[DannyM]

Hi all,

I recently had all four tyres on my Hyundai i30 replaced at the garage. Since they were replaced, I noticed my TPMS malfunction indicator appeared on my dashboard.

I asked the guy at the garage about it and he told me if I drive for about 15-20 minutes, it should automatically turn off.

I have done this but it did not turn off. I'm not getting a low tyre pressure warning on my dashboard and the TPMS malfunction indicator was not on before I took the car to the garage.

Does anyone have any advice for me please? And what I should do next?

Thanks.

[TerryT]

Hi DannyM, while waiting for the tech gurus on this forum to post, would you please advise if you have checked the tyre pressures with a gauge (and what those pressures were, cold or hot psi)`.

[TerryT]

Hi DannyM, while waiting for the tech gurus on this forum to post, would you please advise if you have checked the tyre pressures with a gauge (and what those pressures were, cold or hot psi)`.

LATER EDIT:
What is the year and model of your i30? 

Do you have the owners manual for the car and if so, what does it say about replacing tyres and resetting the TPMS system.  (My 2018 i30 SR owners manual says that after replacing tyre/s my TMPS will reset itself after driving around for a few minutes and the illuminated TPMS dash icon will disappear).

Also, I wonder if your garage incorrectly fitted or damaged a TPMS sensors (easy to do) and that is causing the TPMS dash icon to light up?

I believe some other i30's have a TPMS reset switch.  Photo below...



(Understand it can also be under the steering wheel column).

[BrendanP]

I have a 2015 i30 with TPMS and have had two sets of new tyres on it. Assuming the tyre pressures are correct, the system will reset itself after driving around for a few miles. If it fails to clear after a day or so I would take it back and complain to the tyre fitter, they may have damaged it in the process. The last tyre place i went to said they're expecting a deluge of having to replace tyre sensors as the batteries start to fail.

[DannyM]

Hi DannyM, while waiting for the tech gurus on this forum to post, would you please advise if you have checked the tyre pressures with a gauge (and what those pressures were, cold or hot psi)`.

LATER EDIT:
What is the year and model of your i30? 

Do you have the owners manual for the car and if so, what does it say about replacing tyres and resetting the TPMS system.  (My 2018 i30 SR owners manual says that after replacing tyre/s my TMPS will reset itself after driving around for a few minutes and the illuminated TPMS dash icon will disappear).

Also, I wonder if your garage incorrectly fitted or damaged a TPMS sensors (easy to do) and that is causing the TPMS dash icon to light up?

I believe some other i30's have a TPMS reset switch.  Photo below...



(Understand it can also be under the steering wheel column).

It is a 2014 model. I don't think you can manually reset it, but I will check the logbook. I definitely do not have any buttons on my wheel like on that picture for the TPMS.

I've drove around for many miles now since the tyres were replaced and the warning is still on my dashboard. I'm starting to think the garage has damaged it and they are going to try and charge me £80 for a new one.

[DannyM]

I have a 2015 i30 with TPMS and have had two sets of new tyres on it. Assuming the tyre pressures are correct, the system will reset itself after driving around for a few miles. If it fails to clear after a day or so I would take it back and complain to the tyre fitter, they may have damaged it in the process. The last tyre place i went to said they're expecting a deluge of having to replace tyre sensors as the batteries start to fail.

I need to check the tyre pressures but if I'm not getting a low tyre pressure warning on my dashboard, I am presuming they are correct?

The garage warned me saying a new TPMS will cost £80, but I'm pretty angry if it is them who have broke it and they are not going to fix it for free.

If the problem is left for a certain amount of time, can that do any more damage?

[TerryT]

DannyM,

It's not relevant now but, FYI, the reset button in the photo I posted was not located on the steering wheel but on a panel below the dash instrument cluster.

Yes, please check your owners manual for your car's TPMS system as that may help eliminate causes.  FYI, the TPMS information in my owners manual is in the "What to do in an emergency" section.

Checking and posting your tyre pressures may also help eliminate a cause.

Because I haven't so far had a low tyre pressure issue with my car I can only assume that the the TPMS warning icon would appears in the main instrument display.  My car has a TPMS display which, I believe, clearly highlights the offending tyre/s (but not shown in the following photo). 



And, as BrendanP astutely mentioned, it could be a problem with TPMS battery being low.  If, and it's a big IF,  the TPMS sensors are the oem ones, they would now be about 7~8 years and that is old!  (It's one of the reasons I asked for your year model).   I've heard of TPMS batteries typically lasting 5~7 years and then, I've also heard 6~10 years?  Depends on the quality of the battery).

