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TPMS - Disable


ub7rm
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Hello,

My first post... I've just taken delivery of a 2014 facelift focus 1.0T Titanium X.  I've swapped over the standard wheels for some steel wheels with winter tyres, and the TPMS system does not like this.  I was unaware that Ford uses sensors in the wheels....

I have an ELM OBD cable, and focccus / Forscan but am at a loss how to recode the car so it thinks its got the DDS system (using ABS sensors only) or to completely disable the system.  With focccus I can read the BCM data, and it looks like I can change the TPMS system in the menu to DDS, but I get many errors when I try and write the file back.  Plus the car goes batshit crazy.  Cant' seem to see a way to try this with Forscan which at least seems to be quite stable in comparison.  

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TPMS is a compulsory requirement for your car to pass MOT and is for all cars from 2012 and onward. You cannot disable them.

https://www.tyresafe.org/media-centre/latest-news/731-new-legislation-causing-uninformed-motorists-to-fail-mot/

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Hi, thanks and noted.  I have effectively disabled the system by removing the wheels with sensors.  The car is significantly safer with winter tyres (minus sensors) rather than summer tyres (with sensors).  What I'm looking to do is change the system from the sensor based approach to the ABS sensor / rotational speed system known as DDS (deflation detection system).  If thats not possible I want to remove the warning by turning the system off - which in itself is not disabling the system any further than it already is.  

More than anything I'm looking for any advice on the coding side of things, i'm getting somewhere with forscan but currently in the process of downloading a bunch of calibration files.  

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Be easier just to fit sensors when you bought the tyres. Get them on eBay for around £60 a set.job done.

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5 hours ago, DJ_Andy_M said:

TPMS is a compulsory requirement for your car to pass MOT and is for all cars from 2012 and onward. You cannot disable them.

https://www.tyresafe.org/media-centre/latest-news/731-new-legislation-causing-uninformed-motorists-to-fail-mot/

They are wrong, It wasn't mandated till 2014. 2013 Focus models don't have TPMS fitted, unless you paid for it, Nor is TDD enabled by default (Easy to do with Focccus)

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20 hours ago, ub7rm said:

Hello,

My first post... I've just taken delivery of a 2014 facelift focus 1.0T Titanium X.  I've swapped over the standard wheels for some steel wheels with winter tyres, and the TPMS system does not like this.  I was unaware that Ford uses sensors in the wheels....

I have an ELM OBD cable, and focccus / Forscan but am at a loss how to recode the car so it thinks its got the DDS system (using ABS sensors only) or to completely disable the system.  With focccus I can read the BCM data, and it looks like I can change the TPMS system in the menu to DDS, but I get many errors when I try and write the file back.  Plus the car goes batshit crazy.  Cant' seem to see a way to try this with Forscan which at least seems to be quite stable in comparison.  

In Focccus, once you have activated DDS, you will need to reset the ABS module, then all the errors will disappear etc. Thinking there is no TPMS fitted I suspect the car will now show no errors. Had the same when I enabled DDS on mine

However, if the MOT tester goes into the menu to look he will see no TPMS settings which, means your car no longer meets type approval and is therefore illegal to use on the road (Unlikely though). Cheap option would be to buy some Ford compatible screw on senders that just replace the Dust caps and use them instead, then all legal and you get the benefits of the TPMS

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Ford installed the TPMS tyre deflation detection system as standard on Focus MK3 versions produced after approximately 03-2014. Earlier vehicles did have the optional DDS tyre defation detection system.

TPMS based Focus MK3/MK3.5 versions do no longer support the DDS system. DDS is simply no longer supported by the electronics.

 

TPMS can be disabled but as already said before this is illegal. 

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1 hour ago, madmole said:

They are wrong, It wasn't mandated till 2014. 2013 Focus models don't have TPMS fitted, unless you paid for it, Nor is TDD enabled by default (Easy to do with Focccus)

The 2012 date was for new type approvals. As the Focus was type approved in 2010/11, it didn't have to have TPMS until 2014, when all new cars (regardless of type approval date) had to have it fitted.

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I bought the wheels with tyres from gumtree before I took delivery, Had I known about this I would have done something more pro-active... My 2017 Audi S4 doesn't use individual sensors in the wheel and had no complaints when I swapped wheels so I didn't expect this to be a problem.

 

I'm interested in the screw on sensors - will have a look for those.  

 

Thanks for the heads up that DDS isn't an option on the 3.5's - I won't bother attempting to get that to work!

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I would love to be able to disable it also for my 2015 fiesta as I have some winter tyres from my older fiesta on identical wheels but I have not put them on because they don't have the transmitters in so I know the warning will come on.

anyone tried something like this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TPMS-FORD-Tyre-Pressure-Control-Valve-Sensors-Bypass-Disable-Turn-Off-Light-/152488721820

no idea if it works flawlessly and it seems a bit expensive

another trick

http://www.instructables.com/id/Tire-Pressure-Sensor-Bypass/

I know we should not really be encouraging these work arounds.

