Two weeks ago I bought a set of four 2016 wheels with snow tires and TPMS transmitters to use on my 2013 LC. Immediately after swapping the tires/wheels LC TPMS threw an error code and lit the dash warning light. Obviously it was because the computer didn’t know the id’s of the new wheel transmitters.
I borrowed a TPMS reader, scanned the transmitters, and inputted the five transmitters id’s (four from the 2016 wheels, one from a 2013 wheel) via Carista. I thought this would solve the dash light issue. It didn’t.
I bought a Autel MaxiTPMS TS501 reader for $230 thinking I’d solve the issue with a more capable tool. It will read all the 2016 tpms transmitters when set for a 01/2016-12/2018 LC, but then won’t recognize the 2013 transmitters. It’ll read the 2013 tpms transmitters when set for a 01/2006-12/2014 LC, but then it won’t recognize any of the the 2016 transmitters. There is a difference between 2013 and 2016 tpms transmitters. They can’t be mixed. Buying the tool was a bust for this situation.
Yesterday I bought a set of five Falken Wildpeak tires at Discount Tire. I asked them to mount the five new tires on my five 2013 wheels and reprogram the TPMS. Those five wheels had been on the LC until just two weeks earlier. After mounting, the tech came back saying that several of my 2013 transmitters were bad. The guy scanned them with his tool, showing me they were bad. It’d only recognize two of the five transmitters. Knowing they were working only two weeks earlier, I figured the tech had crunched them when he removed/replaced the tires. I was offered to buy five transmitters at $60 each to solve the problem. I wasn’t real happy. I took out my Autel TS501 and read all five 2013 transmitters, hooked it to the OBDII port, inputted the transmitters id’s, and put out the warning light. All he said was that your receiver must be more sensitive than ours. He has a bad tool. My transmitters are fine. The tpms reader reports battery strength. My were all reported as ‘good’ by my reader. I wonder how many others have bought new transmitters based off of a defective reader?
The takeaway? 2013 and 2016 Toyota TPMS transmitters don’t mix and my $240 reader saved me spending +$300 at Discount Tire.
I borrowed a TPMS reader, scanned the transmitters, and inputted the five transmitters id’s (four from the 2016 wheels, one from a 2013 wheel) via Carista. I thought this would solve the dash light issue. It didn’t.
I bought a Autel MaxiTPMS TS501 reader for $230 thinking I’d solve the issue with a more capable tool. It will read all the 2016 tpms transmitters when set for a 01/2016-12/2018 LC, but then won’t recognize the 2013 transmitters. It’ll read the 2013 tpms transmitters when set for a 01/2006-12/2014 LC, but then it won’t recognize any of the the 2016 transmitters. There is a difference between 2013 and 2016 tpms transmitters. They can’t be mixed. Buying the tool was a bust for this situation.
Yesterday I bought a set of five Falken Wildpeak tires at Discount Tire. I asked them to mount the five new tires on my five 2013 wheels and reprogram the TPMS. Those five wheels had been on the LC until just two weeks earlier. After mounting, the tech came back saying that several of my 2013 transmitters were bad. The guy scanned them with his tool, showing me they were bad. It’d only recognize two of the five transmitters. Knowing they were working only two weeks earlier, I figured the tech had crunched them when he removed/replaced the tires. I was offered to buy five transmitters at $60 each to solve the problem. I wasn’t real happy. I took out my Autel TS501 and read all five 2013 transmitters, hooked it to the OBDII port, inputted the transmitters id’s, and put out the warning light. All he said was that your receiver must be more sensitive than ours. He has a bad tool. My transmitters are fine. The tpms reader reports battery strength. My were all reported as ‘good’ by my reader. I wonder how many others have bought new transmitters based off of a defective reader?
The takeaway? 2013 and 2016 Toyota TPMS transmitters don’t mix and my $240 reader saved me spending +$300 at Discount Tire.
