.

But, if I just leave the TPSs as is, will that adversely affect the computer (therefore performance) capabilities of the car?

 

From reading over this the last couple of weeks on the forum here, working TPS's is an absolute necessity. Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

How are the sensors mounted in your wheels?

Are they mounted in the OE manner with the valve stem sticking out of a hole in the wheel?

Or are they mounted deep inside with bands or brackets?

If they're inside, they can be very difficult to trigger during the relearn procedure. You need to know exactly where they are to get the antenna of the tool as close as possible to the sensor. Sometimes it works better to shoot the signal through the tread rather than the sidewall.

Do you need sensor? To some extent it may depend on the year of the car - they seem to have changed some of the TPMS software throughout the different C6 year models. Take a look at this post:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1568910506-post15.html

That's how many of us feel - we just don't want to have HPDE or racing sessions screwed up by not being able to go into Comp mode or turning off AH completely (or having AH come back on in the middle of a session).

I sure would imagine that your dealer would know how to do the relearn procedure, butt......did they do it like in the video below? Did they properly put it in the "learn mode" before doing the procedure?

If you have a couple sets of wheels/tires/sensors, I'd recommend you get your own tool. Forum vendor Katech has one for $112 (which is 20% off their normal price through the end of the month).

http://www.katechengines.com/katech_inc/


Good luck,

Bob





.

 

I know on my 05 that if there are no sensors at all, its not a problem. if there is a partial set of sensors, then there is a problem. I had my old wheels with sensors in the garage next to the car, and it picked up the signal for 3 months before I bought a tool from a forum member (who might have contributed to this thread ) and it would pick up the signal everytime I parked the car. It would go to fail mode and read tire pressure xx on all tires if the car runs for more than 1 hour without a signal. As long as all say xx, you can still go into comp mode or turn everything off. When I had only half a set on the car, and it did the same thing and had xx only on the rears, I couldn't go into comp mode or turn ah off. Once again, this is an 05

 

BEZ06,
thanks for your response.

Yes, the sensors are mounted in the OE manner, with the stems sticking out the hole in the wheel.

EXACTLY.... I don't want the computer to take on a mind of it's own when we are in competition mode.

The dealer doesn't have a device like the one in your video... they have their own "computer" tuner, where they plug it into the computer plug under the dash, then use a separate tool to activate each sensor.

I should mention that they couldn't even get the computer into "learn" mode. No matter what they did, it wouldn't get there. I suppose it is possible that THIS might have something to do with the whole problem.

But, this evening, I was just able to put it into "learn" mode, by doing the ACC/2-button push method.

Another thing I hve been told, is that with new sensors, they have to be driven for some (how many ?????) miles first, to "wake" them up.
I did drive them for about 5 miles... that may not have been enough.

Maybe I'll get my own tool... I don't plan on doing this very often, but constant trips to the dealer will certainly more than cover the cost of this tool.

CorvettePilot,
we plan to drive several hundreds of miles to some events, so I don't think having the old ones near the car will be do-able. And like you say... that is for an '05.

Thanks all

 

I would try another dealer, When I put new TPMs in I didn't have to
drive at all, just set the learn mode, I have my own tool so it took
about 1 min. to do all 4. If you are going to use two sets of wheels
you should get the tool so you can do it your self.

 

BEZ06,

Unfortunately Katechengines has their tool on backorder.

Any other suggestions?

Blkc6z51,
thanks for the info.

 

Check this one out trackside tool It's what I use.

http://www.bartecusa.com/tpms_tools.htm

 

I have the same rims with new sensors and tire discount had no problem reseting them.

 

Yes:

http://tpms-usa.store-ateq.com/

Take a look at that ATEQ site and you'll see the VT10. Click on the "Buy Now" button and you'll see it cost $99 + $15 shipping and you can order right there on the website.

I can't believe your Cheby dealer didn't have a TPMS tool!!!! What they were probably hooking up to your car was a Tech 2 which will do all sorts of programming of other computer stuff on the car, but I don't think they can program your sensors with that tool.

Get a Bartec from Katech or an VT10 directly from ATEQ and you'll be able to do your own sensors in about 1 minute every time you swap wheels.

Bob

 

IMO don't mess around with the dealership (what they're doing to re-set your TPS's sounds crazy to me).

To the best of my knowledge most all Discount Tire stores will re-set your TPS's free of charge. You might want to call first just to make sure but go to Discount Tire...the guy will likely just come out and re-set them in the parking lot and you'll be on your way in minutes.

If you change between track and street tires frequently it pays to buy a TPMS tool.

 

Thanks for all the info guys.