Driving around with the TPMS icon ON should not be an issue...maybe a mild annoyance on a dark night on unlit roads.

[TerryT]

DannyM,

Was thinking more about your problem and I wondered whether your garage had tested your TMPS sensors in-situ after they stripped off your old tyres and then retested the sensors after they fitted the new tyres to the car, just to confirm everything was working ok.   Knowing that would eliminate some issues.

I am not a mechanic/technician but I expect a modern well equipped workshop these days to have a quality TMPS tester that includes a sensor battery test function, but maybe that's just me.  

Given the age of your car (2014, 7 years?) and the expected life of sensor batteries (5~7 years?) if I was servicing your car I would have suggested that it was time to replace the TPMS sensors IF they were oem as, imo, it would be unlikely those sensors would see out the life of the new tyres fitted...and I would not consider that high-pressure upselling, just being sensible and saving you money in the long term.

The photograph below is of my TPMS Tester bench testing a spare sensor I had.  Testing the sensor outside of a tyre means the tyre pressure column (PSI) is "blank".  The tester results shows that the sensor has Passed and importantly, that the battery (BAT) is OK.   If your garage had such a Tester they could quickly diagnose if the issue is a sensor low battery or batteries.
 


Would appreciate an update on your progress with this problem as shared info can be useful for forum members.

[Bob.W]

The Hyundai TPMS is (IMHO) a classic example of a feature thats lauded by the maker as making things easier for the consumer - when really there was no real demand for it in the first place.  I've NEVER heard people bemoaning that it was too hard to check the pressure on their tyres.

And as a result you get this annoying system, that hassles you endlessly when you change or rotate on your spare, isn't very accurate and ends up dying after a given period. 

[TerryT]

@ DannyM,

Have you solved your problem?  Would be interesting to know the outcome.

Cheers, TT

[Bob.W]

Driving around with the TPMS icon ON should not be an issue...maybe a mild annoyance on a dark night on unlit roads.

I know it's old but great post by Terry. Am I the only one to be shocked that there's such a thing as a TPMS bench tester? 

I did post above about how I despise Hyundai's TPMS (atleast the one in our 2017 PD) - Terry is right, if it's just the small icon on the dash - while it can worry some folks (our independent mechanic was trying to figure out what the heck it was for 30mins before I turned up and told him it was the TPMS as I'd rotated the spare on) - BUT the issue is that intermitantly actually when you are driving it will override whatever else is being displayed on the LCD section of the display....bye bye km/hr it's instead flash a giant TPMS wanring up.

Now now sure who the moron was who programmed that in but that freaked my wife out severely first few times it happened resulting in calls to me confused - I'd already said the normal icon was no issue but that one alarmed her.

And if one TPMS sensor isn't working it won't display ANY OF THEM...so there's no 3 readings and a TBA - the software won't show anything for it when you try to view.  Top that off that I find it inaccurate, it's consistantly different from the reknownedly accurate Michelin digital pressure gauge I have.  To say it's useless like tits on a Bull is an epic understatement. 

[Surferdude]

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

[Greyhound]

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

Yes, seems so. In UK TPMS is checked at annual MOT. See this link: MOT Woes For Drivers With Faulty TPMS - New MOT Criteria | Kwik Fit

[Bob.W]

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

Yes, seems so. In UK TPMS is checked at annual MOT. See this link: MOT Woes For Drivers With Faulty TPMS - New MOT Criteria | Kwik Fit

How ridiculous.   Don't have a TPMS, pass - TPMS isn't working because a sensor has a flat battery, your spare is on - fail?   Surely not.......they say yeah your TPMS isn't working, you say so whats the risk of that, they say your tyre pressure could get low, you say - well how could I possibly do that otherwise.....oh shall we check them manually, like we have for the prevous 100+yrs of motor vehicles and as all other cars on the road sans TPMS do?

I stand firm it's a terrible system - and benefits perhaps a tiny % of drivers who have no desire or willingness to check their tyre pressure - heck you can't even stipulate what pressure range you want in your tyres, which might actually add some vague value to it i.e notifying when you're above or below this so you can action.

[Surferdude]

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

Yes, seems so. In UK TPMS is checked at annual MOT. See this link: MOT Woes For Drivers With Faulty TPMS - New MOT Criteria | Kwik Fit

How ridiculous.   Don't have a TPMS, pass - TPMS isn't working because a sensor has a flat battery, your spare is on - fail?   Surely not.......they say yeah your TPMS isn't working, you say so whats the risk of that, they say your tyre pressure could get low, you say - well how could I possibly do that otherwise.....oh shall we check them manually, like we have for the prevous 100+yrs of motor vehicles and as all other cars on the road sans TPMS do?

