Hypothetically, suppose you wanted to remove your TPMS and pack them in a sealed container and put the container in your trunk. Could you reset your TPMS and have it be happy with the sensors sitting there?

 

IF it picked up the sensors in the trunk, why not put them in the spare tire?

More than likely the sensors wouldn't be able to be read by the TPMS computer back in the trunk. On most TPMS vehicles there are sensor receivers in the wheelwells.

And, to answer your question, the light will come on when approx 15-20% lower than rated pressure.

 

That's probably not a good idea. Sure, putting the tpms sensors inside the spare tire will keep them under pressure so the system doesn't alarm. But what do you do when you have a flat tire and need to use the spare?

 

My point was more, that it probably wouldn't be able to read the sensors back there. But, yes, I did state it.....

 

Yes, there is a TPMS receiver in the trunk. The car can register 5 transmitters, so it can also tell you when your spare is low. Of course, to do that you have to buy an extra alloy wheel and pay the dealer to register the numbers in the computer.

In previous threads on this topic, I have read that some owners just store their summer wheels in the garage next to where they park the car. During the winter, the car receives from the summer wheels often enough to keep it happy. If you do that, of course, the winter wheels with the snow tires don't have tpms sensors, so you have to actually check the pressure periodically. It's a good idea to check the pressure periodically anyway.