Are TPMS Sensors "Location" Dependent

[Grumpaw]

Getting ready to rotate tires. All my previous vehicles with TPMS only had a light to indicate a tire was low.
Ranger Lariat has an overview of each tire and it's corresponding pressure.
When you rotate tires, lets say LR to LF, does the "new" LF read as the LF or is it still picking up and displaying as the LR pressure on the overview.
Kind of a confusing question...basically will the new LF now show up on the overview as the LF ???

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[WolfgangVTS]

Getting ready to rotate tires. All my previous vehicles with TPMS only had a light to indicate a tire was low.
Ranger Lariat has an overview of each tire and it's corresponding pressure.
When you rotate tires, lets say LR to LF, does the "new" LF read as the LF or is it still picking up and displaying as the LR pressure on the overview.
Kind of a confusing question...basically will the new LF now show up on the overview as the LF ???

The TPMS sensors are location specific. If you rotate your tires you will have to reprogram the sensors to their new location on your truck.

 

[EJH]

The TPMS sensors are location specific. If you rotate your tires you will have to reprogram the sensors to their new location on your truck.

Not true. They are location specific, but the truck will auto learn the new positions. If you are not convinced, try this: lower one tire pressure much lower than the other three. Rotate the tires, drive a few miles. You will see the tire you lowered the pressure of change to the new position.

 

[WolfgangVTS]

Not true. They are location specific, but the truck will auto learn the new positions. If you are not convinced, try this: lower one tire pressure much lower than the other three. Rotate the tires, drive a few miles. You will see the tire you lowered the pressure of change to the new position.

From my personal experience and from information my local dealer told me, the truck won’t “relearn” a tire’s new location. I bought a set of tires and rims from another member on here that had the TPMS sensors still in them. My truck did pick up the signal from the new sensors but would not display them in their correct location(per your test above). Also, before I bought those tires, I had my original set rotated during an oil change. The dealer did a relearn for the TPMS when finished. Now, the tire rotation was a comp for having to wait so long to get in for service…almost two weeks. I’m fairly sure the service manager wouldn’t go out and perform the relearn himself if it wasn’t necessary and especially if he’s not getting paid to do it.

 

[JasonTremor]

My 2021 Tremor never auto learns the tire position. I've set each tire to a specific pressure and driven for 20 miles and it never reset itself. Maybe I didn't drive far enough. Now, I just use my tpms learn tool if I remember. Otherwise, it will tell me there is a low tire and I'll walk around vehicle to pinpoint location.

 

[JACKSMYDOG]

Mine are not locations specific at all. They re-learn their new positions with a ~20 mile drive after rotation every time, which includes carrying one of the rotated wheels in the box of the truck.

At first I thought it was almost instant, but later realized it was key on distance driven for the new info to stick.

The full story;

When I ruined a rim earlier this year, the tire tech changed the tire to a new rim, but didn't change the TPMS to the new rim. After a few months I rotated tires and installed that new rim. I drove a fe miles and the TPMS warning light came on noting a problem, but then at the start of each new day, the warning would be gone, and then return after a few miles driving. With some research I found out that with short drives the truck will re-learn new positions temporarily, but you need a longer drive 20+ miles to get it to re-learn permanently. The next day I drove 30 miles, and the new positions stuck. Each day I got in the truck after that, the TPMS warning came on immediately. I rotated that tire off, installed one of my spares, drove 30 miles and everything re-learned and corrected the TPMS warning.

I have since tested this with replacing that wheel after the new TPMS was installed, and a subsequent rotation a month ago.

I have 6 seummer tires mounted on rims and 4 winters mounted on rims. All 10 have TPMS sensors, all relearn every rotation, as did my 2010 F150 ith 9 total tires/rims.

 

[WolfgangVTS]

My 2021 Tremor never auto learns the tire position. I've set each tire to a specific pressure and driven for 20 miles and it never reset itself. Maybe I didn't drive far enough. Now, I just use my tpms learn tool if I remember. Otherwise, it will tell me there is a low tire and I'll walk around vehicle to pinpoint location.

Mine never would relearn. I drove on mine for almost two weeks before I had them reprogrammed. Luckily my dealer comped me the service.

 

[IdahoRanger]

So we really don't know. ?

 

[BS67]

Rotated my tires and the new pressures showed up on my wife's Escape!?

 

[WolfgangVTS]

So we really don't know. ?

Apparently not…

 

[Trigganometry]

2020 XLT and when I rotate they learn new positions within a day.

 

[Rp930]

Mine self relearn every time.

 

[airline tech]

This question has been on the fence- and per the Service Manual, the sensors will continue to read pressure however the BCM will need programmed to learn new positions.

Members report that not to be true and they relearn on their own.

Each sensor has its own radio ID frequency it transmits to the RTM , the RTM then communicates to the BCM the PSI.
I did a operational review of the system in another thread - Search TPMS
But I cannot answer this question for 100 percent accuracy, when I had my first rotation I had the tech do the relearn.
I used my scanner and read current positions of radio ids then had tires rotated , got home and hooked up scanner and noted where radio IDs moved

 

[Adventure Ranger]

I rotate my tires every 10,000kms with the oil change religiously. (Front tires go straight back to the rear, rear tires crisscross to front) I have never had to program anything and they always read correct. Had 1 tire show low pressure last winter, checked that tire and sure enough it was low and had a nail in it. Sensors were accurate to pressure and location. We have 6 vehicles in the family, all with TPMS and I've never had an issue with any manufacturer after rotating tires. By the time you drive 100 feet it sync's them all.
(Ranger, Wrangler, Taco, Chevy1500, VW, Toyota)

 

[Big Blue]

I rotate my own tires every 5K when I do an oil change. I also pressure up my rear tires when I tow my TT. So mine have been in every position at least once. Mine always read the correct location and I've never had them reprogrammed in 30K+ miles. I haven't checked to see how many miles or how much time it takes to find their new location but they always do.

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