2013 AWD Tech here (Canadian Model)

Just got steelies with winters put on; no TPMS sensors.

My understanding was that if you don't get TPMS sensors put on with your winters you would get the tire pressure code pop up every time you start the car. My car is just showing the last reading that my all season tires had and it hasn't moved and no code is being shown.

Hoping someone with expertise in this area can shed some light on how the car is expected to react?

Thanks!

 

Good question. I know that my aftermarket wheels & tires were ordered with third party TPMS valves in them. Tire Rack said the system would recognize them after driving a bit. Sure enough, the old tire pressure readings were on the dashboard display when I started driving. After about 3/4 of a mile, one by one , the readings changed to the pressures in the new tires. So, It could be that the system is set up to keep the last reading in memory until a new "signal" is sent.

 

Update - It took a few days but eventually the TPMS sensor warning did come on and now stays on... Simple enough and quite annoying because you can't get the information light to go off.

 

I know on my old RX-350, when I used winter tires and no TPMS, I had to put some black electrical tape over the TPMS light for the winter. Try covering that area of the dash with the black tape.

 

I'm sorry to inform you that putting tape over the indicator light so you cannot see it does not fix the problem. Only installing TPMS sensors will. You want to be able to use the following feature on ice and snow.


VSA®On and Off


This button is on the driver side control panel.
To turn the VSA®system on and off, press and
hold it until you hear a beep.
VSA®will stop and the indicator will come on.
To turn it on again, press the (VSA® OFF)
button until you hear a beep.
VSA®is turned on every time you start the
engine, even if you turned it off the last time
you drove the vehicle.


VSA®(Vehicle Stability Assist), aka ESC (Electronic Stability
Control), System
Without VSA®, your vehicle will have normal braking
and cornering ability, but it will not have VSA®
traction and stability enhancement.
In certain unusual conditions when your vehicle gets
stuck in shallow mud or fresh snow, it may be easier
to free it with the VSA®temporarily switched off.
When the VSA®system is off, the traction control
system is also off. You should only attempt to free
your vehicle with the VSA®off if you are not able to
free it when the VSA®is on.
Immediately after freeing your vehicle, be sure to
switch VSA®on again. We do not recommend driving
your vehicle with the VSA®and traction control
systems switched off.
If the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator comes on or
blinks, the VSA®system turns on automatically. In
this case, you cannot turn the system off by pressing
the button.
You may hear a motor sound coming from the
engine compartment while system checks are being
performed immediately after starting the engine or
while driving. This is normal

 

A much better idea is to cover the entire instrument panel with electrical tape. That way you won't see ANY warning lights (and therefore can never be accused of speeding and you'll never run out of gas) - the tape is much easier than sticking your head in the sand.

OTOH, that's how I saved $20k on a new Jaguar in 1986. The prior owner (with 1500km) put a piece of tape over the "low oil" light. I bought that car with a new engine at a great price.

 

On the Lexus, it was only informational. How many years did we live without TPMS on our cars????

If I got the TPMS valves for the Lexus, It would have cost $350 for the valves, and then Lexus wanted another $150 to program the serial numbers into the car's computer.

The RDX recognized the TPMS valves from Tire Rack as soon as I started driving.