Tyre Deflation Sensor

[les-cumbria]

I have an intermittent tyre deflation warning 

Have checked the tyres but all are correct, have recently had 2 new front tyres but as the warning just says tyre(s) deflated it doesn't indicate which one.

The warning bleeps once and comes on then after half to one mile goes off and stays off for a good while then does the same again.

The code reader i have does not show any faults on it.

 

I understand that the sensors are quite expensive then the car has to go to the dealers to be input on to the system (only from reading on the net) and as the car is quite old 2004 diesel mk1 its hardly worth it - just annoying!!

 

if its just a sensor- sensors is there anyway of turning them off?

 

Have in my previous postings about other faults been able to resolve them from advise on hear which i thank you guys for.

[Johndouglas]

My C5 although just a few months younger than yours works in a quite different manner.   If one of the tyres is down, I get a bleep followed by a diagram of the car with the offending corner flashing - but not until I've driven about half a mile.   Then I don't get the warning again until after the ignition has been turned off.   Usually the tyre needs maybe 4lbs to stop the warnings.   I always find I can switch the tyres around from side to side or back to front without causing the system to wobble.   The only time it gets upset is when I use the spare.   My spare is a second hand alloy wheel which also has a sensor fitted, but when I use it, after driving a bit, I get a message telling me the tyre pressures are not being monitored.

 

Yes - you're right.   Replacement sensors are quite expensive but can be bought online.   However, not only do they need to be 'introduced' by Lexia, but they need additional treatment.   Something about an 'exciter' - if I've got that right.

 

If you decide the whole business is too much trouble, you can ditch the sensors, get rubber valves fitted and get the system disabled by Lexia.

[les-cumbria]

My C5 although just a few months younger than yours works in a quite different manner.   If one of the tyres is down, I get a bleep followed by a diagram of the car with the offending corner flashing - but not until I've driven about half a mile.   Then I don't get the warning again until after the ignition has been turned off.   Usually the tyre needs maybe 4lbs to stop the warnings.   I always find I can switch the tyres around from side to side or back to front without causing the system to wobble.   The only time it gets upset is when I use the spare.   My spare is a second hand alloy wheel which also has a sensor fitted, but when I use it, after driving a bit, I get a message telling me the tyre pressures are not being monitored.

 

Yes - you're right.   Replacement sensors are quite expensive but can be bought online.   However, not only do they need to be 'introduced' by Lexia, but they need additional treatment.   Something about an 'exciter' - if I've got that right.

 

If you decide the whole business is too much trouble, you can ditch the sensors, get rubber valves fitted and get the system disabled by Lexia.

Thanks for that, my home tyre pressure pump may not be accurate to 4lb so it may be slightly out so will double check that at the tyre place when next in, may be an option to get them switched when i next need tyres to standard fittings then if getting them disabled isn't too expensive?

Paid less than 1k for the car and she drives lovely plus i can get all my fishing gear in and pull the caravan (its an estate) so would be silly to lay out loads of money - doubt it would fail its MOT with just the service light on though, not like the other fault i had with the engine management light on (now fixed)

[Randombloke]

I understand that the sensors are quite expensive then the car has to go to the dealers to be input on to the system (only from reading on the net) and as the car is quite old 2004 diesel mk1 its hardly worth it - just annoying!!

 

if its just a sensor- sensors is there anyway of turning them off?

 

 

 

If you decide the whole business is too much trouble, you can ditch the sensors, get rubber valves fitted and get the system disabled by Lexia.

 

As I understand it the option to turn off the sensors is for the Mk 2. I looked into this for my mark 1 and it could not be done. There was a time when the sensors were as little as £25 for OEM when they were £125 from Citroen, look on eBay or via the specialist tyre sensor on line shops.. I had two fitted.

 

For fuel consumption reasons (we discussed on here a while back) it was found to be advantageous to run the tyres up to 10% over the recommended pressure or to run with the heavy load/high speed settings. Get a digital tyre pressure gauge on eBay.

 

Find a good indy to do the job. A Citroen franchise won't be interested in you bypassing their £125 earner.

[les-cumbria]

 

I understand that the sensors are quite expensive then the car has to go to the dealers to be input on to the system (only from reading on the net) and as the car is quite old 2004 diesel mk1 its hardly worth it - just annoying!!

 

if its just a sensor- sensors is there anyway of turning them off?

 

 

 

If you decide the whole business is too much trouble, you can ditch the sensors, get rubber valves fitted and get the system disabled by Lexia.