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spend £x amount on a focus/fiesta then dont want to pay for additional one off payment for sensors new or second hand the equivelent to just over a tank of fuel?? i dont understand. 

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16 hours ago, iantt said:

spend £x amount on a focus/fiesta then dont want to pay for additional one off payment for sensors new or second hand the equivelent to just over a tank of fuel?? i dont understand. 

Same goes for the people who don't replace blown car bulbs.

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I don't think those examples are analogous - since TPMS does not directly affect the cars safety in the same way that a broken bulb or ineffective tyres does.  (Cheap does not always = bad).  Its interesting to note that the primary driver for mandating TPMS in Europe was not safety but rather to reduce CO2 emissions caused by under-inflated tyres).  How many people who have remapped their vehicles, taking it outside the original emissions bracket have had their vehicles re assessed to see if they owe more tax?  I'm sure the tax man could make a case for tax evasion should they ever take the notion.  

I prefer to balance cost, benefit and risk and make my own decisions from there.  

 

 

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I simply fitted Nokian Weatherproof tyres, and drive them all year round.  Swapping rims twice a year is a needless PITA, as your TPMS problem demomstres.  Michelein Crossclimate  would do the same job.  The era of three peaks rated snow tyres suitable for all year use is now upon us.

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Yes I agree - The golf I traded in had Michelin Crossclimates on it for that reason (and very good they were too).  But since the 'new' car came with Michelin Primacy's with quite a lot of tread left I didn't want to bin them to replace with crossclimates just yet.  So I got a set of winter wheels  tyres.  By next winter I'll have cross climates all round and had I realized Fords have these stupid sensors in the wheels I might have taken a different course.  Ah well....

My other car keeps separate winter summer / tyres - all seasons are very good but don't rival the performance of a true summer tyre.

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3 hours ago, ub7rm said:

 

My other car keeps separate winter summer / tyres - all seasons are very good but don't rival the performance of a true summer tyre.

That's not so much the case any more.  Crossclimate's and Weatherproof's outperform most summer tyres, with only the real too drawer stuff, the creme de  la  creme, bettering them, and then not vastly.  Even then, the moment is rains (and it does do that quite a lot here) the new generation all weathers kick them in the nuts, regardless of ambient temperature.

Some very interesting reviews this last year on the latest generation, particularly the Crossclimate 2 and (my favourite) the Weatherproof.  The days were summer tyres automatically outperformed all weather tyres in dry warm weather are gone.  In September when the temperature drops 15C at night and it pithes with rain summer tyres do from being great 8 hours beforehand to deadly, and swapping rims simply because its cool and wet really isn't an option.

 

Knacker those boots out as quick as you can and get some premium all weather rubber ;)

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9 hours ago, Jethro_Tull said:

I simply fitted Nokian Weatherproof tyres, and drive them all year round.  Swapping rims twice a year is a needless PITA, as your TPMS problem demomstres.  Michelein Crossclimate  would do the same job.  The era of three peaks rated snow tyres suitable for all year use is now upon us.

I love my Nokian Weatherproofs, I wouldn't be without them!

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On 07/01/2018 at 9:35 AM, ub7rm said:

had I realized Fords have these stupid sensors in the wheels I might have taken a different course.  Ah well....

 

Good luck, its not just Ford. If you want to avoid TPMS, you'll need to buy an older car before the legislation was passed.

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Not true, as far as I'm aware most VAG cars use the ABS sensors.  My 2017 S4 doesn't have sensors in the wheels.  I don't think the legislation mandates the technology used, just that some form of it has to be used.  I guess each has its pro's and con's - but not using this sensors in the wheels sure makes changing wheels a lot easier!

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  • 3 years later...

Hi old thread but just bought a 2012 1.0 ecoboost Focus Titanium and the manual states deflation detection (TPMS) uses the ABS Sensors to monitor wheel circumference so no sensors fitted 🙂

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the intention was to outlaw the joke ABS sensor idea, as it pathetic.... BUT VAG such a big player, bent the arm of the EU and so their junk mostly uses this rubbish

real cars use real sensors - whilst real bikes get to turn on the display of tyre temps displayed alongside their individual tyre pressure readings 🙂

AUTEL do a set of 4 sensors with a USB programming pad and you can use it once the sensor are fitted on the wheel inside the tyres...I paid under £100 for the whole set up - the programme pad is so you can replicate the sensors you have - rather than reprogramme the car to match a new set (....and I found out they programme just fine in situ, as I'd flashed two with the same blue tooth code in error).

 

they updated their latest senors now they do almost any vehicle as they make one sensor that can be either the 433mhz or the other 315mhz frequency some use

 

 

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  • 2 years later...
On 7/29/2021 at 12:11 PM, morton61 said:

Hi old thread but just bought a 2012 1.0 ecoboost Focus Titanium and the manual states deflation detection (TPMS) uses the ABS Sensors to monitor wheel circumference so no sensors fitted 🙂

Yes, I have read all about that too. I wanna change to the DDS system rather than the tpms using forscan. I haven't had much luck as of yet

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