Originally published by BodyShop Business, June 23, 2025
TPMS isn’t just a dashboard warning light, it’s your chance to earn trust before service.
TPMS may not always be top of mind during a tire replacement or sensor install, but it should be. A single missed step can lead to customer comebacks, meaning added expenses you may have to cover. These TPMS service tips can help prevent that.
TPMS service doesn’t start in the bay. It starts at the counter when you’re chatting with customers. Whether they have aging vehicles, you plan to program new sensors, or you’re troubleshooting TPMS lights, you have a unique opportunity to show customers you care about their safety, in turn building trust.
TPMS Service Tips: Test Before You Touch
When replacing all four tires, especially on vehicles nearing ten years or older, it’s a good idea to check the condition of each TPMS sensor before doing anything.
TPMS batteries may be close to dead in aging vehicles. While a weak battery might not trigger the TPMS warning light. It could fail shortly after the customer leaves your shop. That means, not only will the customer come back to your shop, but you may have to cover the cost. All that can be avoided by testing each sensor before doing anything.
The TPMS Conversation
Some customers may not know the benefits of TPMS or what it does. If you’re not educating them, you’re missing an opportunity to help customers understand the value of monitoring and maintaining TPMS.
Sure, TPMS affects fuel economy and tire wear. Beyond that, correct tire pressure directly affects braking performance and vehicle handling. Both are crucial safety functions of any vehicle, and important for customers to know about.
A functioning TPMS provides instant alerts when tire pressure drops. Tell customers not to take these warning lights lightly (no pun intended). Having this conversation at the counter, especially before TPMS service, can help customers understand the value of maintaining a key safety system.
TPMS Interference
Almost nothing in the shop can frustrate a technician more than a blinking TPMS light without any corresponding diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). In these cases, the issue may not be with the system itself, but with outside interference.
Many technicians may not even think about this, but aftermarket electronics, like ham radio equipment, phone chargers, or even nearby high-tension power lines, can disrupt TPMS signals. If you’re dealing with that pesky TPMS light without DTCs, it’s worth taking a look around the vehicle for potential sources of interference.
TPMS Service Tips: Wake Up That Sensor
When you get a replacement TPMS sensor, they’ll likely arrive in “storage mode” to conserve battery life during shipping and storage. That means the sensor won’t function out of the box and needs to be activated and programmed before installation.
Shops will need a TPMS tool to “wake up” the sensor. It should have options to clone the old sensor ID, assign a new one, or use a random ID. Regardless of the method, the sensor must be woken up to be properly linked to the vehicle.
