Professional Distributor - 22

Stay relevant with TPMS

Industry trends, new technologies, and developed capabilities
with TPMS tooling are changing the category's landscape.

A
BY TYLER FUSSNER,
ASSISTANT EDITOR

920-234-6232
Tyler@VehicleServicePros.com

complete tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) service includes the ability to diagnose, test, repair, and reprogram vehicles'
TPMS components. Automotive shops providing
TPMS services need tools to help accommodate
different vehicle makes and models, most of which
require unique procedures, software, or equipment
for servicing. When technicians understand the
benefits of TPMS service and are aware of emerging technology and trends within the category, they
don't have to fear turning business away. Instead,
they can remain relevant - and profitable - with
this service.

THE DEMAND FOR TPMS SERVICING

Upcoming topic:
Look for information
on stocking and selling
the following category:
Apparel (October)

Since the federal mandates requiring TPMS on
vehicles manufactured after September 2007 went
into effect, the category has continuously expanded
and evolved.
Scot Holloway, CEO and general manager at
Bartec USA, says that servicing sensors is one of
the few ways a tire retailer can actually grow their
bottom line, as "there are more opportunities for
service if a tire retailer has a complete TPMS service program in place." When sensors are serviced,
technicians may need to remove the wheels, clean
the wheels and also replace seals, stems, cores, caps,
or the entire sensor units themselves. All of this
presents an opportunity to upsell and improve both
the bottom line and service.
The lynchpin of TPMS servicing is the diagnostic tool, used to scan, diagnose, and reprogram the
sensors, as well as write sensor IDs to the vehicle's
ECU. There are many variations available today in
terms of capabilities and features. Selecting the
right tool for the needs of the shop and technicians
is crucial.
The latest additions to TPMS tooling functionality include placard adjustment, OBD-II
relearns for domestic vehicles, and Wi-Fi capabilities. Placard adjustment allows the tool to
change the vehicle's ECU's tire pressure designation; when installing new tires that require a different PSI than the OE tires, the tool can tell the
vehicle the new PSI levels so that the monitoring

22 Professional Distributor I September 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com

The MaxiTPMS TS508 from Autel features Wi-Fi capabilities for
software updates and data transfer. The TS508 can also perform
placard adjustments and initiate relearn sequences through the
OBD-II port.

system is accurate and in line with the new PSI
profile. OBD-II relearns for domestic vehicles
allow technicians to plug into the OBD-II port to
initiate a relearn sequence rather than memorizing the hundreds of various procedures required
for different years, makes, and models of domestic
vehicles. Wi-Fi capabilities offer flexibility with
updating and transferring data to and from the tool.
Check out 'Products to Stock' on page 23 for tools
that offer the latest features in the TPMS market.

SECURITY, ACCESS, AND COMPATIBILITY
An emerging trend in the automotive manufacturing industry is the implementation of security
gateway modules. These modules were introduced
to protect malfeasances from entering the OBD-II
port and subsequent tampering with the vehicle's
ECU or other components. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has included such a gateway module
on select vehicles manufactured in 2018, and on
even more models in their 2019 line. The security
gateway module acts as a firewall, and many TPMS
or scan tools that utilize OBD-II connections may
be blocked from communicating with a vehicle that
has such a module.

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