TPMS calibration
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 649
Likes: 80
From: EAST TEXAS
TPMS calibration
Is there a way to adjust the TPMS calibration/settings?
I am not concerned with whether the car's readouts match my shop gauges exactly. What is a minor annoyance is that the front right readout is always 1-2 pounds above the others. In other words, even when I set all tires carefully to the same pressure, and all are at the same temperature, the right front always reads higher. Is there some way, ( short of a dealer visit), to adjust this through the car's controls?
I am not concerned with whether the car's readouts match my shop gauges exactly. What is a minor annoyance is that the front right readout is always 1-2 pounds above the others. In other words, even when I set all tires carefully to the same pressure, and all are at the same temperature, the right front always reads higher. Is there some way, ( short of a dealer visit), to adjust this through the car's controls?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 590
From: Tellico Plains Tennessee
(Not of my Corvette though) 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
TPMS do not replace an accurate tire gauge.
At least if you check them all with the same gauge, you know they are equal, and I do have one TPS that reads a half pound or so less than the others.
At least if you check them all with the same gauge, you know they are equal, and I do have one TPS that reads a half pound or so less than the others.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 1,148
From: FL & TX
TPMS calibration
I wonder if you rotated tires left to right, if the reading will move with the tire. I guess that would show if it's the car or sensor out of calibration. If it's the sensor, they aren't too expensive to replace.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,066
Likes: 9,834
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
The dealer can't do anything but replace the sensor. When they program the car to recognize the sensors all they are doing is storing the ID code for each sensor so they know where the sensor is located. The pressure reading that is broadcast along with the ID code is just a number and the car's electronics process all 4 of the numbers the same way.
Any gauge you purchase off the shelf is inherently inaccurate since it hasn't been calibrated. Even if calibrated at the factory calibrations change with time, shipping vibrations, temperature experienced, etc and there is no way to guarantee that calibration when you first use the gauge.
The TPMS sensors are about as accurate as any other gauge. In fact they may be less variable than mechanical gauges since their pressure measuring mechanism is less susceptible to environmental affects. Pressure gauges from the simple pencil types, through the electronic TPMS sensors to the most expensive large readout liquid filled mechanical gauges are all about the same accuracy (+ or - some percent). They do have different resolutions which is how easy it is to read the value displayed. Pencil gauges are hard to read while the large dial mechanical gauges are easy to read and that is why you pay big bucks for them. You pay for resolution not accuracy. What you have with your TPMS is 5 separate gauges. 4 electronic sensors and one handheld gauge. What is amazing is how close they all are to each other given the +/- tolerance each gauge has.
If you have a gauge that can be calibrated to a known standard that is referenced back to a standards bureau then you can be sure of its accuracy to within the +/- tolerance but you have to maintain that calibration by having it recalibrated every so often.
That is why you choose one gauge you like and use it to measure your pressures and changes to pressure. Using a different gauge can get you different results.
Bill
Any gauge you purchase off the shelf is inherently inaccurate since it hasn't been calibrated. Even if calibrated at the factory calibrations change with time, shipping vibrations, temperature experienced, etc and there is no way to guarantee that calibration when you first use the gauge.
The TPMS sensors are about as accurate as any other gauge. In fact they may be less variable than mechanical gauges since their pressure measuring mechanism is less susceptible to environmental affects. Pressure gauges from the simple pencil types, through the electronic TPMS sensors to the most expensive large readout liquid filled mechanical gauges are all about the same accuracy (+ or - some percent). They do have different resolutions which is how easy it is to read the value displayed. Pencil gauges are hard to read while the large dial mechanical gauges are easy to read and that is why you pay big bucks for them. You pay for resolution not accuracy. What you have with your TPMS is 5 separate gauges. 4 electronic sensors and one handheld gauge. What is amazing is how close they all are to each other given the +/- tolerance each gauge has.
If you have a gauge that can be calibrated to a known standard that is referenced back to a standards bureau then you can be sure of its accuracy to within the +/- tolerance but you have to maintain that calibration by having it recalibrated every so often.
That is why you choose one gauge you like and use it to measure your pressures and changes to pressure. Using a different gauge can get you different results.
Bill
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 11,825
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From: Ft Lauderdale
Tech Contributor
It will recalibrate....if not , there is a manual calibration you can do, see my thread in the tech section for the manual way.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 26,430
Likes: 493
The dealer can't do anything but replace the sensor. When they program the car to recognize the sensors all they are doing is storing the ID code for each sensor so they know where the sensor is located. The pressure reading that is broadcast along with the ID code is just a number and the car's electronics process all 4 of the numbers the same way.
Any gauge you purchase off the shelf is inherently inaccurate since it hasn't been calibrated. Even if calibrated at the factory calibrations change with time, shipping vibrations, temperature experienced, etc and there is no way to guarantee that calibration when you first use the gauge.
The TPMS sensors are about as accurate as any other gauge. In fact they may be less variable than mechanical gauges since their pressure measuring mechanism is less susceptible to environmental affects. Pressure gauges from the simple pencil types, through the electronic TPMS sensors to the most expensive large readout liquid filled mechanical gauges are all about the same accuracy (+ or - some percent). They do have different resolutions which is how easy it is to read the value displayed. Pencil gauges are hard to read while the large dial mechanical gauges are easy to read and that is why you pay big bucks for them. You pay for resolution not accuracy. What you have with your TPMS is 5 separate gauges. 4 electronic sensors and one handheld gauge. What is amazing is how close they all are to each other given the +/- tolerance each gauge has.
If you have a gauge that can be calibrated to a known standard that is referenced back to a standards bureau then you can be sure of its accuracy to within the +/- tolerance but you have to maintain that calibration by having it recalibrated every so often.
That is why you choose one gauge you like and use it to measure your pressures and changes to pressure. Using a different gauge can get you different results.
Bill
Any gauge you purchase off the shelf is inherently inaccurate since it hasn't been calibrated. Even if calibrated at the factory calibrations change with time, shipping vibrations, temperature experienced, etc and there is no way to guarantee that calibration when you first use the gauge.
The TPMS sensors are about as accurate as any other gauge. In fact they may be less variable than mechanical gauges since their pressure measuring mechanism is less susceptible to environmental affects. Pressure gauges from the simple pencil types, through the electronic TPMS sensors to the most expensive large readout liquid filled mechanical gauges are all about the same accuracy (+ or - some percent). They do have different resolutions which is how easy it is to read the value displayed. Pencil gauges are hard to read while the large dial mechanical gauges are easy to read and that is why you pay big bucks for them. You pay for resolution not accuracy. What you have with your TPMS is 5 separate gauges. 4 electronic sensors and one handheld gauge. What is amazing is how close they all are to each other given the +/- tolerance each gauge has.
If you have a gauge that can be calibrated to a known standard that is referenced back to a standards bureau then you can be sure of its accuracy to within the +/- tolerance but you have to maintain that calibration by having it recalibrated every so often.
That is why you choose one gauge you like and use it to measure your pressures and changes to pressure. Using a different gauge can get you different results.
Bill
I am currently using the U.S. made Accugage.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 795
From: Longview Texas
BS. While commercial gages might not have lab accuracy they are very close in my experience. I can guarantee you that they will not vary by a pound or more from measurement to measurement. The TPMS on most of my GM vehicles are a joke only within a couple of pounds of actual.
I am currently using the U.S. made Accugage.
I am currently using the U.S. made Accugage.
Built for +/-2% for middle of the gage pressure range, and +/-1 PSI at 30 PSI.
I have multiple gages and have compared their readings and they have always been within 1 PSI.
http://www.getagauge.com/faq.cfm#accuracy