Tire Pressure Monitor (TPMS) malfunction - After "Resetting Tire Pressure... 49%" FIX!

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I got the "Tire Pressure Monitor malfunction" message on my 2015 BMW M4 and fixed it by replacing my TPM Sensors. It came on after not being able to reset the tire pressure (it would stop at 49%). It was not cheap, but here's what I learned.
If you have more info to add, please do so in the comments below.
Here is a link to my old TPMS (note that it says it doesn't fit my M4): amzn.to/3qZde1w
Here is a link to ones I bet would work for WAY LESS than I paid: amzn.to/3p4BCxl
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All DIY repairs or modifications you perform to your car are made at your own risk. Sometimes, even if you've done everything the right way, you can destroy or damage one or more things on your car. You must understand this, but by leveraging knowledge and patience, the probability of encountering one or more problems can be reduced.
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Lastly, please don't do anything to your car unless you yourself feel comfortable and confident in doing so.

[@edgy1rocks]

My exact issue. Bought spare set of rims for winter tires, bought 4 TPMS sensors to replace the ones in the rims when I put the new tires on but the tire guy didn’t replace the sensors! Same 49% fail. Thanks for putting this up! Love finding exactly what I’m looking for on KZbin!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+edgy1rocks glad it helped! 🍻

[@carycoller3140]

I'm having this exact issue. I'm glad I found russ video in 2024. Hopefully I can find a shop to replace my sensors. I'd sure hate to pay BMW $1,000 to do this job.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@carycoller3140 😎🍻

[@carycoller3140]

@HelpMeDIY Unfortunately I'm at BMW. None of our local shops can activate new BMW tire pressure sensors. They can change them, just can't activate them.

[@MikeK-NIreland]

Hi Aaron great video, and what a great bunch of guys in that garage. Lovely to see they took great care of your wheels and actually knew what they were doing. Mick 👍🍻

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Michael Kane thanks!

[@humayunmughal1674]

Thanks for an amazing video. Now, I know exactly what to change with my failing TPMS system with winter tyres. Keep going the great work!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+humayun Mughal will do, thanks!

[@troygronberg8882]

Thanks for posting this! Interesting that they let you film the process.. but I liked seeing the details.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Troy Gronberg I was a little surprised too but I have a pretty good relationship with them there and it never hurts to ask!

[@garyl5128]

Very interesting video - I'd never really thought about how hey worked etc, so this video was a great insight into that. Thanks!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Gary L same here, I found it really interesting myself to get a closer look. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 😁

[@ABWSKITCHEN]

I bought the 4 sensors for about $ 60 using the Amazon recommendation, came pre programmed, took them to te tire shop, they installed them, balanced the tires and charged me $ 15 per tire, I gave $ 35 tip.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+ABW'S KITCHEN that’s great! 🍻

[@edwardhernandez442]

I truly appreciate the time u spent on making g this informative and educational video. Thumbs up all the way!!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@edwardhernandez442 thank you very much!🍻

[@streettunner]

Thought it was another vid on the Porsche 😆 but still watched it... love the winter rims! looks real good on the M.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+oigres maldonado haha thanks! It’s a nice change but I really get excited when I get to put the Signature SV107’s back on :)

[@tommybronze3451]

My story with RDC sensors on my 4 series was: ordered tyres online with "instal next to my place of work". Guy came in and installed new tyres and just rushes of to get going. I go around the car and notice that steel protectors are gone - ask him about "why" ? He said that my tyres came with new RDC. I say "hey, but I had no problem with the old ones" to which he replied "yes but you payed for new ones". After thinking a bit (and something was odd) I asked him "could I have my old one back" to which he really started explaining to me about blah blah blah ... I insisted, and he gave my my old ones back, with one being snapped off. "Well", I though, "at least I had new ones so I'm covered, right ?". Well sort of. The new ones were exactly the ones that you shown here, they took 5-10 minutes to register with vehicle after starting my trip to work. Got p*** off in the end and I bit the bullet and got to bmw and purchased a new RDC and got them put back in - now all tyre status come up within 30-60 seconds of driving. Now, comment about them not being able to "find the sensor" - those are activate with rotation of the tyre, you don't want them to keep transmitting when you're parked for few hours and waste battery away ? So don't get fulled with garage stating "oooohhh we can't read it - you need a new one" just tell them to spin the wheels of use the right tool ( or you could have the shoddy aftermarket ones )

[@overmyheadphotography6186]

having issues with my audi ones at the moment only had car couple months so hopefully with this info in hand can ask the dealership to look into it. great info👍

