TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems have been required on all new vehicles since 2008. So all the tools and parts that repair shops need to complete jobs involving TPMS are readily available, right?
I’m Mark Phillips and in this Aftermarket Intel video, we’ll take a look at TPMS pain points and some possible solutions for them. The truth is, despite TPMS being a requirement on all new vehicles, it remains a sore point for many repair shops and tire dealers I’ve talked to. The reason is there are just too many makes, models and the TPMS requirements that come with them and this complicates stocking TPMS sensors both at the parts warehouse, stores and repair shops.
Now, TPMS serves an incredibly important role. TPMS lets motorists know if any of the vehicle’s tires is 25 percent or more below the proper inflation. Laws regarding them were instituted because thousands of crashes each year were attributed to underinflated tires. But what if there are, say 300 different types of sensors. How can a shop stock even half of that?
Were you at AAPEX? If so, you might have heard Continental introduced its next-generation REDI-Sensor line. In developing the new next generation of REDI-Sensor, Continental product managers were able to engineer a way to significantly reduce the different types of sensor SKUs a shop would need to service a wide array of incoming domestic, European, and Asian vehicles.
Shops will now only need four REDI-Sensor SKUs to replace more than 290 different OE sensors on over 150 million vehicles in operation from model years 2002 to 2021. The new REDI-Sensor sensors are offered in both clamp-on and snap-in valve configurations and 315 MHz and 433 MHz frequencies. They are made in ISO-certified facilities to the same quality standards as the OE parts that Continental supplies to automakers worldwide.
And unlike many sensors on the market, REDI-Sensor Multi-Application TPMS Sensors come ready to install, right out of the box and require no added sensor programming or cloning. They are pre-programmed from the factory and designed to follow existing OE vehicle relearn procedures.
Plus, they work with many major TPMS scan tools and are readily compatible with advanced TPMS features such as autolearning, pressure by position, and tire fill alert systems. For more information, visit www.redi-sensor.com. It makes little economic and logistical sense to have hundreds of sensors in-stock, ready for 30-minute delivery. You’d need literally hundreds of different TPMS units on-hand just to ensure any vehicle that comes into a bay can be serviced. Now, let’s talk about the pain points of actually servicing the tires.
Simply placing a new sensor in a tire that needs one isn’t the end of the job. TPMS sensors that are basically blank require additional steps to program the units. Programming issues and errors can lead to time-consuming delays in getting a vehicle out of the bay.
And as anyone knows, that’s never a good situation. In addition, blank sensors may require additional tools and installation of software that further complicates the TPMS service.
Now a little bit about terminology. TPMS vehicle relearn and TPMS sensor programming are completely different procedures. Aftermarket TPMS sensors that come as “programmable,” “universal” or “cloneable” must be programmed with the proper protocol or application information for the specific vehicle before they can be installed. Once they have been successfully programmed, they must then be re-learned to the vehicle. But multi-application sensors are pre-programmed.
So whether a technician is working with an OE sensor, a programmable sensor, or a multi-application sensor that has been pre-programmed, every aftermarket TPMS sensor must be ‘relearned’ to the vehicle. Thanks for watching this Aftermarket Intel video.
For the latest news and information on the global automotive aftermarket industry, visit https://aftermarketintel.com. Do you have news? Contact Aftermarket Intel Editor Mark Phillips at mark@lpnewmedia.com.
