tire pressure sensor problems

kimber772 · 08-08-2009, 10:03 AM

Please tell me if this has happened to anyone else. I bought my XL7 in Dec 2008 new. I got my tires rotated and first oil change a couple months ago. Early this week my low tire pressure light and message came on. Tells me my right rear tire is low. Ok, go to put air in the tire and my readout does not change. BUT my right FRONT does. So, after playing with all the tire pressures I realize that my readout is wrong.

I took it to the dealer the next morning and they tell me that the sensors are only programmed to remember the original position. So once I got my tires rotated they are still thinking they are in that position. they said the only way to "fix" it is to completely redo the computer each time my tires are rotated and that was a real process. Like it was too much trouble. Their answer was just to bring it to them when my light comes on.

I told them I am perfectly capible of putting air in my tires and WILL NOT bring my car to them just for that. And that their answer was crazy!!!! they "understood" but did not have any other answers for me.

I can't imagine that is going to be the end of this. I will NOT accept that Suzuki goes through the trouble of putting all those readouts in my dash and sensors and crap just for them to be null and void after my first rotation.

so has anyone else heard of this??

thanks and I am so glad I found this site.
Kim

egocentronix · 08-08-2009, 12:33 PM

Our 08 XL7 Luxury has the same problem. The tires were rotated and the sensors are all in the wrong place. A friend of mine that owns a tire store said to check the manual (which I've been too lazy to do yet, I don't drive this car) as there is sometimes a programming procedure for the TPMS in the manual.. GL!

eGo

ppittman · 08-08-2009, 06:35 PM

The sensors must be reset. You do this through a process of letting air out of the tires triggering the horn to blow. You must follow a special sequence. This is all explained in the owner's manual. It's kind of a pain. I usually rotate my tires on every other oil change. I change my oil every 5,000 miles; therefore, I'm not rotating the tires very much...

STCinc · 08-08-2009, 08:06 PM

Seeing as the XL7 is built by GM - One can only imagine how screwed up it can be!! My 99 Vette (a nice weather toy) cant be left in the garage static for more than a few days without the battery going dead! Then the 11 computer get all unprogramed and the pass ignition keys unprogram.... Typical GM crap

zstalker · 08-09-2009, 01:04 AM

The pressure sensors must be relearned each time the tires are rotated, either by the shop or owner. There is a procedure, as mentioned above, in the owner's manual, so you should look into that...it's not hard, just takes a few minutes. Also, there is a much easier procedure to be performed with the Tech2 scan tool. If the dealership seemed to think this was "too hard" to do when the tires were rotated, they certainly weren't trying very hard. yes, it takes a minute, but it's really not hard at all.
Also as stated above, this is not a SMC (Suzuki Motor Corperation) product, it is a GM (Government Motors...hehe) product with a Suzuki Badge on the front. The SMC cars with TPMS don't track tire position, they just number the sensors (1,2,3, and 4), so when the light comes on it's a more general "check your tires" message. Less information to the driver, but really a much simpler, less trouble-prone system.
I can't wait for the day to come when SMC will have an entire lineup of their own...someday.
~Erik~

Goaterguy · 08-10-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STCinc

Seeing as the XL7 is built by GM - One can only imagine how screwed up it can be!! My 99 Vette (a nice weather toy) cant be left in the garage static for more than a few days without the battery going dead! Then the 11 computer get all unprogramed and the pass ignition keys unprogram.... Typical GM crap

I don't think it's the manufaturer's (whoever it is) fault that people are too lazy to read the owners manual of a vehicle they have purchased but are eager to complain about a "problem" with a solution that is clearly explained in the owners manual.

Although I don't expect people nowadays to service their own vehicles, some common sense is expected. I prefer and appreciate having an individual tire pressure readout which helped me find a screw stuck in my front right tire the day before a 1,000 mile road trip, instead of just getting an idiot light that wouldn't had turned on until it was too late.

By simply pressing a button I compared the readouts and noticed that the tire had a few lbs/in less than the other three. Also it helped me monitor the tire that I repaired (plugged) during the whole trip by simply looking at the dash.

About the Vette, I own a 2005 Pontiac GTO that I rarely use and a $15 battery tender solved that problem. When the winter comes I plug the bikes to it.

Also, the fact that you still drive 10 years old, very technologically advanced sport car that today still performs better than 95% of the cars on the road, is a testament of how good the Vette is.

Have you ever heard someone say "It's so nice out, I will take the Tercel for a spin"?

STCinc · 08-10-2009, 09:35 AM

Thanks- My 99 vette has only 14k miles and is a big piece of crap.... IMHO

Anyway, I'd love to leave a battery tender on it, but the garage I have it stored in has no electric... Too far from the house and far too much $$ to put electric out there. (I use one of the ones from the VW - the solar kind, but it's still not enough). IF I run the vette ever week, no problem, but sometimes it's just not enough, so I put a battery switch in and now it must re-learn all the computers before I use it... "Also, the fact that you still drive 10 years old, very technologically advanced sport car that today still performs better than 95% of the cars on the road, is a testament of how good the Vette is." That car has been a crap-wagon since the day I bought it.. Had I known what crap it was, I'd have bought something else. Oh well, live and learn.

Goaterguy · 08-10-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STCinc

Thanks- My 99 vette has only 14k miles and is a big piece of crap.... IMHO

Anyway, I'd love to leave a battery tender on it, but the garage I have it stored in has no electric... Too far from the house and far too much $$ to put electric out there. (I use one of the ones from the VW - the solar kind, but it's still not enough). IF I run the vette ever week, no problem, but sometimes it's just not enough, so I put a battery switch in and now it must re-learn all the computers before I use it... "Also, the fact that you still drive 10 years old, very technologically advanced sport car that today still performs better than 95% of the cars on the road, is a testament of how good the Vette is." That car has been a crap-wagon since the day I bought it.. Had I known what crap it was, I'd have bought something else. Oh well, live and learn.

Ouch, Cash for Clunkers time!

STCinc · 08-10-2009, 12:10 PM

Yup!!! I'd like to get a Nissan 370z

Jckane · 08-19-2009, 12:08 PM

Thanks for the original post and all the information about this problem.

The only problem I have is the sensor and tires are all switched around, i.e. sensor shows driver's side front tire but it's actually passenger side back tire. I haven't had a blow out and/or low pressure sensor problems. It's not a HUGE deal, but it's one minor detail I have to fix. Looks like I have a date with my XL7 manual...yay...