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@overmyheadphotography6186 thanks! Good luck 🍻

[@Boost5.0stang]

The old sensors are generic that's probably why they didn't get a correct reading from the second scan tool because it was looking for a different type of sensor signal. Also this is how they get you to pay for OEM parts and labor. Good video. Thanks

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@Boost5.0stang thanks! 🍻

[@wilfredwilde9559]

Great video friend .I just had some loons at Costco in Hayes London break one of mine before Christmas.Tonight I paid £94.00 at BMW Heathrow. Costco are footing the bill as they should but I have to wait until tomorrow as none of them were confident enough to fit it tonight. The guy broke it with a tyre lever .The old one which has rattled around in there since before Christmas wasn’t that bad looking but he had snapped the mount so it was unusable. PS.You’re never supposed to use that emergency tyre seal stuff on wheels with a sensor valve a tyre shop told me once . Happy New Year

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Wilfred Wilde that makes sense. I’ve never used and never would when a plug is almost as easy ;)

[@Saauuullll]

This is exactly what I needed. 😅Thank you!!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@Saauuullll you’re welcome! 🍻

[@misterg4089]

Appreciate this post my Tpm monitor Fail lit up on screen of my 2008 bmw 650i

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Mister G you’re welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@M4manny212]

Great video going thru this now on my m4, also in Greensboro lol.. i have new sensors in my new wheels :(

[@HelpMeDIY]

+M4nny Dont Gotit small world! Hope you’re a subscriber now 😉

[@xxxkennyvxxx]

Helped alot

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Kenny Vang 🍻

[@Tupeutla]

the small TPMS models valve ( the black ones ) looks like a valve you can find in Walmart inflating air duck buoy ( the pink ones ) ! the other ones looks like more the OEM model. i went from E84 , to F25 with ABS tire calculation , but when I bough the G02 the TPMS make me choose 2 set of wheels + tires, and I am not going anymore to the local garage , but only BMW ...

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Sebastien LICHT OEM usually works 😁

[@nime6747]

Thanks!

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@nime6747 you’re welcome! 🍻

[@aidan.s2540]

Hard to see from the video but did your sensors come with a washer to put on before the nut? As every kit I’ve seen has one but I ordered a set of x4 genuine ones and no washers

[@HelpMeDIY]

+aidan squibb good question, but I obviously didn’t install them so I don’t remember any more than what the video shows unfortunately 🤷‍♂️

[@matijaradosavljevic6721]

Hi, I have question, can I use ISTA+ to turn off TPMS sensors?

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Matija Radosavljević probably? Never tried 🤷‍♂️

[@chowfunish]

the $100 ones, are they oem or aftermarket? Do you recommended going oem or aftermarket because most ppl recommend to just buy at deader

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Andrew Chow those are still aftermarket, the true OEM ones are even more expensive. If I had it to do over again I would have bought something like the second link in the description and brought them with me to the shop to have them install. But they got these for me the same day so it did save me some time at least.

[@georgelouie5330]

another great video Aaron. I just put a second hand set of Winter tires on my Boxster only to realize the tires didn't have sensors installed. :( Could you tell me approximately what they charge for installing new sensors into you BMW?

[@HelpMeDIY]

+george louie thanks! I think it was around $80

[@georgelouie5330]

Interesting.. been looking at aftermarket sensors to install in my Winter tires.. the prices on RockAuto.com and Amazon run anywhere from $70 to $400 for a set of four sensors. I found a place that I could provide the hardware and they would install 4 of them for ~$120 +tax. The confusion is that the shops say that they need to be "programmed".. but all the descriptions say they don't need to be programmed, they just need to run OE Re-Learn procedure.. which I thought is done via the car, I know re-learn is an option via the steering column stalk... I ordered a set of the aftermarket ones from Amazon, gonna take them into the shop and see what they can tell me, and whether or not their tool will read them..

[@HelpMeDIY]

@@georgelouie5330 report back :)

[@georgelouie5330]

@@HelpMeDIY - will do.

[@georgelouie5330]

More information.. new TPMS sensors arrived from Amazon today.. a quick browse through the installation instructions is a bit confusing.. the Sensors are supposed to be pre-programmed, so I don't think I have to program them.. but it does say the sensors data information needs to to be setup in the car's ECU thru OBD/OBDII port and to "setup tire location for each sensor when necessary" Not sure what that means or whether that's taken care of thru the steering wheel on the Boxster. Going to talk to the tire shop guy tomorrow... @Aaron, did they have connect to the OBD II port when they setup yours?

