Tire Location And Identification
The TPMS can identify the position of the wheels on the vehicle and assign a received tire pressure sensor identification to a specific position on the vehicle, for example FL (front left), FR (front right), RL (rear left) and RR (rear right). This feature is required because of the different pressure targets and threshold between the front and rear tires.
The wheel location is performed automatically by the TPMS module using an 'auto-location' function. This function is fully automatic and requires no input from the driver. The TPMS module automatically re-learns the position of the wheels on the vehicle if the tire pressure sensors are replaced or the wheel positions on the vehicle are changed.
The TPMS software can automatically detect, under all operating conditions, the following:
- one or more new tire pressure sensors have been fitted
- one or more tire pressure sensors have stopped transmitting
- TPMS module can reject identifications from tire pressure sensors which do not belong to the vehicle
- two 'running' wheels on the vehicle have changed positions.
If a new tire pressure sensor is fitted on any 'running' wheel, the module can learn the new sensor identification automatically when the vehicle is driven for more than 15 minutes at a speed of more than 20 km/h (12.5 mph).
The tire learn and location process is ready to commence when the vehicle has been stationary or traveling at less than 12 mph (20 km/h) for 15 minutes. This is known as 'parking mode'. The learn/locate process requires the vehicle to be driven at speeds of more than 12 mph (20 km/h) for 15 minutes. If the vehicle speed reduces to below 12 mph (20 km/h), the learn process timer is suspended until the vehicle speed increases to more than 12 mph (20 km/h), after which time the timer is resumed. If the vehicle speed remains below 12 mph (20 km/h) for more than 15 minutes, the timer is set to zero and process starts again.
If the tire pressure sensors fitted to the running wheels vehicle are changed, the module can learn the new sensor identifications automatically. The learn function requires no manual intervention by the driver.