Tire pressure sensor system

I have a 2002 T&C (all wheel drive) with a tire pressure monitoring system. The vehicle has about 45K miles. At about 25K miles, I began getting annoying messages on the message board telling me to "Service tire system soon" or asking me "Spare tire in use?"

These messages are followed by "See owners manual". Unfortunately, there's nothing in the service manual.

Recently, after about the third or fourth trip to the dealer's service department, the service manager told me that I should have received a little magnetic "doughnut" to retrain the sensors, which are located just under the valve stems, and that I should follow the procedure in the manual. No doughnutand (again) no info in manual. He then told me that he had tried to reset/retrain the sensors, but only made it to the third wheel in the specified sequence (apparently LR, LF, RF, LR and finally, spare). Something, he said, is wrong with the system but he doesn't know what.

Well, I suggested, could we just disable the thing to do away with the annoyance. After all, it's not that much trouble to occasionally check the tire pressure... just like changing oil, checking air filters and all those other little pesky things that about 10 or 20 per cent of us do. That would be OK, he said, but he doesn't know how to disable the thing, either.

Does anyone have experience with this system and advice to offer, apart from trading the vehicle?

Reply to
Bentley
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I also have a 2002 T&C AWD which I just purchased used , and wanted to learn how to check the monitor. I found the following link

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which explains the procedure with oneexception. You start at the LF then RF,RR,LR. the horn will sound if doneproperly at each wheel,also found these other links that might be of assistance.http://forums.chryslerminivan.net/ ,
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also
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Purchased the magnet from the dealer around 13.00 and attached it to thejack so I can find it when I rotate the tires.Good Luck Harold Seldin

Reply to
The Seldin Family

Reply to
mic canic

Thanks to Harold Seldin I was able to reprogram the tire pressure sensors on my 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan. It took less than two minutes. I had the tires rotated and apparently they did not retrain the sensors and I started getting low tire alarms although all the tires had the same pressure, 34PSI.

I used an old magnet that had once been for holding knives in the kitchen. I think any strong magnet will do. The sensor display tells which tire to do next but it is clockwise starting with the left front.

Bill weaver

Reply to
bnweaver

Reply to
The Seldin Family

I want to confirm Mr. Seldin's information. The internet description of the Jeep system at

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very thorough and full of technical information about what is going onwith the slightly different (and apparently better) Jeep system. I purchased the donut-shaped magnet from my local Chrysler dealer some time ago, but didn't know what to do with it. I retrained the sensors in my 2002 T&C Limited yesterday, and, thanks to Harold, it all went like clockwork.

Ignition on. Repeatedly press the Menu key until it says "RETRAIN TIRE SENSORS? NO." Press the Step key once to change the NO to YES. Press the Menu key again and the screen prompts you to "TRAIN LEFT FRONT TIRE." Put the magnet around the valve stem on the left front tire and hold it for several seconds. Just when you are about to wonder what's happening (if anything), the horn will honk. Then the screen prompts for the RF tire and so on through RR and LR. After a honk for each of the four wheels, you are done. The spare, under the rear is a steel wheel without any sensor. Before you lie down under the rear bumper to confirm this, grab your tire gage--this is a good time to check your spare!

Apparently, when you rotate tires, you need to retrain them so the EVIC knows which tire is where. Also, if you remove a flat tire and swap in the non-sensored spare, the EVIC will ask if the spare is in use. By answering yes, I assume the system will stop monitoring that tire position.

Don't try for the tire pressure system test described for the Jeep. There really is no "blank display." If you try anyway, you are likely to end up on a screen that says "VARIANCE=11," or something like that. This is a normal Chrysler screen for the compass' magnetic variance. Do not change it without reading all about your compass in the owner's manual. If you persist with holding the RESET button, you may end up needlessly (but harmlessly) recalibrating your compass.

Enjoy!

Reply to
Dean Moxness

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