So, I finally got around to gathering everything for a spare set of studded snow tires. Thanks to someone for bringing up the TPMS, or I probably wouldn't even know I had until the light came on. I knew it would be a bit of money, but we run winter tires for a long time up here (September through May most years), so I wanted them to be right. Just going to Ford or to a regular tire shop looked painfully expensive, so I got the hardware off of eBay, and the tires from Sam's Club.

Ford OEM Alloy Rims (new in the box...nice wheels) $280 for 4
Used TPMS modules, takeoffs from an Explorer 130 for 4
Mounting kits for TPMS new from Ford 210 for 4
4 Pacemark M&S studded wheels, mounted, balanced
installed.......... 410 for 4

So, for $1000 and a bit, I've got a spare set of wheels.

After about 10 minutes of driving, the TPMS light came on and stayed on until I got home and shut things off. At next start, the light didn't come on, but there was a message on the speedo about tire pressure. At next start, no light and no message. As far as I know, the system is just working, though I don't feel like letting the air out of a tire to find out.

The mounting kits are just a bracket (already on the used modules) and big stainless hose clamp. They would definitely be reusable if anyone found a used set, and is the only place I think I could have saved much money. The Ford dealer had them in stock, and said the tire places are starting to buy a bunch of them........I would guess because the bead breaker on the tire machine probably side punches the module when used by an unwary tire man. When it's time for a tire change you may want to remind the shop you've got a module in yours. I first thought the "180 from the stem" rule was about balance, but I suspect it's more to exactly locate them for the tire guy.

I also picked up the activation tool on eBay for $70, thinking I might need it to make the new modules sync to the car, but I guess not. If anyone needs it, talk to me .

 

The TPMS each have an address and the system will need to "learn" the new address of the wheels that you installed. I have an '05 so I don't have TPM on my FEH but in other cars I have owned had a user procedure that needed to be done to tell the system what TPMS address represents the new tire. The procedure should be in your owners manual if there is one. I did not need an "activation tool" to do the procedure, but I did not change all four tires at the same time. As I recall, when I changed a tire I had push certen buttons and turn the key a certin # of time to get the system into learn mode and then it picked up the new address replacing the old tire that did not report.

I'm not sure what you will get if you repace all four at the same time. You may need the activation tool to tell the system what tire goes to what address or you could get a false warning (i.e. a low pressure warning on the LF tire when the RR tire is the one thats low).

 

I DID replace all 4 at one time.......although on the trip home they were all stacked in the back of the car, so who knows what the poor car thought . There was no light on that trip.

But the next time out there was a light, but it has all gone away on it's own (been about a month now) with no procedures.

 

You know if they were smart they just have the car listen and keep track of TPMS ID's its seen the most.... after a week or so it should be pretty darn clear what the ID's of YOUR four tires are... and then just set the system up with those ID's automatically.

 

Problem is that if you replaced all 4 tires at the same time, then the TPM sys very likely has the wrong tire location. It may have the RF tire's ID stored as the LR, for example. So that a pressure warning would be showing you the wrong tire.


Also, When you had the tires stacked in back they would not have trasmitted their IDs because they are activated by rotational movement to save battery life while the car is at rest.

 

Is the system specific as to which tire? I haven't had a warning. I thought it just said there was a tire low... not which.

 

I thought I read somewhere that when sitting still it just transmits less often, but some.

It did give a warning on the first and second trips that did not have the tires on board....the message was non-specific as to which wheel. That also made me think that the system is working, and I would assume (yeah, yeah, I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS) that if it was't working right or was confused it would just stay on......which is why I went to the trouble to get the second set of modules.

I'm thinking that the fact that it is no longer on means it sorted everything out, but it does raise a question......if the TPM on the wheels is just gone, will the system not light up?? If that was the case, I wouldn't have bothered.....but it's not easy to get info like that.

 

Wonder if you went out on the new set of tires and let the air down with a guage to 20PSI or so and turned the key and sat there a bit if it would flag a warning. You'd want to do that with a compressor nearby cause I wouldn't want to drive around like that.

 

Just saw this thread...

I had my 5k service about a week ago. Bought a sensor for my full size spare (acquired a month ago w/o the sensor) from the dealer for $150 (inclues installation). I had the service rep rotate my tires using all 5 wheels. After driving home from the dealer, I saw the TPMS warning and thought they did something wrong. Had this happened 2-3 times withing a few days. But everytime I got in the car for a drive, no sensor warning in memory. Now, a week later, I havent seen any more TPMS warnings....so far so good....

I was going to go back to the dealer (didnt have time yet) but this thread tells me that all this is normal and that the computer is acquiring the new address for the sensors -- didnt even know anything about this before!

I guess the dealer didnt know how (or forgot to do so) to "reset" or relearn the different addresses, but it looks as if the computer is smart enough for this. Good thread for those who didnt know about this! Thanks!

 

I don't know if the Escape system is.. I know that other Ford systems (F150) are tire location spacific. If the FEH system is not tire location spacific then no set-up is probably needed and the system will most likely learn the address on it's own.