I stand firm it's a terrible system - and benefits perhaps a tiny % of drivers who have no desire or willingness to check their tyre pressure - heck you can't even stipulate what pressure range you want in your tyres, which might actually add some vague value to it i.e notifying when you're above or below this so you can action.

No argument here.

Absolutely an unnecessary piece of rubbish.

[TerryT]

[#1]. I know it's old, but great post by Terry.  Am I the only one to be shocked that there's such a thing as a TPMS bench tester? 

[#2]. Top that off that I find it [i.e. the car dash TPMS tyre pressure readings.  TT] inaccurate, it's consistantly different from the reknownedly accurate Michelin digital pressure gauge I have.   

Hi Bob,

Re #1. I hope my post and photo didn't confuse you.  My TPMS Tool is a handheld unit, used primarily to run around  a vehicle testing the TMPS sensors fitted for each tyre BUT it can also be used to bench test any TPMS sensors  prior to fitting to a vehicle...plus it can do a host of other TPMS-related functions.

ATEQ VT56 TPMS Tool, testing a fitted TPMS sensor


Bench testing a TPMS sensor.



Re #2.  Your comments about the inaccuracy of your car TPMS dash display got me thinking.  I checked the tyre pressures of my car both at COLD and at HOT pressures with (a) my tyre pressure gauge; (b) my TPMS Tool; and (c) my car's TPMS dash display.  ('Cold' tyre pressures were taken after a night in the garage and the 'hot' tyre pressures were taken after a short, easy 10km local trip, just for rough comparison purposes).

I found that my car's TPMS dash display readings were comparable with my tyre pressure gauge and my TPMS Tool.  See below table for the results:
   



TPMS Tool results - 'hot' tyres



My i30 TPMS dash display, 'hot' tyres


Comment:  The front tyre pressures show 37psi.  Because the car display does not show tyre pressures in "tenths" they could be "37.0" or anywhere between 37.1~37.9psi (before clicking over to "38psi".  Even at worst of 37.9psi, that is still only about 1psi off being accurate according to my tyre pressure gauge and my TPMS Tool. 

The front tyres show 1psi higher than the rears which is understandable as the front tyres during my short trip took more of the braking effort than the rears, with a greater rise in front tyre temperatures and internal air pressures. 

Our Tyre Pressure Gauges.
I see that you used a Michelin digital tyre pressure gauge in your testing.  The brand is quite reputable so your readings should be accurate.

I used a Longacre 3.5" (90mm) analogue gauge from my track days which I had checked by an instrument calibration company (30 psi on the gauge = 29.90psi).  Being an analogue gauge I had to eye-ball the 1/2psi readings which wasn't hard to do given the spacing of the increments.



Conclusion?  Our vehicles are similar so I guess you maybe got crappy TPMS sensors and/or display...and I got lucky.

BTW, I don't disagree with you or Suferdude about the usefulness of TPMS sensors. 

 

[TerryT]

Correction to my post above.  My Longacre tyre gauge is 3.5" (90mm), not 3" as stated

I could not find a way to directly go in and edit my post above.  The Modify icon is no longer visible.  Does the Modify icon (usually in the top right panel of icons) time-out after say, an hour of posting?


 

[Bob.W]

Wow - terrific post by @TerryT , superb info and heck if you were at uni it'd just need a bit of fleshing out and you'd be on your way to a nice little case study/thesis.

Look forward to more posts from yourself - as thats top shelf stuff.

[The Gonz]

Correction to my post above.  My Longacre tyre gauge is 3.5" (90mm), not 3" as stated

I could not find a way to directly go in and edit my post above.  The Modify icon is no longer visible.  Does the Modify icon (usually in the top right panel of icons) time-out after say, an hour of posting?


 

As admin I've never noticed but from visiting other fora, that seems to be the norm, often much less than an hour.
I've made your correction.

[TerryT]

Wow - terrific post by @TerryT , superb info and heck if you were at uni it'd just need a bit of fleshing out and you'd be on your way to a nice little case study/thesis.

Look forward to more posts from yourself - as thats top shelf stuff.

Aww, shucks Bob, thanks...my cheeks are glowing red!    

My "technical" contributions are purposefully restricted to limited subjects because I am not a mechanic/technician. I just like forums as a place for us members to collectively share our knowledge and/or experiences.

Regards,  TT

[TerryT]

Correction to my post above.  My Longacre tyre gauge is 3.5" (90mm), not 3" as stated

I could not find a way to directly go in and edit my post above.  The Modify icon is no longer visible.  Does the Modify icon (usually in the top right panel of icons) time-out after say, an hour of posting?


