A few weeks back I was driving my car, and suddenly the dashboard gave a Check Tire Pressure warning on several of the tires. After checking the tire pressures with several gauges that are accurate, I found that my pressures were correct. This has been going on for the past few weeks where sometimes I’d get the warning on some or all of the tires, and sometimes everything would function fine.
There are apparently two possible causes of this. One is caused by the TPMS system needing a software update. The other is caused by a faulty TPMS module. Because only the dealer can do the software update and there’s no guarantee that doing the update would fix the problem, I decided I’d better just replace the TPMS module. If you decide this is something you need to do to your car, the steps to complete the task are below. Not sure if its the same on post-facelift cars.
Start by removing the right seat (passenger for those of us in the US). You’ll need an E12 external Torx bit to remove the four bolts holding the seat to the floor board.
The TPMS module is located under the seat. However, to get to it you’ll need to completely remove the seat from the car, so you’ll need to unbolt the seat belt too. It uses a T50 Torx bit. Unbolt the belt, pull the wire from the retainer, and disconnect the wire connector.
Also, you’ll need to disconnect the wiring harness that connects to the bottom of the seat. There should be three connectors. You only need to depress a tab on each to disconnect them.
The seat is very heavy and bulky, so you may need a helper to get it out the front door. Next, remove the front and rear scuff plates. They simply pry upwards which you can probably do with your hands. Also, with the scuff plates off, you’ll remove the B pillar cover. It also pops off. Pry the top loose, and then you should be able to lift upwards to free it from the bottom retainers. Pull the back edge of the front carpet away from the rear carpet. You should see this.
Your TPMS module is under the ductwork. There is a ductwork connection directly in front of the steel brace in the right of the picture. Wiggle the ductwork loose from the connection and then work it through the opening in the brace to remove it. Now you should have direct access to the TPMS module.
Just disconnect the two wiring connectors and remove the two 10mm nuts holding the module to the floor. Installation is the reverse of removal.
One thing to note is that once the new one is installed, my understanding is that you’ll need to to get the software uploaded to it. I went ahead and set up an appointment with my local dealer to have this done soon. So far, the dashboard has not had any pressure warnings, but that doesn’t mean its functioning properly yet. But at the very least, I’ve saved myself from paying the labor for installation.
