Smartire TPMS early sensor replacement

[EVR]

drimplant said:

I have just successfully programmed four Autel TPMS MX sensors for my 09 DB9. Thanks for your information. I had some minor differences and possible additions to your procedures. The SmartTire sensors will transmit approximately every 15 minutes when the pressure drops to under 15 psi (as previously mentioned). For the front tires, I let out the air to about 10psi to trigger the sensor and then used my Autel TS508 programmer to read the sensor. No trigger. I kept pushing the read button and after about 5 minutes, and several pushes of the read button, it finally read the sensor. For the rear, I drove the car until the control box read all the TPMS sensor. Then, with he car still running, I placed the Autel TS508 near the sensor and kept pushing the read button until it read the sensor.

The readings were different from the serial number. My front right sensor serial number (as read off the physical sensor after removal) was 173-1-1-0115800 . The reading from the Autel TS508 gave the value as 01C458. I used the value as read from the Autel TS508. All sensors were properly read by the head end unit and a green light achieved.

I appreciate the information given here. I wanted to change the sensors as my car was 11 years old, I was changing tires, and figured the sensors were at the end of their life. My AS dealership is an hour and a half away and I do a lot of work on the car myself. Without this information, I would have probably gone to the dealer. Great forum guys.

Glad it helped another owner! Never mind the 1 hour and a half drive, that in a DB9 can be entertaining, it's the absurd amount of money that AM is asking for those ultra old sensors!

[4x4sche]

The numbers are the same and are just in a different format. The marking on the sensor is decimal and the reading from the scanner is hexadecimal. There are decimal to hexadecimal converters online you can use..... just type in the decimal digits after the dash on the sensor label and that is the number to use on the programmer.

[randytusk]

Just want to express my thanks for the posters on this thread

I successfully replaced all 4 TPMS sensors with Autel mx sensors and replicated the sensor IDs as instructed

Everything works perfectly!

IF anyone in east herts needs help with their failing TPMS sensors give me a shout!

[vernierMike]

Chuffed it's still helping. I STILL haven't done the other three - plenty of other fettling being done and no more failed sensors yet - I'll find EVR and my posts useful when they do!

[randytusk]

This thread or an abridged version of it should be a sticky - its that useful!

Thanks again Mike!

[EVR]

Yep, cool that it continues to help people!

I even sent the link to Mike at Bamford Rose, since in a video some time ago, he was stating the options for older cars with the Smartire system but he was not aware of what we found here.

[simon_harris]

I know this is a pretty old thread now but does anyone have a link to the newer firmware? the version on www.maxitpms.com is 5.42 and I can't get the scanner to recognise my sensors.

I have emailed support but thought this might be a quicker way.

many thanks

Simon

[randytusk]

simon_harris said:

I know this is a pretty old thread now but does anyone have a link to the newer firmware? the version on www.maxitpms.com is 5.42 and I can't get the scanner to recognise my sensors.

I have emailed support but thought this might be a quicker way.

many thanks

Simon

Don’t bother with the learn procedure. It’s much easier to program using the code printed on the sensors

[simon_harris]

For the system was reporting nearside rear sensor failure, so I changed it out this weekend.

Turns out at some point in the past the rear wheel have been swapped over so that sensor was actually fine (had to cut it off as it was seized on) so have now had to order another sensor!

this thread was super useful though and saved me a bucket of money so thanks to all that contributed

ps I eventually found the latest firmware on the autel site rather than the maxitpms one

[EVR]

simon_harris said:

For the system was reporting nearside rear sensor failure, so I changed it out this weekend.

Turns out at some point in the past the rear wheel have been swapped over so that sensor was actually fine (had to cut it off as it was seized on) so have now had to order another sensor!

this thread was super useful though and saved me a bucket of money so thanks to all that contributed

ps I eventually found the latest firmware on the autel site rather than the maxitpms one

The thread that keeps on giving!

[MJN53]

I had all 4 TPS sensors replaced when I got my 2011 Roadster in 2016, they were all replaced again in August 2020 owing to a failure of 2 of them. Recently the front left has read 29psi cold rising to 31psi hot and of course the whole display gets taken over! Get to the garage and got 24psi hot. Others spot on. 11 months isnt a long time to become faulty or fail!
And I wont always rely on the display in future.

[Gmw76]

Hi guys hope you can help.
I have an early 08 Vantage. I have just tried unplugging the system 4wire plug but the display changed from tyre system fault to ‘check tyres’. The fault remains on the main display rather than going out. All that was done stationary without going for a drive. I was just a little confused about one thread which suggested a sensor change late 2008 so ‘be careful’ ?
I have the earlier Smarttire system with a tyre system fault blue right rear. I suppose batteries have lasted well!
Do I need worry about differences in sensor or just go down the purchase and programming routes suggested?. Also not quite sure why unplugging did not clear the main display.
Thanks
Mark

[john ryan]

Pressing the 'read' button may remove the display until the next ignition on event.

