Cannot use TPMS once programmed on another car?

[AHCPAX5]

Hey everyone

Purchased a set of wheels and tires off a guy who used for 3 months then decided didnt like style. He had genuine oem tpms installed. I put on the wheels on my car and cannot program- says TPM malfunction. I called BMW and they said that if the sensors were programmed on a 2014 X5, I cannot have them work on a 2015 and that I have to either take my "old" ones and install on new wheels or buy a new set. Is this true??

[Taran.J]

Hit up RG sport shop I had to buy some 2015's for my VMR wheels and they didn't cost much


To answer your question yes I believe the 2015's are on a newer software

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by AHCPAX5

Hey everyone

Purchased a set of wheels and tires off a guy who used for 3 months then decided didnt like style. He had genuine oem tpms installed. I put on the wheels on my car and cannot program- says TPM malfunction. I called BMW and they said that if the sensors were programmed on a 2014 X5, I cannot have them work on a 2015 and that I have to either take my "old" ones and install on new wheels or buy a new set. Is this true??

Which 2014 X5? The E70 or the F15?
If it came off from the F15, it should sync up with your 2015.

[Doanster]

Ben can confirm, but I'm pretty sure there was no TPMS change between model years for our F15s. When I bought a winter wheel set, they came with E70/71 sensors which wouldn't work. In my subsequent research for correct sensors, I never saw different model numbers for 2014 vs 2015 cars.
BTW, the sensors themselves are not programmed. They broadcast the data at a specific freq (433MHz) that the car reads.

[MysticBlue]

This has nothing to do with whether the TPMS has been paired with another vehicle in the past. It must be that they are an older design (maybe from an E70) that is no longer compatible. The TPMS units don't know what car they are on, they just broadcast their identity and information, and it is up to the vehicle's system to accept them, which, if they are of the right design, should be readable after going through the TPMS reset procedure on the vehicle.

[BXdriver]

Hi,

Seems there are so many variables here. I have no real answer but please also see my post/issue here:
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1061055

So, I went from fully working sensors in original summer tires last year showing the actual pressure
- to first sensors in winter tires not showing at all (and causing error beeps and "black" tires in the display)
- to a second try with new sensors now being able to be read by the car (green tires) - but still NO actual pressure shown (and I left the issue there-I can live with this)
- to finally now back to the original BMW summer tires - automatically working flawless again showing the pressure...

2014 mod. car.
The car must be very specific or "demanding" on the correct sensors...

Best of luck,
Bent

[airboss1971]

Originally Posted by Doanster

Ben can confirm, but I'm pretty sure there was no TPMS change between model years for our F15s. When I bought a winter wheel set, they came with E70/71 sensors which wouldn't work. In my subsequent research for correct sensors, I never saw different model numbers for 2014 vs 2015 cars.
BTW, the sensors themselves are not programmed. They broadcast the data at a specific freq (433MHz) that the car reads.

The key here is the frequency at which the TPMS sensors operate. In my past experience with TPMS, I had two Jeeps ('12 & '13) that were only a model year in difference but were not compatible. I wanted to swap wheels between the two vehicles but because they worked on different frequencies (315 Mhz vs. 433 MHz), I had to swap sensors first. Even though there were only minor changes along the Wrangler line between '07 & '14, the sensors were definitely different & wouldn't register properly with the system.

I can't believe that BMW sensors would "pair" with a specific vehicle, but who knows

[Gilly1964]

BXdriver Didn't the F15 TPMS sensors change to include the actual tyre pressure and temperature fairly early on in the lifecycle. My March 14 build only has pressures indicated by green wheels but I know of later builds that show more detail.

Perhaps you got an 'old' set with your winters?

[airboss1971]

For US models, we have the ability to see the temps, but it must be coded to be visible....

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by Gilly1964

BXdriver Didn't the F15 TPMS sensors change to include the actual tyre pressure and temperature fairly early on in the lifecycle. My March 14 build only has pressures indicated by green wheels but I know of later builds that show more detail.

Perhaps you got an 'old' set with your winters?

There was no hardware change.

[AHCPAX5]

Ok I wonder if I was duped into E70 sensors instead of F15

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by AHCPAX5

Ok I wonder if I was duped into E70 sensors instead of F15

Take a picture of the valve stem. I can tell the difference from there.

[AHCPAX5]

I thought I had better quality

[AHCPAX5]

Pic 2

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by AHCPAX5

Pic 2

Thanks. That is the older TPMS valve stem. It won't work with the F15/F16 X5/X6 F80/F82 M3/M4 F85/F86 X5M/X6M i3/i8 and some of the newer built F30/F32 3/4-series.