Advice with TPMS Senor wake up/ learning.

commandoallan

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Evening all,

I changed the batteries in my sensors a couple of months ago and believe because they were without power for an extended period of time they may have gone to sleep. I also have another set of RDS units purchased off of fleabay with no short bar code on which I will need to learn the number. I now have a GS 911 and wish to purchase a wake up tool instead of paying BMW 25 quid to wake up each set of sensors.

I understand the basic Ateq unit which is available for around 150 GBP will wake up the sensors but not display codes. There are other options on fleabay from China for less money with more options, is anyone aware if these Chinese units actually work on BM bikes? I have been trying to ID the frequency of the transmitter in the RDS units but cannot seem to find it anywhere.

Has anyone had any experience of these Chinese units and could provide a little advice?

Cheers all, Al. :beer:
 
I was under the impression that they can be "woken up" by deflating the tyre causing them to transmit.
The only experience i have of them is installing a new one and getting a dealer to sort it out for £25.
 
I have never had any success with the deflating the tyre method. Tried many times.
The only success I have had is by having a friend (A CarTyre Dealer) read the codes then I can use the GS911 to write the codes to the ecu.
I think his reader was around £500 but it shows all the information for the sensor Date , Code, Battery condition etc. by just holding the sensor near the reader.
If you have the code you do not need to wake up the sensor.
 
Are you sure that the code is not marked on the sensor?

You might have to get the dealer to read it for you.
 
The code is on a sticker so if that's gone the best option is to get the codes read at a dealers and tap that into the 911.
 
Yes that's the whole point. The code is on the sticker inside the tyres on the wheels for one set. The other set I have the barcodes on but they are not short barcodes as shown in several pics I have researched on various sites (these were bought on fleabay from europe).

I can pay 50 GBP total to get BM to read both sets or pay around 100 GBP for a Chinese unit to both wake up & display codes (if the Chinese units work on my sensors) I could then help any oppo's in the future or indeed myself if I have any other sensors which require the same fixing any time in the future. I would obviously only require to use the wake up tool twice more to make the purchase worthwhile.

The question remains, do I purchase a cheaper Chinese unit that does more than an Ateq for 50 GBP less than the basic Ateq? This would be the best option for me but I do not know if these Chinese units actually work on BM bike sensors.

I can obviously contact the seller on fleabay but unfortunately my Mandarin is limited to a number 41 with flied wice.
 
Somebody said that many tyre suppliers can read the sensor codes. Worth asking about costs.
 
I paid my dealer to do mine as I couldnt wake by deflating. Once up and running, use a GS911 to read the codes and write them down for future reference when replacing batteries etc.
 
I paid my dealer to do mine as I couldnt wake by deflating. Once up and running, use a GS911 to read the codes and write them down for future reference when replacing batteries etc.

For the set currently on the bike in the tryes my GS 911 is giving the ID's of both sensors. It also states that the batteries are OK but the dash reads _ _ _/ _ _ _ RDC P.
Because I changed the batteries and spent considerable time doing a bodge to the battery terminals on both sensors they were without power for around an hour each. So I am wondering if they require waking up? (without going down the tyre deflation route!!!).

Is anyone aware if the GS 911 reads the sensor codes from TPMS ECU where they could have been stored previously or the GS 911 actually reads the codes real time from the senors at the time of interrogation?

I am not sure if I believe the GS 911 because of the bodge on the terminals on both sensors. I suppose I can go on the Hexcode forum to ask also.
 
I bought a new sensor and fitted it without taking a note of the barcode - duh!. However, my GS911 could 'see' the sensor and read the pressure and i.d etc, which I manually inputted. Unfortunately, I could never get it to read out via the display, only from my laptop when connected to the GS911.

Even though you have the i.d., do you you still need the wake up tool?

I tried the quick deflation method a number of times which didn't work.

I should have been a bit more careful when I replaced the battery of the original and used that.
 
Fwiw, I replaced both tpm units, had a bit of a job to them registered but it did work eventually. Likewise waking up the unit by letting pressure drop, that did not work at first but did eventually. I thunk the pressure will not show on the display until you ride the bike or spin the wheel quite quickly!

Persevere!!
 
I bought a new sensor and fitted it without taking a note of the barcode - duh!. However, my GS911 could 'see' the sensor and read the pressure and i.d etc, which I manually inputted. Unfortunately, I could never get it to read out via the display, only from my laptop when connected to the GS911.

Even though you have the i.d., do you you still need the wake up tool?

I tried the quick deflation method a number of times which didn't work.

I should have been a bit more careful when I replaced the battery of the original and used that.

OK. So to get this straight. Even tough the GS 911 can see the sensor ID's in the wheels I will still require to either.
A. Get a dealer to awaken the sensors.
B. Buy my own waking tool.

So even if you know the ID's of the sensors you have you are still required to wake them anyway???

Does anyone fancy going in on a group purchase of an Ateq where we could organise some sort of postal service between users??? I am sure it would work out cheaper than paying £25 a time and could benefit all involved.

Any thoughts or comments on this idea???
 
The GS911 can NOT see the sensors ID`s in the wheels.
The GS911 reads the codes that are logged in the ECU.
If you know the codes you do not need to wake up the sensor, just write the codes to the ECU with the GS911.
You do not need a "wake up tool" you need a "code reader".
A lot of car tyre dealers have code readers as many of them use pattern sensors read the codes and write them to the ECU`s.
The sensors are made by Schrader so are a common manufacturer.
Just as an add on should someone require a pair of sensors I have a pair of new sensors with the codes, If local I will write the codes to your ECU. £85 the pair delivered.
 