[vernierMike]

Gmw76 said:

Hi guys hope you can help.
I have an early 08 Vantage. I have just tried unplugging the system 4wire plug but the display changed from tyre system fault to ‘check tyres’. The fault remains on the main display rather than going out. All that was done stationary without going for a drive. I was just a little confused about one thread which suggested a sensor change late 2008 so ‘be careful’ ?
I have the earlier Smarttire system with a tyre system fault blue right rear. I suppose batteries have lasted well!
Do I need worry about differences in sensor or just go down the purchase and programming routes suggested?. Also not quite sure why unplugging did not clear the main display.
Thanks
Mark

The car's system system is 'fail safe' and when the Smarttire system is just unplugged the car assumes a tyre fault (it is a safety system, after all!) Pressing Read (twice?) will need to be done each time you switch on and wear and tear on that switch his give-away for a neglected car, so not great long term. If you just want the light to go out you can buy a device that plugs in between the box and the car's wiring loom and cheats the car that the little box is good - about £30 I think. But you lose the functionality of the system.

The changeover from the 'old' Smarttire that you say you have and the newer self-learning was for cars manufactured mid 2009 if I recall. But you can also tell by the design of the box with the 4 LED's. So yes, replacing the sensors by following these instructions should be possible.

I am changing mine on an as-needs basis (failure or just tyre replacement time) and have just done my second one. The two rears to go!

[Gmw76]

Thanks for that guys. I would like to get back to standard ideally. Are we saying that some earlier type system will not accept a new type programmable sensor programmed to my ref numbers or should that still be possible. Mine is definately 4-wire plug Smarttire system. Early 2008 Vantage. Does that sound ok with the manual programming of new sensors from original serial numbers?
Thanks
Mark

[vernierMike]

The earlier Smartire system will NOT work with later sensors, I know from experience. With the older system you need the Autel MX-Sensor 315/433MHz as described and their programming tool, which from more recent threads sounds like it's now shipped with the updated software already installed.

This sounds like the right approach for your 2008 car.

[Gmw76]

Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

[BabyDriver]

Well after reading your excellent post, fingers crossed, here I go with fitting the Autel sensors to my 2008 Vantage.

Today I ordered the Euro car parts promotional offer of the TS508 and 8 sensors at a cost £479.93. (I gave up listening to the Aston Martin dealer when they quoted just under £200.00 per wheel excluding fitting). National tyres in Birmingham charge just £20.00 a wheel to remove tyre and old sensor, fit new sensor refit tyre and balance, which seemed a fair price. So add another £80.00, so total so far £559.93.

I pick up the gear tomorrow. So let the journey begin.

[JonnyCJ]

Look forward to a blow by blow account !

[BabyDriver]

TS508 and sensors didn't arrive at Euro Car Parts until lunchtime. So I went to National Tyres, Hall Green, in Birmingham to have the Smartire sensors taken out of my old wheels. They were really helpful took out the sensors left the old valve in place and reinflated the tyres. He said they could take the old Smartire sensors fit new valves and fit them to my new wheels, but at a cost of £30.00 a pop I decided to carry on with the new Autel sensors as planned. Especially as I'm not sure how long the batteries will last in the old ones.

After lunch I got the TS508 kit from Euro Car Parts, amazed that they called me to say it was ready. The kit consists of a hand held device, 4 metal valve sensors and 4 rubber ones. I obviously used the metal ones. I hate reading instructions, which may be my downfall, but I went straight in to use the TS508. The menu structure is great, very intuitive. I chose 'quick mode' which brings up 'vehicle type, brilliant' Aston Martin' was there so I continued by pressing the button 'Y' after stabbing the screen with no result. Whoops forgot it's not a touch screen. 'Y' got me to 'model type' looking good 'Vantage' was there. Pressing 'Y' again got me to the next menu with the second option '01/2005-12/2011 (Smartire 433MHz). Couldn't believe things were going so well. 'Y' again moved me to another menu where item 3 was 'Program sensor'. 'Y' lead me to another three options including ' Copy by manual input' arrow down and pressing 'Y' yet again gave me an 'alpha numeric display' to enter 'ID (HEX)'. Fortunately, I had previously been in touch, by email, with Nick at Autel who was very helpful and replied giving me the following link to a hexadecimal website :-

https://www.calculator.net/hex-calculator.html?d2b...

I entered the last seven digits of the Smartire serial number, hit calculate and an alpha numeric code appeared which I entered into the TS508 pressed 'Y' taking me to the next screen which asked if I wanted 'to save and continue'. 'Y' for the last time got me 'Programing sensor'. A blue status bar appear moved reasonably quickly and disappeared with a warning beep then the best message in the World appeared 'PROGRAMMING SUCCESS' . Wow! I'd done one. The other three followed in quick succession.

I then checked them using the 'Scan all sensors' menu and they all appeared with a nice green tick. In my heart of hearts I knew that they would not work when placed literally in the car as they would bring up the usual bland Aston Martin fault code because they would appear as 4 deflated tyres. Still I had to try and that's exactly what I got so I'm going to have to wait until they are in the tyres.

Which I'm afraid will not be until Friday. So fingers crossed.

So far it's been too easy something's got to go wrong. If not I've spent £480.00 on a device that I've only used for an hour. Hey ho, that's Aston Martin's for you.

Edited by BabyDriver on Wednesday 15th December 18:05