Car issues - Central locking and Tyre Monitor System

Norman_Conquest

Norman_Conquest

Well-known member
I drive a Vauxhall Astra on a 2016 plate and when I came home from work today and went to lock the car the central locking system wasn't working. I came into the house and got the spare key, but still no joy. I've started the car up to see if it would reset itself and there is a warning message saying the Tyre Monitor System and the tyre pressure light was flashing - this light flashed for a minute and then went steady. When I checked the tyre pressure on the in car info, it didn't have any reading. I have tried resetting the Tyre Monitor System by inflating and deflating tyres, but that didn't work and I think I will need to purchase the TMS relearn tool.

My question is though, should this affect the central locking system or is it a fault on the locking system that triggered the faults on the tyre readings?
 
I had a 14 plate seat Leon years ago. The tyre system kept going off all the time. Random tyres and times. I had to keep pulling over and resetting.

They never lost any pressure. Just bizzare.
 
It is not so much the tyre pressure I am bothered about, it more the central locking and wondered if one had triggered the other. The tyre warning light never came on during the journey home. I only noticed it after the car wouldn't lock and started it again after trying the spare key.
 
Have you tried reprogramming the key fob?
Sit in the car with the doors shut. Turn the key so the ignition lights are on. Press the lock button on the fob for a couple of seconds.
This will reset the key fob.
 
It might be worth charging the battery too, especially if the car isn’t being used much or only for short journeys during lockdown.
 
TPMS, a solution in search of a problem that never existed 🙄🤔. Just a thought but have you tried disconnecting the battery for 15 mins or so. Sister in law had all manner of electrical problems with a Vauxhall Tigra and that’s what the AA did to reset it. Hope you get sorted.
 
redcarbob said:
TPMS, a solution in search of a problem that never existed 🙄🤔. Just a thought but have you tried disconnecting the battery for 15 mins or so. Sister in law had all manner of electrical problems with a Vauxhall Tigra and that’s what the AA did to reset it. Hope you get sorted.
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I half agree with that. However if you get run flats it's necessary because you would automatically know it was flat and you could be driving around for ages or at high speeds without spotting it.

That being said my mini had run flats and a TPMS and it was garbage. Kept triggering all the time. I guess it's a tough technology to get working.
 
SmallTown said:
I half agree with that. However if you get run flats it's necessary because you would automatically know it was flat and you could be driving around for ages or at high speeds without spotting it.

That being said my mini had run flats and a TPMS and it was garbage. Kept triggering all the time. I guess it's a tough technology to get working.
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I’d not considered run flats to be honest, probably because I’ve never had them, but it’s a fair point you make. The TPMS technology doesn’t seem to be reliable enough, same as lane departure warning, road sign assist etc. Plus, I’m still smarting from having to stump up 90 quid for a faulty wheel sensor, which would be an MOT fail! 🤯
 
The tyre pressure thingy on my car allows you to reset it. For example you can put a higher or lower psi pressure in than the manufacturer recommends for whatever reason (snowy conditions for example) and going into the settings I can tell the car the tyres are the correct pressure.

Can you do similar on your car @Norman_Conquest ?
 
redcarbob said:
TPMS, a solution in search of a problem that never existed 🙄🤔. Just a thought but have ayou tried disconnecting the battery for 15 mins or so. Sister in law had all manner of electrical problems with a Vauxhall Tigra and that’s what the AA did to reset it. Hope you get sorted.
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Just one word of warning there, if you have an audio system with a locking code on it, make sure you know the code before disconnecting the battery.

On some audio systems that is used as a theft prevention feature & it can be very difficult to get unlocked.
 
every car I have every had with tyre pressure monitoring has had issues when the weather gets cold.

The BMW garage even told me to ignore it for 5 minutes and drive the car, "when the tyres warm up and the pressure stabilises. it will reset itself."

The result being I completely ignored it all the time, including the time the alarm went off in the outside lane of the M1 at 69 mph :cool: to be followed by a double blow out of both rear tyres at the same time when the inside sidewalls failed.
 
The thing I meant to mention is that i believe (not 100% sure) that TPMS systems work on a differential basis and dont actually measure absolute or gauge pressure. That is when you blow your tyres up to the recommended pressure and you set the TPMS, it them looks for a pressure loss tot he calibrate setting, and it doesn't measure the actual pressure.
 
Randy said:
The tyre pressure thingy on my car allows you to reset it. For example you can put a higher or lower psi pressure in than the manufacturer recommends for whatever reason (snowy conditions for example) and going into the settings I can tell the car the tyres are the correct pressure.

Can you do similar on your car @Norman_Conquest ?
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It's got three settings that allows you to change the tyre pressure.

The tyre pressure can be easy resolved by relearning the sensors - see youtube above. I'll need to nip into a tyre centre to do this or buy a gadget off Amazon for around £15. I think the temp played a huge part in this

The fuse diagram above was slightly different to mine and the fuse box I needed to be in was inside the car and needs a specialist tool to open, that is stored in the glove compartment. Guess what, it not there. A little persuasion got it open. Nothing wrong with any of the fuses.

When I went to disconnect the battery under the bonnet, there wasn't one. Scratched my head for a bit and thought, should a man who cannot find the car battery be messing about with cars. Says everything about my knowledge of cars - I hate the bloody things.

Finally found the battery, it is in the boot and have disconnected it. I will go back out around four and see what happens.
 
Billy69_uk said:
The thing I meant to mention is that i believe (not 100% sure) that TPMS systems work on a differential basis and dont actually measure absolute or gauge pressure. That is when you blow your tyres up to the recommended pressure and you set the TPMS, it them looks for a pressure loss tot he calibrate setting, and it doesn't measure the actual pressure.
Click to expand...
That’s my understanding of it, which explains why the damn light comes on during a cold spell but goes off again once the car has been driven, warming up the tyres and air within them. There’s also another type of system which doesn’t have tyre sensors but is monitored by the ABS apparently; if it detects a wheel slowing down due to the tyre going flat, it pops the light on. i know it’s fitted to the latest Skoda as my boss was telling me, seems a better idea.
 
I disconnected the battery this afternoon and have just put it back on. Central locking is working fine and re-set itself. The Tyre Monitor System warning is still coming on, but I need to the gadget or a visit to a tyre centre for that.

At least I can lock the car and don't have to flick the lock cover on and off.

Thanks for all the advice and tips guys.
 
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