TPMS - change batteries?

[Simpo Two]

My car is going in soon to have four new tyres fitted. I thought this might be a good time to have the TPMS batteries changed, but my garage says:

'I believe the batteries may be sealed withing the TPMS. If these are to be replaced then they would also need coding which I am afraid we do not have the facility to do here. You would potentially need to go to main dealer for this.'

I haven't had any dealings with the Aston TPMS before - when I test drove the car the warning light was on but the dealer (non Aston) said he'd fix it. I hear there's a thingy under the glovebox you can stick a screwdriver in to make it go away, so whether all four batteries are fie and working, or dead and he just stick a screwdriver in it, I don't know.

But is my garage right?

[Jon39]

Somewhere on here John, is a lengthy topic about this very situation.
Sorry for no link, but hopefully you can find it.
The FAQs may give a link.
Don't think a main dealer visit was needed.
Mine has finally been disabled, after two MoTs with the warning TPMS light on and me telling them, it is not legally required for this age car.

The other gremlin, which I am sure that you will know about, is the tracker battery failing.

[Simpo Two]

Thanks. I just had a useful chat with Nicholas Mee and this is the gist of it:

New batteries would require coding which needs AMDS software. However the TPMS may have been inactivated by the dealer who supplied the car (it's the cheapest fix). The test for this is to half-deflate a tyre, start the engine and leave it running for 2 mins and see if the warning comes on.

So I did that, and no warning came on, so it seems likely the system is deactivated and thus no batteries are needed.

HOWEVER, just in case, I've asked the garage to take a photo of each sensor showing the serial number so if it does need re-coding this saves the tyres having to come off again!

[SL500UK]

I have an old 2007 V8V and many many years ago yanked the cable out of the box under the glove compartment to deactivate the TPMS. I heard it's not that simple on the newer models but not sure when it changed.

[Minglar]

You can replace the batteries in each sensor but it’s a right faff and is probably not worth the effort. Take a look here.

https://youtu.be/_jXXr1La2X0

These two pages provide some good information on your other options too.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://astoninstallations.com/product/tpms-defeat...

Aston Installations are able to supply and fit Autel sensors and programme/code them to the control box too, for a fair discount against the official OEM AML price. Hope that helps. BRM.

[john ryan]

Suitable coding device and sensors available from Gendan ( for the Smartire system)

[Simpo Two]

Thanks for the extra info Minglar and john ryan.

NM mentioned the defeat cable from Aston Installations; it may be that's what the dealer used to get rid of the warning light - because he obviously can't sell a car with a warning light on.

I compare the amount of complexity and cost required to (a) achieve a working TMS system with (b) the amount that I feel I need a TPMS system. (a) vastly outweighs (b), which means the problem is stamped 'CBA' and filed in the bin. I really don't care if my car has it or not; none of my other cars had it and they worked OK.

I'll proceed on the basis that the system is inactivated, and if the warning light should come on after the tyres have been changed, I will get it inactivated

[Jon39]

From memory, it is about 2012 that cars were required to have TPMS.
Any first registered before whatever that date was, can legally pass an MoT even if the TPMS light is on.

They cannot fail you, for a reason that does not legally apply to your car.

[bogie]

I dont know of many TPMS where you can change the batteries, seems you are just supposed to throw them away and replace when the batteries go. My local tyre place do a great trade replacing TPMS sensors at tyre change time. Not a great design, but In my experience the batteries are lasting 10 years or more so its not such a big deal to get new sensors at a tyre change.

[Simpo Two]

bogie said:

I dont know of many TPMS where you can change the batteries, seems you are just supposed to throw them away and replace when the batteries go. My local tyre place do a great trade replacing TPMS sensors at tyre change time. Not a great design, but In my experience the batteries are lasting 10 years or more so its not such a big deal to get new sensors at a tyre change.

NM mentioned alternative sensors from eBay etc but warned me they can't be programmed to the car... so wasted money.

Perhaps in the move to sustainability etc they will make sensors that have replaceable batteries - but you'd still have to get all four wheels and tyres off to change them.

I'm happy with no TPMS. I probably don't have it anyway. We will fit the round bit of rubber to the round bit of metal and call it done

[Minglar]

Simpo Two said:

bogie said:

I dont know of many TPMS where you can change the batteries, seems you are just supposed to throw them away and replace when the batteries go. My local tyre place do a great trade replacing TPMS sensors at tyre change time. Not a great design, but In my experience the batteries are lasting 10 years or more so its not such a big deal to get new sensors at a tyre change.

NM mentioned alternative sensors from eBay etc but warned me they can't be programmed to the car... so wasted money.

Perhaps in the move to sustainability etc they will make sensors that have replaceable batteries - but you'd still have to get all four wheels and tyres off to change them.

I'm happy with no TPMS. I probably don't have it anyway. We will fit the round bit of rubber to the round bit of metal and call it done

Which tyres have you chosen to fit Simpo Two? I know you had a thread running on that subject recently. Regarding the TPMS, as Jon39 said it does depend on the age of your car. For a U.K. MOT the system has to be working correctly on cars from 1st January 2012 onwards. If your car is older than that you can get away legally with disabling the system. That may require the defeat cable, as simply unplugging the existing cable from the SmarTire control box may produce a warning light and error message which may stay on and therefore be rather annoying, even though it would be legal. BRM.

[Simpo Two]

Minglar said:

Which tyres have you chosen to fit Simpo Two? I know you had a thread running on that subject recently. Regarding the TPMS, as Jon39 said it does depend on the age of your car. For a U.K. MOT the system has to be working correctly on cars from 1st January 2012 onwards. If your car is older than that you can get away legally with disabling the system. That may require the defeat cable, as simply unplugging the existing cable from the SmarTire control box may produce a warning light and error message which may stay on and therefore be rather annoying, even though it would be legal.

Thanks, that matches my understanding. My car is a 2007 DB9 so the MOT issue is gone..

After much deliberation I chose Falken Azenis FK520s. I've had them on previous cars and they were fine. I don't drive this car any differently so I'm not expecting any problems. I had mentally set aside £1,000 for new tyres so the fact they cost £577 + £120 for fitting is a pleasant and unusual bonus in the world of AM ownership!

I just hope now that new rubber will do something to ameliorate the bone-shaking ride of sportspack suspension coupled with old Bridgestones..!

[RJ5560]

Regarding the TPMS sensors - there is a fantastic post which details how to replace the SmartTire sensors fitted to pre-2011 cars with Autel sensors. I recently bought a 2008 V8 Vantage and every drive I had the TPMS warning. To solve I bought an Autel TS508WF programmer and 4 Autel TPMS MX Sensors. With these you can read the values off your current valves and mimic / re-program the new ones so the car thinks it has its original sensors installed.

Now I have all sensors working and a green light on the SmartTire unit in the passenger footwell.

Here is the link https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I gather that James at Aston Installations can also provide individually programmed Autel TPMS valves if you don't fancy doing it yourself...

Hope this helps.