Wheel/tyre rotation and TPMS (Gen4)

mlines wrote: The TPMS Controller (NOT THE SENSORS) is limited to 4 tyre IDs only, so whether or not the spare has a sensor built in does not matter. The Controller can only deal with 4 IDs. In fact, without reseting the controller and re-programming you will not know if the spare has a sensor


The controller has a learning sequence to learn the IDs of the tyres fitted.

You have to put the Controller in learning mode with the car stationary, this is a sequence of opening the drivers door and turning on the ignition and then pressing the door switch in a coded sequence (I do know the sequence but will not print it here as using it erases the current four codes from the sensor).(Oooh, I wonder if erasing the codes gets rid of any low pressure warnings???)

With the controller erased and in learning mode, you use a TPMS Trigger tool to activate the sensors in sequence (left-front > left rear > right rear >right front). This teaches the controller the IDs of the sensors and the tyre positions.

Suzuki recommend the ATEQ VT30, VT55 or VT56 trigger tools. I do not know if the cheap ebay ones will do.

Thanks Martin, I should've asked before attempting the rotation. Not that I understand most of what you said! Would a 5th ID on the back of the car make any difference? Wouldn't it be out of range?

I think it's a limitation of the controller, the workshop manual seems to strongly emphasise the fact it only supports 4 tyres.

The tyre sensors transmit a fair way, I have seen discussions around security services being able to track vehicles with road side receivers although as they only transmit every 10 minutes or so it's a bit random as to whether the car is near a receiver

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As far as I know about TPMS system, you do not need a special tool to trigger a sensor.
You only have to make the sensor “work”. (This is what the trigger tool do)
So you only need to make the tyre flat (may be after a 10 minutes drive so you are shure that the sensors are not in sleep mode) and at a certain point the sensor will be activate so if you are in learning mode, the system will detect the sensor. The real problem is how to put the car in learning mode with this sequence described by Martin, some post earlier.

What's puzzling me is how, if the spare has no sensor, did I get an accurate reading from it when on the rear left position? I know it was that tyre that the reading was coming from because it had a 32psi pressure reading and the other tyres all have 27psi.

Id have thought that TPMS is mature enough technology to be fit and forget/ plug and play. Any wheel in any position and it should be able to sort itself out.

You're forgetting that modern cars are not designed for the owner to maintain but instead to generate work for the service department.

TPMS does have the ability to work out which wheel is which, the sensors send angular momentum figures that enable a single receiver to work out where they are.

I was just reporting what the Service Manual says, not necessarily the actual way it works. As it is a bought in system from Continental Tyres, you can probably bet that if you look at the manufacturers specification for the system. Indeed, if you use the manufacturers (Continental) tool (VDO TPMS Go) you may well find it enables further functions.

www.vdo.com/passenger-cars/vehicle-diagn...devices/vdo-tpms-go/