 

As admin I've never noticed but from visiting other fora, that seems to be the norm, often much less than an hour.
I've made your correction.

Thanks for that Gonz, appreciated.

My old eyes first misread your "fora" for "flora" and I wondered for a second whether your other interests were plants...and then it twigged (small pun intended ).

[The Gonz]

My old eyes first misread your "fora" for "flora" and I wondered for a second whether your other interests were plants...and then it twigged (small pun intended ).

I like how you branched out in your thinking. It shows intellectual growth. That should always be nurtured.

[TerryT]

My old eyes first misread your "fora" for "flora" and I wondered for a second whether your other interests were plants...and then it twigged (small pun intended   ).

I like how you branched out in your thinking. It shows intellectual growth. That should always be nurtured.

Three!  I've got nothin'! 

[DannyM]

@ DannyM,

Have you solved your problem?  Would be interesting to know the outcome.

Cheers, TT

Hi Terry,

Sorry for the late reply, I'm currently in the process of moving house and I've not had much time to get online.

I did check my tyre pressures in these new tyres that I had fitted and they were all "34", which is what they should be.

The light is still flashing up on my dashboard every time I start my car and stays on for my whole journey to wherever I'm going.

I do know I'm going to have to take it back to the garage and ask them to replace it. I also know they will be charging me £70-ish to do that.

I can try and argue the point that it was all fine until they replaced the tyres, but I don't think I am going to win this argument.

I've been putting it off now that I know I can ignore the warning light on the dashboard.

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

I guess I'll be failing my MOT again next year lol 

[TerryT]

@ DannyM,

Have you solved your problem?  Would be interesting to know the outcome.

Cheers, TT

Hi Terry,

Sorry for the late reply, I'm currently in the process of moving house and I've not had much time to get online.

I did check my tyre pressures in these new tyres that I had fitted and they were all "34", which is what they should be.

The light is still flashing up on my dashboard every time I start my car and stays on for my whole journey to wherever I'm going.

I do know I'm going to have to take it back to the garage and ask them to replace it. I also know they will be charging me £70-ish to do that.

I can try and argue the point that it was all fine until they replaced the tyres, but I don't think I am going to win this argument.

I've been putting it off now that I know I can ignore the warning light on the dashboard.

Did I see somewhere that in the UK a flashing TPMS will fail MOT?

I guess I'll be failing my MOT again next year lol   

Danny.  Understand mate.  Moving house, you can have that to yourself. :'(

So, your tyre pressures were 34 psi all-around which excludes excessively low tyre pressure as a cause of your problem (unlikely as it was, but still necessary to check).

I don’t think you’ve told us whether you checked your owners manual to determine if your UK 2014, i30 has an auto-learn or manual relearn TPMS (system).

If the car is auto-learn, you’ve driven it enough for the system to recognise the sensors where they are located on the car and would delete the dash fault icon.

If your car is a manual-relearn and the garage had rotated a wheel so it wasn't re-fitted to its previous location on the car, the TPMS will be confused (e.g. sensor xyz is now not on front, left wheel) and throw a fault on the dash.  In that case, the TPMS sensors will have to be manually relearned on the car, as per the owners manual.

Suggestion 1: If your garage does not have a quality TPMS Tester I would find a tyre specialist garage and ask how much to test check your sensors.  Should only be a 60-second job, so not expensive and will give you info on the condition of each sensor. If any sensor is faulty, the Tester will NOT be able to see it and will leave a blank line for that wheel on the Tester screen.

I believe you would then have a case to say the TPMS sensor was damaged when the new tyre was fitted to that wheel.



Suggestion 2: If you've had the car since new and know that the TPMS sensors are OEM, given their age (8 years) I would think about fitting four new sensors now as they are unlikely imo to last the life of your new tyres.
IF a TPMS dash fault will cause your car to fail its MOT it’s a case of when you bite the bullet, now or later.  Guess it all depends on the state of your finances which I suspect may be low?
Anyways, good luck with it all and when it's all sorted and you have the time, post up the outcome.

[TerryT]

I recently had all four tyres on my Hyundai i30 replaced at the garage. Since they were replaced, I noticed my TPMS malfunction indicator appeared on my dashboard.

@ DannyM.  Hope the house moving has finally settled down now.   

Were you able to get the problem identified and was your garage 'helpful'?

[TerryT]

@ DannyM.  Hi mate, given my interest in your problem and my interest in TPMS problems generally, I would like to know what the outcome was with your workshop in this matter.  Thanks.