TPMS Brain Pick

[DuncanF]

I have a march 07 RS4. It has recently popped up a TMPS error on the display. Reading around this place and others there could be a number of causes, but end of battery life in one (or more?) senders looks to be a likely candidate.

My question concerns the error flagged up: will I get this error only if all four senders are dead, or would a single failed sender throw this error? My reason for asking is if all four needed to fail before the error was raised, then I think it would be more likely that a common component, e.g. the receiver etc., has failed than for all four senders to expire within days of each other.

I've survived driving for many years before TPMS, and though I understand it can be disabled via VAG-COM, my likely path is to pick up some reclaimed 2010/2011 senders from eBay in Germany where there seems to be a good supply of these. I'm really not up for spending £400+ (£500-600 when fitted?) at a stealership for a function that I really can live without. I understand that a failed TMPS will be an MOT failure from 2015 onwards, but what if it is disabled? Will the MOT garage really know every car that has been fitted with one? Maybe.

Any views, thoughts, feedback etc. gratefully received.

Thanks,

Duncan

[MikeFish]

I'd expect that the error comes on as soon as one fails.

And your point about it being unlikely

My question concerns the error flagged up: will I get this error only if all four senders are dead, or would a single failed sender throw this error? My reason for asking is if all four needed to fail before the error was raised, then I think it would be more likely that a common component, e.g. the receiver etc., has failed than for all four senders to expire within days of each other.

If all 4 needed to fail before an error was raised then there is every chance it is all 4 sensors as 3 of them could have been failing for the last year and only when the last one goes you'd get an alarm. This point is moot though as I very much doubt it behaves this way.

[PeteS4]

I had a TPMS error on mine last year. It turned out to be the antenna, which is located behind the valence in the back bumper. Was only £50 for a new antenna and 10 minutes to fit.

[spikeyboy101]

What is the error symbol you are getting ?

Does it just say TMPS in the DIS or is it a yellow flat tire symbol with a line through it ?

I keep getting the yellow flat tire symbol with a line through it and cant for the life of me work out what this one means

[DuncanF]

I had a TPMS error on mine last year. It turned out to be the antenna, which is located behind the valence in the back bumper. Was only £50 for a new antenna and 10 minutes to fit.

Thanks Pete. A couple of questions ... How did you diagnose it was the antenna? And how old is your car?

I have read about the rear antenna but haven't been able to locate an idiots guide to self replacement. My local non-Audi dealership has said they'll need a few hours to work out what is wrong and then more time to order parts/fix. So any DIY approach I can take to identifying the issue will save ££££s.

Duncan

[DuncanF]

What is the error symbol you are getting ?

TPMS in the display.

Duncan

[MikeFish]

I keep getting the yellow flat tire symbol with a line through it and cant for the life of me work out what this one means

isn't this the low tyre pressure symbol? I don't remember a line through it but I will check the manual later.
Have you checked the manual for this symbol?
I thought there were 2 warnings;
TPMS is displayed if it is not communicating with the sensor(s) eg flat battery, defective antenna, no sensors fitted
Or a flat tyre symbol when the the tyre pressure is low.
So have you checked the tyre pressures? If they are all OK have you tried to reset the pressures from the DIS?

[PeteS4]

Sorry, I can't remember what was displayed on the DIS. But I used VCDS to read the fault code. Do you have VCDS?

The antenna had corrosion inside, so no wonder it was knackered.

[ArthurPE]

I recently had one
I pulled the antenna, cleaned it and the connections, the systm then reset fine

doesn't the error come up in different ways?
yellow is a bad sensor, red is a bad controller, etc.

I checked my controller by pulling the fuse, the menu selections for pressure set and wheel change disappeared
put the fuse back in and they reappeared, this told me it was not the controller
so I pulled the antenna out, cleaned it, and all was well

[Coaster]

I've just had all 4 sensors replaced by Audi under goodwill. I was getting the yellow-flat-tyre-with-a-line-through warning. Occaisionally to start with and increasing in frequency until it was every journey at roughly the same journey time- 15-20mins in. Ausi messed about with the antenna and claimed to have cured it but hadn't. New sensors did the job.

[spikeyboy101]

I did check the manual but couldnt really find out what it meant.

Tyre pressures are fine - if they are flat it doesnt have the line through it.

Mine started doing it on occassions, but increased in frequency - now its on all the time, unless i reset pressures in the DIS - it then goes away for a day or two and then comes back.

Coaster - Sounds like it could be the sensors then

[Coaster]

Coaster - Sounds like it could be the sensors then

The symptoms sound similar to mine but the warning light would always go out after a few minutes only to come on again 20 mins into the next journey. Apparently it was not recording any fault in the memory so the Audi techs found it hard to diagnose. It does sound like sensors but I would eliminate the antenna connections first as that is the low cost option.

[DuncanF]

Great feedback guys, thanks. Pulled and replaced the fuse for the controller - no joy. Pulled and reseated the antenna - no joy. I've ordered a new antenna which I'll install on Saturday. If that still doesn't fix it then I'll go down the route of new senders. I need new tyres anyway so they can be done at the same time. Local dealer says that at 6 years it shouldn't be the battery in the senders, so fingers crossed that the antenna sorts it.

[MikeFish]

Is there any way to test the battery before insatlling the sensors? Or is it easy enough to change the battery that I may as well do it before installing?

[murph7355]

I don't think the sensors are serviceable, are they? Ie you can't change the battery.