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TPMS tools; who else uses them?

Jbullfrog

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Jan 9, 2007
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2,347
Location
Avoca, Iowa
My wife's GMC Acadia showed the left front tire to be low, but after looking at the tires, the right rear was the problem. The dealership installed the new tires and I'm pretty sure their tire guy has no idea what the tire pressure monitor is for.
I have a shop at the farm and we needed to get codes from our semi. We purchased an OTC Genisys with the HD kit and it also had the TPMS tool. I didn't need it the first year, but then I ruined a tire on my truck and needed to flash a new sensor. I'm 40 miles from Omaha, NE and found I was the only one outside of a dealership that has a TPMS tool. The local tire shops change tires, and won't even replace the stems if there is a sensor. I have done stems on my F250 and our Acadia as well as flashed sensors and reset the locations.

Other than dealers who is working on TPMS systems?
 

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ex-x-fire

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Nov 10, 2012
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Sheboygan Falls Wi.
Yeah we have an OTC tool for them. I really wish they simplify these systems (or at least clearing the light). We have AllData at work, it's tough finding simple resetting info.
 

KEH

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Jan 31, 2010
Messages
5,142
Local small tire store sells the valve stem with sensor, so I assume they have the tools. Never dealt with it myself, car and truck are the first ones we have had with the sensors. Wife's car gives tire pressure on screen. My truck is supposed to flash a signal if tire is low.

KEH
 

DodgeMech

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Aug 17, 2012
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1,858
I work at a dealer and we have a tool to tell if the sensor is working or not, but since we don't handle tires, we can't install them
 

shockwave

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Oct 23, 2012
Messages
2,125
Location
Marietta,ga
We use the ateq tpms tool at work most of the time the car will reset the tpms for u but there are a few Ford comes to mind with there switch on off method to get to the training mode of the car
 

Fedwrench

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Dec 9, 2007
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14,945
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Valley of the sun
Fleet shop, we use them. We have two styles of Ateq TPMS reset tools. they work great. Most of ours are the two piece sensor with a rubber coated valve stem as used on many GM models. We buy replacement valve stems from myers tire supply in bulk to replace the valve stem with new tires.
 

Alienbaby17

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Jan 27, 2014
Messages
338
Location
Minnesota
I work at an independent garage. We had the OTC tool for years but didn't use it that often. Around a year ago we bought a new tool that can also program universal sensors to most cars. However, most of the time a vehicle needs a sensor replaced we usually just buy the vehicle specific one from a supplier.

I do find that lately we use this tool several times a week.
 

n8n

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Mar 11, 2014
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3,607
Location
Curtis Bay, MD
your Acadia probably just needs to have the TPMS relearned which doesn't require the scan tool.

My friend's shop has the Autel scanner which is handy for identifying bad sensors, but I don't know that he's sold a single sensor since he's had it though.
 

Frosthy

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Mar 28, 2013
Messages
196
Location
FL
Pep Boys has the scanners to check sensors/learn systems/replace most sensors. AFAIK, a TPMS "check" is free, then you pay for the ~$70 sensor plus labor to change it and to re-learn the system. But they can also just re/program TPMS systems for like $20.. Don't know who makes the tool they use (it's a little handheld box), but I can check if someone really cares.

Audi doesn't use TPMS sensors. Set tire pressure and it's reset through the computer/screen in the car...

I will say, although the customer gets charged for a "TPMS Rebuild" and the tech get's paid the extra 0.2, 100% of the techs don't touch the sensors 95% of the time. Down here, the valve stems rarely leak and you run into more problems with people not running valve caps (means stuck valve cores) or never washing their rims (and letting the salt destroy the sensors).... Your sensors will have 'warrenty' against leakage, but you have more problems from touching the sensors than not touching them..
 
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Mxjr12

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Dec 28, 2013
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91
Location
Green Bay, Wi
I use the snap on tmps3 tool and I love it, kinda pricey but works perfect and I can also test key fobs with it
 

jfcasey

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Jan 30, 2010
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1,358
Location
New Hampshire
I don't count since I work at a dealer BUT a BG rep showed us a pretty cool tool they sell that will scan the ID off a broken sensor and assign it to a aftermarket sensor thus replacing any sensor without having to have access to the TPMS computer on a vehicle. We were interested in it for working on used cars that are not the same brand as our dealer sells new.
 

Mxjr12

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Dec 28, 2013
Messages
91
Location
Green Bay, Wi
I also have a tool that looks like a box with a air fitting in it and it's used for testing tpms sensors without putting the sensor in the wheel and installing it on the car
 
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J

Jbullfrog

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Jan 9, 2007
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Location
Avoca, Iowa
The dealers around me sell a $70 sensor and stem instead off just a $4 stem. they assume no one is going to fix it themselves.
 

gsingh

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Dec 26, 2012
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Location
NOVA
At work we can use the verus or the tpms3

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 

devoncoolman

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Mar 17, 2013
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2,096
Location
quakertown pa
Independent shop. We have the autel for releaning sensors. Use solus for programing toyota. And i use a magnet for the fords and what not that use magnets to relearm the sensors.
 

Peco

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Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
6
I picked up a Ateq VT5 TPMS Reset scan tool to reset the TPMS between the winter/summer setup on my wife's Buick Encore. It also works for all GM vehicles.
 
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