To clarify, my dealer was using their Tech2 to try to get the computer into "learn" mode... but couldn't do it.
After about 3/4 of an hour of trying, with the door open all the time,
eventually they gave up (and the battery was now near-dead).

But just to see if things were OK with the actual sensors, they did try to use their (whatever they have) tool to at least read the sensors.
They could not read any of them.

Now, I think these sensors go into "sleep" mode after xx minutes of inactivity, to save the battery. Please correct me if I am wrong.
When in sleep mode, they only transmit every hour or so. (again, please correct me if I am wrong).
When active, they transmit every minute or so.

If they do go into sleep mode, then probably the 45 (or more) minutes of inactivity put them there. So when they tried to read all of them, they weren't sending.

Possibly this is why they couldn't read them ???????

I really would like to know more about just how these "puppies" work.... do they go into sleep mode?, if so, after how long of inactivity?, how frequently do they transmit (in sleep mode and in active mode) ?

In any event I have purchased a VT10 from TireRack; it should be here next week.

Thanks again guys

 

Some sensors made by other manufacturers have a "shipping mode" and the sensor must be activated to start the battery - this might be done with a tool or by simply driving the vehicle.

Our Schrader sensors start transmitting once per hour as soon as they are made. They have a design life of 10 years.

When installed and the wheel starts rotating at more than 20 mph the sensors wake up and transmit once per minute (sooner if they detect a large/rapid pressure change).

When the car is parked and sits still for more than 15 minutes the sensors go back into the sleep mode (transmitting only once per hour) to conserve the batteries, until the wheel starts turning at 20 mph again and they transmit once every minute.

It doesn't matter if the car has been parked for more than 15 minutes or if it's just been out racing around a track at 150+ and you just pulled into the pits - if you take your tool and "trigger" or "excite" the sensor with the 125 kHz signal from the tool it will send out its data. That's what the tool is for - to force the sensor to send out its data.

The tool like your dealer has is very similar to that one in the video in my earlier post - it has a screen that displays the sensor ID#, the pressure, info about the sensor's internal battery strength, and the frequency the sensor transmitted on. You can do a diagnostic check of a sensor while its installed in a wheel or if it's sitting in your hand or on the workbench - the car doesn't have to be in the learn mode to check out a sensor. I don't think the VT10 will do any diagnostic check - however when the car is in the learn mode and you're doing a relearn procedure, you'll know the tool triggered the sensor and the sensor sent its data to the TPMS copmuter in the car because you'll hear a horn honk if it worked properly (no horn honk, then the sensor isn't transmitting properly, or the TPMS receiver didn't get the data and didn't log it into memory properly).

Each sensor has a unique ID# and that's how the TPMS knows which pressure is associated with which wheel for the DIC display. When doing the learn procedure, the first sensor triggered to send its ID# is logged into the TPMS as the Left Front, the second as the RF, the third as the RR, and the fourth as the LR. If you do it in a different order the DIC display will be messed up and if it says "Left Front 24 psi" it might actually be talking about the RF (or whichever sensor you triggered first). Likewise, if your sensors are moved during mounting new tires they will still work without being reprogrammed, but will not display the presssure of their actual location.

So....yes, the sensors and TPMS are kind of a mysterious system and apparently not understood even by some dealerships!?!?

Bob

 

Just as a follow-up...

I visited my dealership this morning, to "give it another try".
I had told them that I easily put the computer into "learn" mode the evening after they couldn't, and I only used the fob.

So I let them try this morning, while I watched.

The mechanic was pressing both fob buttons, and holding them, but it wouldn't go into learn mode (horn honks).

So I approach, and look... ... you have it "on", rather than in "acc" mode.

Change to "acc" mode, press/hold 2 fob buttons... beep.

Now to left front wheel with his "tool". He holds the tool right up against the valve stem. I say "No, hold it below the wheel rim". He holds it near the bottom of the rim. I say "No, hold it on the tire below the rim"......Honk.
Around to right front... "hold it on the tire, below the rim"... honk.
Right rear.... honk.
Left Rear... honk, honk.

Tada... done.

Thanks Bob (BEZ06) for all your help and info.

And thanks to all of you for your contributions.

 

Hey Gary, they're not just knuckle-bustin', wrench-bendin' mechanics anymore!! They're highly trained professional TECHNICIANS!

Well....you taught one of those "technicians" how to do his job today. I hope he didn't charge too much for doing the procedure!

In his defense, the sensors and TPMS are dark and mysterious systems, even to many technicians, even though they have been around on the Corvette since (I think) 1991.

Hopefully he'll be able to give a little better service to the next Corvette owner.

It will be nice when you get your own tool next week.

Bob

 

I know this a couple of weeks old, but you better stay away from that dealership