Originally published by Bodyshop Business, August 26, 2025
Your customers have questions about TPMS service. Make sure you know the answers.
When a student enrolls for classes, they expect a teacher who is knowledgeable in the subject they want to know more about. Similarly, your customers come to your shop when they have questions about a TPMS light – and you should be prepared to not only answer them, but teach them about the importance of maintaining TPMS. After all, TPMS is an active safety system that requires regular inspection, not a set-and-forget feature. All good professors have a lesson plan in place to set their students up for success. You should have a similar process for TPMS service steps when your customers come into your shop with issues.
TPMS Service Steps
Step 1: Check the Dashboard
When a vehicle is pulled into the shop, take a moment to look at the dashboard. If the TPMS light is flashing or solid, time how long it stays on. Observe the state of the light after 90 seconds to see if it continues flashing or shuts off. This can give you an early idea of whether the system is functioning properly.
Step 2: Inspect Tires and Valve Stems
Make sure you check tire pressures and wear patterns, as well as the sidewalls for bubbles, cracks, or damage. Irregularities can point toward a need for alignment work, tire replacement, or even TPMS service. Don’t forget to inspect valve stems for corrosion – that can compromise both air retention and sensor performance.
Step 3: Inflate and Adjust for Temperature
Inflate the tires to the placard pressure inside the door frame, and factor in outside temperature. Every 10°F change in temperature shifts pressure by about 1 psi. Confirm the tires don’t have leaks before moving on.
Step 4: Scan Each Sensor
After inflation, use your TPMS tool to scan each sensor. This confirms that pressures are correct and may indicate battery health. A weak battery now is often a sign that all sensors will soon need to be swapped. Replacing them together prevents unnecessary comebacks.
Step 5: Connect Through OBDII
Some TPMS systems log both active and stored codes. Using your TPMS tool with the OBDII port can uncover those codes and help diagnose intermittent issues, giving you the opportunity to explain the system’s health to your customer.
TPMS Service Steps: Battery Life Isn’t Forever
Many customers assume TPMS sensors will last the life of the vehicle, but that’s just not the case. Most have a lifespan of about seven to nine years, which means if a vehicle around the same age rolls in, those sensors are likely nearing the end of their life.
It’s a good idea to test them while the tires are off or being replaced. If one or more sensors are dying, it’s best to replace all four sensors at the same time. Once one sensor goes, the rest probably aren’t far behind. If you replace them, you might be preventing a return visit before the customer even gets their keys back.
Understanding Sensor Modes
TPMS sensors operate in several modes depending on what the vehicle is doing – drive mode, alert mode, and sleep mode.
When the car is moving or in drive mode, the accelerometer inside the sensor wakes it up to begin broadcasting pressure data every 30 to 90 seconds. If the system detects a rapid drop in pressure, it’ll switch to a more urgent, alert mode and send data more frequently to get the warning to the control unit. When the vehicle is at rest, the sensor stops transmitting altogether to conserve battery life. Some versions even ship in a dormant mode and won’t function until activated with a scan tool.
Understanding how these sensors function and each mode they feature can help you diagnose issues more efficiently, since you’ll know why a sensor is or isn’t transmitting data. You can save time troubleshooting issues when you know what mode the sensor is in and when.
Replacement Options
When replacement time comes, explain the choices to your customer – OE one-for-one replacements or programmable sensors that cover up to 90% of vehicles. Framing these as part of an active safety system, not just a blinking light, helps customers see the value in preventive maintenance.
Remember, understanding how TPMS sensors behave, fail, and communicate isn’t just a diagnostic advantage; it makes you the TPMS professor when your customers have questions. Between explaining battery life or diagnosing a no-signal issue, keeping yourself and your customers informed on TPMS service, and having a plan can help your shop avoid problems before they roll back through your bay.