[@chowfunish]

I have this problem too

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Andrew Chow now you know the solution hopefully 😁

[@Chrishatv83]

i’m planning on getting new tires for winter, should i just leave it until i get those new tires or should i fix this now

[@HelpMeDIY]

+MoldyAppleSuace Gaming they are not critical so I would wait and do them when you replace the tires.

[@Chrishatv83]

@@HelpMeDIYthankd

[@HelpMeDIY]

@@Chrishatv83 you’re welcome. Hope you’re a subscriber now 😎

[@intrapersonaI]

This problem is not as black and white as "damage done to TPMS valve stem" etc. It could be entirely from a corroded RDC (Reifendruckkontrolle) box which is a separate communication box used apart from valve stems. So in some instance your stems can be fine but this can be broken, and vice versa.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+intrapersonal true, but I bet 95% of the time it’s the sensor and not the box

[@intrapersonaI]

@@HelpMeDIY Yeah, my troubles with it and searching for help about it is fruitless since its such a rare issue

[@danny-rnd3444]

It's necessary to program te sensor?

[@HelpMeDIY]

+DANNY-RND some need to be initiated or “programmed”. Mine did.

[@angeleverstar]

My mini have same issue. After I changed new tires TPMS couldn’t reset. It stopped at 49%. I went to local tire shop new my home and he said front passenger side sensor couldn’t detect. I ordered 4 sensors from online and replaced for all 4 wheels. TPMS still not working. May be I need to check at dealer.

[@dayuson]

Did you ever find a fix?

[@user-zq9ir5be6o]

؟؟؟؟؟

[@yusufkilicaslan6543]

Same issue ,tire guy damage the tpms when they change the tire , some of them not take care too much.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Yusuf Kilicaslan yes you just can’t depend on anyone to care about your car these days it seems 🤦‍♂️

[@shahmoneyxl5739]

I just had a set of tires installed today and 2 of my metal tpm stems were returned broken. The shop owner/manager did inform me and returned the broken sensors to me. He also waived the install fee. Sucks that my parts were damaged but I was encouraged by his honesty. Pondering now whether to purchase the replacement stems and washers or purchase replacement sensors. Any thoughts?

[@HelpMeDIY]

@@shahmoneyxl5739 I didn’t even know you could buy them separately. I would think the shop would replace them for you if they damaged them though

[@Me-lf5oj]

Why didn't you just change the battery on the old once it would of been a lot cheaper because that's what seems to be the problem with them not very long life time with the battery they start going after 5 years and thanks for for the video

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Me because they don’t come with replaceable batteries. At least mine didn’t.

[@rl-rc7kb]

same issue

[@HelpMeDIY]

+lu 👍

[@StanVasil]

So 100usd per sensor, plus labour...did that cost you over 500usd?! 2 of mine don't read, I'm ignoring it for about 5yrs, would like to fix it, but won't pay that money for bloody TMP sensors.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Stan Vasil probably did… I found (and linked below) much less expensive sensors after that

[@StanVasil]

@@HelpMeDIY Thanks, will check it out. I'm in Europe though, so will need to find something here.

[@alanwatts5537]

You had some cheap sensors on your wheels.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@alanwatts5537 maybe 🤷‍♂️

[@justinheard5954]

5

[@andrewtolo]

Those tpms sensors relearn themselves 🥴 just so ya know

[@settounite]

As a german it makes me cringe to see "BEYERN" written on your Caps when it is actually written Bayern with an A. Its like reading Celifornea instead of California for u Americans.

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Setto Unite haha sorry!

[@mariotrunzo9199]

Can you remove them lol

[@HelpMeDIY]

+@mariotrunzo9199 sure

[@Jul-Lee]

Yeah mine says TPM function, I tried it with or without a fuse still not working I get that stupid tire pressure warning any other way to remove it I don't want to go into the sensors

[@HelpMeDIY]

+Jul-Lee unfortunately that’s about the extent of my knowledge on them 🤷‍♂️. Let us know if you figure it out!

[@Jul-Lee]

@@HelpMeDIY I know but is there any way to get rid of the stupid air pressure light on my Dash taking the fuse didn't do anything I don't want to change the sensors and I really don't want to have to take my Dash apart and put tape over it

[@HelpMeDIY]

@@Jul-Lee I have a video on how to turn the TPMS feature on/off for my Porsche Cayman you can check out, but that’s the only car I’ve ever done anything like that

[@Jul-Lee]

@@HelpMeDIY yeah but that doesn't help me