# TPMS Sensor Error



## tgmweb (Jun 23, 2018)

I bought a 20" wheel/tireTPMS package from Tirerack, and swapped them on my model 3. However the car wouldn't recognize the TPMS sensors - and just gave an error on screen which won't go away. 

I read in the manual that apparently you have to drive around for 15 mins at min of 15MPH (or something similar), so I did that, but still no joy.

I went to the local tire shop, and the guy (who clearly hadn't seen a model 3 before) got out his little hand-held TPMS scanner thing and said it could read them (so they are working), and he'd "reset" them to see if that would help.

They still didn't sync with the 3. 

So I phoned tirerack, who said the TPMS sensors come "asleep" and need to be woken up which you can do by rapidly deflating and then inflating the tires. I presume waking them up is what the guy did at the tire shop, but I tried the rapid deflate/inflate method anyway, and they still aren't being picked up by the 3.

I'm just about to swap the wheels back over to my original 18 aeros, just to make sure the message will go away. If it does, and I do the deflate/inflate on the 20s and then put them back on the 3 and they still don't get picked up by the 3 I'm going to be fresh out of ideas.

Does anyway have any other ideas?


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## rrolsbe (Nov 6, 2016)

Don't know the answer to your problem but if Tesla software engineers implemented indirect TPMS as a user selectable option you would not even need the wheel sensors. Our VW Jetta Sportwagon has the indirect system and it works quite well. If any of the four tires varies by about 2PSI, the TPMS light on the dash illuminates. The indirect system does not tell you which tire is lower/higher than the other three tires; likewise, you do not get a direct pressure readout. I simply check/adjust the pressure level on all four tires anytime the TPMS illuminates and reset the system with a button located in the glove box. I kind of like the KISS principle on such things. 

Good luck solving your problem!
Regards, Ron


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## zosoisnotaword (Aug 28, 2017)

You could just have the shop install the original TPMS in your new wheels and send the others back to Tirerack. I’m running aftermarket wheels with Tesla TPMS.


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## Mad Hungarian (May 20, 2016)

tgmweb said:


> I bought a 20" wheel/tireTPMS package from Tirerack, and swapped them on my model 3. However the car wouldn't recognize the TPMS sensors - and just gave an error on screen which won't go away.
> 
> I read in the manual that apparently you have to drive around for 15 mins at min of 15MPH (or something similar), so I did that, but still no joy.
> 
> ...


Well if it's any help I wrote a little primer a ways back on how to correctly program the sensors.
If following that to the letter doesn't work, then you may have one of two issues:

1. The sensors are the wrong ones
2. The sensors are a "universal" programmable type that need to first be configured as to what make/model of car they're going on before being able to recognize the car's ECU and program up with it. That requires a TPMS service tool to do, usually one of the higher end Bartec, ATEC or similar units will do the trick.

Is there a part number on your Tire Rack invoice that shows exactly which sensors you received?


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## sunfarm (Apr 29, 2021)

zosoisnotaword said:


> You could just have the shop install the original TPMS in your new wheels and send the others back to Tirerack. I'm running aftermarket wheels with Tesla TPMS.


And aftermarket wheels with original Tesla TPMS working?


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## zosoisnotaword (Aug 28, 2017)

sunfarm said:


> And aftermarket wheels with original Tesla TPMS working?


Yeah, they still work fine.


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