The GS911 can NOT see the sensors ID`s in the wheels.
The GS911 reads the codes that are logged in the ECU.
If you know the codes you do not need to wake up the sensor, just write the codes to the ECU with the GS911.
You do not need a "wake up tool" you need a "code reader".
A lot of car tyre dealers have code readers as many of them use pattern sensors read the codes and write them to the ECU`s.
The sensors are made by Schrader so are a common manufacturer.
Just as an add on should someone require a pair of sensors I have a pair of new sensors with the codes, If local I will write the codes to your ECU. £85 the pair delivered.

That's interesting, I assumed as it showed two sensor codes for the front wheel and a pressure was registering that it was seeing the new one I fitted? Having said that I did buy it as a three year old so maybe one had been replaced before I got it?

BTW, the one I fitted was manufactured by VDO.
 
I have not come across the VDO sensors, so have no info on them, they may well interact with the ECU better than the Schrader sensors.
Does any one know what years the VDO sensors were fitted ?
 
I have not come across the VDO sensors, so have no info on them, they may well interact with the ECU better than the Schrader sensors.
Does any one know what years the VDO sensors were fitted ?

I bought it from a Canadian supplier direct.

I'll see if I can find the details, but as it was about 3 years ago I may have difficulty.

My bike was built in Feb 2007.

The reason it stuck in my mind was because I used to sell VDO gauges and aftermarket cruise control equipment.

Edit: The ad said 2005 - 2013. From what I can see Real OEM confirms the same sensor for pretty much all for that period, except the GS where it's only listed from 2011 - 2013.
 
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As far as I understand things with the sensors (I have previously spent more time than sensible trying to read the code from a new sensor), they goto sleep a little while after stopping the bike, this is normally behaviour to preserve the in-built battery for as long as possible, in this sleep state they are not transmitting any information.

They remain sleeping until the bike reaches a certain speed at which point they 'wake-up' and start transmitting.

The alternative methods to get them to wake up are to use a tool designed to do so, or to let out a volume of air. I think that when letting out air some sort of pressure change threshold is triggered, which by coincidence makes the sensors start transmitting.

I found in my previous attempts to read the codes that I could get the sensors to wake up and the pressure to register on the bike's computer, but I could never read the code using the GS911.

I tried visiting one of the local tyre places and the thing they had was not able to detect the sensors to read the codes.
 
The GS911 can NOT see the sensors ID`s in the wheels.
The GS911 reads the codes that are logged in the ECU.
If you know the codes you do not need to wake up the sensor, just write the codes to the ECU with the GS911.
You do not need a "wake up tool" you need a "code reader".
A lot of car tyre dealers have code readers as many of them use pattern sensors read the codes and write them to the ECU`s.
The sensors are made by Schrader so are a common manufacturer.
Just as an add on should someone require a pair of sensors I have a pair of new sensors with the codes, If local I will write the codes to your ECU. £85 the pair delivered.

OK great, I am starting to get some where. If the codes are logged into the ecu and not read from the sensors how does the battery status get read? I am obviously trying to determine if my bodge on the battery terminals in both sensors has been successful and they are transmitting to the ecu or indeed the bodge is bad and the GS 911 is not reading the sensors at all but just showing a log from the ecu. If the codes are logged into the ecu why could the sensors not be transmitting/ received when travelling the required speed?

The GS 911 shows two sensor codes where previously one sensor was fully functional and the other sensor partially functional before the battery change.

For information the intermittent signal on one sensor could have been attributed to the small stem within the valve stem that had become unscrewed and may actually act as an antenna. I believe this may have been the problem rather than the batteries but rushed in to quick due to a tyre change.

If the GS 911 is showing battery status as OK on both sensors are the sensors transmitting this information or is it an erroneous report from the ecu/ GS 911? Presumably battery status is determined within each sensor then transmitted to the ecu otherwise the information is worthless?????

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi, I had the same bother, Tried everything. letting air out and so on and on.
In the end bought a Autel MaxiTPMS TS401, wakes the sensor up in seconds and the GS911 learns it right away.
If anyone needs sensors woken up, i live between Edinburgh and Dundee, give me a shout.
Weedeek
 
OK great, I am starting to get some where. If the codes are logged into the ecu and not read from the sensors how does the battery status get read? I am obviously trying to determine if my bodge on the battery terminals in both sensors has been successful and they are transmitting to the ecu or indeed the bodge is bad and the GS 911 is not reading the sensors at all but just showing a log from the ecu. If the codes are logged into the ecu why could the sensors not be transmitting/ received when travelling the required speed?

The GS 911 shows two sensor codes where previously one sensor was fully functional and the other sensor partially functional before the battery change.

For information the intermittent signal on one sensor could have been attributed to the small stem within the valve stem that had become unscrewed and may actually act as an antenna. I believe this may have been the problem rather than the batteries but rushed in to quick due to a tyre change.

If the GS 911 is showing battery status as OK on both sensors are the sensors transmitting this information or is it an erroneous report from the ecu/ GS 911? Presumably battery status is determined within each sensor then transmitted to the ecu otherwise the information is worthless?????

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I believe that the sensors are only switched on when they reach a set speed, ( you can also switch them on by bouncing the wheel on the floor).
Also the battery voltage is stored in the ecu along with the unit code the last time the sensor was in the on position ( traveling).
The only way to get real time readings from a sensor is with a code reader.
 


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