 

As I understand it the option to turn off the sensors is for the Mk 2. I looked into this for my mark 1 and it could not be done. There was a time when the sensors were as little as £25 for OEM when they were £125 from Citroen, look on eBay or via the specialist tyre sensor on line shops.. I had two fitted.

 

For fuel consumption reasons (we discussed on here a while back) it was found to be advantageous to run the tyres up to 10% over the recommended pressure or to run with the heavy load/high speed settings. Get a digital tyre pressure gauge on eBay.

 

Find a good indy to do the job. A Citroen franchise won't be interested in you bypassing their £125 earner.

 

Thanks for that, saved me the trouble of going to Citroen, just bought a digital gauge from ebay and will do the 10% or heavy load and match the tyre pressures, if it comes on then will just put up with it, hopefully will sort it out, lovely car just so annoying these stupid little things, funny had a citroen picasso for years and no trouble at all, had this one a few weeks and one thing after another, having said that there is 5k difference in price paid!!!

[ivorcitroen]

Had this trouble myself with a 2003 c5 exclusive got them turned off with a lexia.

 

I'm sure there's a video on you tube that shows you how to replace the 10 year battery in them.

[roffey]

When tyres are replaced, the aluminium valve stem on the pressure transmitter should also be replaced. These stems can corrode and break, particularly if the steel cap cover is on them. Happened on my new 2009 C5 tourer. Not very useful when all you want to do is pump the tyre up. Best to fit a plastic cap.

In my case I had them removed and disabled in the software, after they crumbled on two of my wheels at the same time!

I was informed by the MOT guys that it would not pass if warning lights appeared.

[qman3428]

_{New regulations for the MOT due in a couple of years will require that any car which had tyre sensors as new must have them and they must work. Perhaps something to bear in mind for the future.}

[Johndouglas]

When tyres are replaced, the aluminium valve stem on the pressure transmitter should also be replaced.

I was informed by the MOT guys that it would not pass if warning lights appeared.

From what I've heard it seems that the Mk3 C5's suffer from valve stem troubles more than earlier models.   My own vehicle which is coming on 9 years old, has never had the valve stems changed.

 

Also if ever I get a warning with a flashing indicator, it's not until after I've driven the first mile.

[seefive]

My mk3 came with plastic caps - no problem so far, although the car is only 6 months old. I keep them loose just in case.

[Robhall77]

Just had two front valve stems crumble on replacing the tyres. The tyre fitters said it was a frequently seen problem with these TPMS valves. I have been quoted £180 each. A look on ebay reveals that you can obtain just the valve stems and a video shows how easy it is to replace them as long as the sensor package is not damaged. Stem replacement kit is £9.99 including everything you need to carry out the replacement presuming the tyres are off. Beauty is that the system does not need recoding. The process is due to take place on Friday so I will let you know the result. I have practiced on the two sensors so far removed and replaced with conventional valves temporarily. Practice consisted of removing the stems from the sensor without damage. Very easy.

[les-cumbria]

Finally sorted the tyre sensor problem, it turns out that the problem wasn't with the sensor, I had 2 new front tyres put on and one of them was leaking air from the seal, a tip a friend gave me was to blow the tyres up 10lb above the recommended and then let the air down back to where it should be - this worked and its been fine for 3 weeks.

 

Now another dam sensor has tripped since its got cold and its the airbag sensor - intermittent as it only triggers when cold - Think what annoys me is that the readout does not tell you where the problems is ie; which airbag or which tyre.

 

I was on the verge of getting rid of the car but it drives really well, if anything major goes wrong it will have to go.

[paul.h]

Sometimes the air bag light can come on if the front seats are moved and checking the connections under the seats can be the fix. Do this with the key out of the ignition to help avoid an air bag going off.

 

Is it just the mark 3 C5 that has the tyre sensor problems with them crumbling, I can not remember a mark 2 or 1. The stem replacement kit sounds like a good fix - I will add this to the common problems post, thanks Robhall77. 

[les-cumbria]

front seats haven't been moved, the drivers seat has a multi cd under it, wonder if its vibrated or something, is the connector under the drivers seat?

[paul.h]

I am not sure but I would think there are connectors under each seat.

[les-cumbria]

Thanks will check them out

[qman3428]

Had a similar problem on my daughters golf, it was a plastic water bottle which had rolled under the seat and was pulling on the connector.