School me on 2004 4Runner tire monitor system

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Hilux

Hilux

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
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36
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2,165
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Nashville Tn.
A friends got a 04, and the light won't go off.

How does this stuff work? I assume it's got wireless sensors. But is there a re-set for the light if one ever gets low?

Or does it go off, on it's own, once the pressure's up?

What is the pressure?


2004, 17" SR5 V6 4WD, 17" Lumi's,
 
When I bought mine, the light came on the following morning (it was a cold evening). The dealership sold me a car with flat tires. :lol: I aired 'em up to 32 psi and the light went off.

Sounds like there's a problem with your friend's.
 
Hilux said:
17" Lumi's,
Click to expand...

When I first saw this, I thought you were saying he has aftermarket wheels on there, but you must mean "aluminum wheels".:doh: If the wheels are aftermarket, someone could have forgotten to swap the valves/sensors over.

Now, that's just one of the reasons for the light to be on. I'm assuming an '04 has a few miles on it, and could have had tires replaced already. If you don't know the proper methods, it's real easy to damage the sensors when mounting tires.

:hhmm:Okay, as I'm typing, I'm also checking TIS for more info, and this is what I come up with...



























...please check the year again! :confused: 2006 was the first year for TPWS. Get back to us on this one.
 
check that spair tire... if it is low it will make the light go on
 
Assuming it's like my 05 Tundra system.
5 wheels, 5th being the spare, all have a pressure transducer integral to the valve stem assembly. The system at minimal looks for a certain difference in pressure between the 5 sensors.
On cool days my spare will trip the light, so I roll under with my air compressor hose/chuck and manage to get at the valve stem and top it up a couple psi at a time until the light on my dash clears.
The local dealer service manager just mentioned to me on Friday that they were going to start using nitrogen, larger molecule, to inflate tires, just like Costco does, in an effort to avoid all the calls they get when it cools down and these service lights start coming on.
In short, perhaps check the inflation on your tires periodically and adjust as required.
 
On my tundra, one of the sensors went bad. That will trip the light as well.
 
kashmir said:
This light is stuck on in my gx470.

Is the sensor battery powered (one of the types mentioned here)?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091104125822AAB4Gxr

I am (easily) confused - if it isn't battery powered, how is there any sensor info relayed - it's not like you have to connect anything when you put the spare under (and lift it)
Click to expand...

Yes, the sensors are battery (lithium) powered. If your TP light is on you have low air in one of your 5 tires. If the light is flashing you have a malfunction IE: bad sensor(s), bad ECU etc.
 
Is it different than an 07 tundra? The tundra doesn't flash when a sensor goes bad missing. The light stays on.

image-3907241168.webp
 
bkfj40 said:
Is it different than an 07 tundra? The tundra doesn't flash when a sensor goes bad missing. The light stays on.
Click to expand...

On the GX, the light flashes if you have a bad / missing sensor. Back in Oct. I parked in my driveway overnight and the light came on in the morning, solid, not flashing. I removed my spare to check the pressure and it was low. I filled it up to 35psi and the light went off. I was lazy and didn't put it back under the GX and a week later the light started flashing. I mounted the spare back and the light went off.

Yesterday my Moms '12 Rav4 TPMS light was on (not blinking). The place she took it took said she needed a new sensor. I told her thats b.s. and to bring it over to my house. I checked it and sure enough her spare was low. I filled it back up and the light went off.

On my my old 1st gen Tundras, solid lit light also meant low tire pressure. I did a quick search and 2nd gen owners said solid lit light meant low tire pressure....I think you're mistaken.
 
Don't know if this will show up here, but basically the '07 Tundra is different from most of the newer models. A "system failure" will cause the light to blink for 1 minute, then stay on solid.

View attachment TPMS 07 Tundra.pdf
 
ToyotaDon said:
Don't know if this will show up here, but basically the '07 Tundra is different from most of the newer models. A "system failure" will cause the light to blink for 1 minute, then stay on solid.

View attachment 839926
Click to expand...

The PDF shows always on low tire pressure; blinking then illuminates system failure.
 
I found it to be annoying at the worst. When I actually dug into the reason for the light being on, I ended up finding a nail in my spare tire that was unnoticed by the P.O. Once I repaired it, the system works well and is useful. Often times an individual sensor needs to be rebuilt or replaced and the system will resume working normally.
 
chitown40 said:
I found it to be annoying at the worst. When I actually dug into the reason for the light being on, I ended up finding a nail in my spare tire that was unnoticed by the P.O. Once I repaired it, the system works well and is useful. Often times an individual sensor needs to be rebuilt or replaced and the system will resume working normally.
Click to expand...

So you do like it then? :confused:
 
I think it's a great system when it's working correctly. Was it annoying when my spare tire kept activating the dash light? Yes, it was. However after several weeks of ignoring it, I finally pulled the spare and found a leak caused by a nail. So it in fact did it's job.

I've been lucky and haven't had any of the sensors malfunction. I can see where people would be annoyed when it malfunctions. It's an orange light in your face (sometimes flashing) and the added expense to fix something that is not necessary for the vehicle to run properly. BUT, it sounds like there are quite a few people out there that just ignore the light and don't really understand what the light means. The reason why they put it on the spare tire as well is because most folks don't check their spare tire pressure ever and run around with < 15-20psi in the spare. Then they go to use it and become a hazard on the road with an under-inflated tire.

So, yes, I agree with the gov't mandate to put them on vehicles. Where I live there are no safety inspections on vehicles and an extra large supply of idiots and apathetic drivers behind the wheel. Some of them need all the help they can get.

:)
 
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