Pressure Pro

[Clay L]

I bought the Pressure Pro TPMS from forum member Bernie six years ago and it has worked fine and given me a lot of peace of mind.

However several of the sensors are acting up in low temperatures. When we left CO on Monday there were six or seven that did not indicate pressure. The red LEDs beside the affected tires were lit and there were no readings.
The temp that night was around 19 degrees or so only warmed to 38 or so before I plugged the system in. After traveling for a while the outside temp climbed up to abound 48 and all but three of the sensors started indicating pressure. One on the inside drivers side dually and two on the drivers side of the toad.

The batteries have never been replaced but the battery warning on the  display is not indicating anything.

Bernie, do you think it is a battery issue?  Has anyone else had a similar issue?

 

[Ned]

I would suspect that after 6 years, the batteries are dying.  Have you contacted Doug at Pressure Pro?  He's very helpful.

 

[Clay L]

Not yet. I will check with PP when we get to our winter spot in Bouse AZ tomorrow.

I have been expecting the batteries to need replacement for a while now so it is probably time to get them replaced anyway.

 

[WhiteEagle]

Two years ago, and again last year I had issues with signals going in and out on sensors while traveling.. sometimes one or two .. sometimes up t0 6 of them... there was no correlation to temps, speed, other equipment operating, etc..
I have the repeater unit mounted properly in the bedroom.. on or off made no difference..
This spring, I changed the little 3" antenna on the Pressure Pro monitor unit to a quality 7" receiving antenna and it instantly solved the problem.... 9 of the 10 sensors are 4-5 years old (1 is newer) ... this summer all sensors worked fine.... I am convinced this was the problem and wrote Pressure Pro that they should have been using these better antennas for the past several years instead of the shorter less effective ones.

 

[Jim Godward]

I haven't had a problem but if I has I would have gone White Eagle's approach and added a better antenna instead of a repeater.

I suspect that PP is using the best antenna they can and stay within FCC requirements for radiated power.  These type of devices are severely limited by the FCC.

I have not checked on the specific requirements but am generally aware of the limitations both here and on FRS radios  etc.

 

[Ned]

Jim, the monitor doesn't transmit any radiation, it's strictly a receiver, so there should be no antenna restrictions.  The repeater uses 2 short antennas, one on each end, and does transmit, of course.  But those antennas aren't changeable.

 

[Jim Godward]

Ned,

Never really checked on PP but assumed that it interrogated the sensors to prevent conflicts.  If a receiver only, then as you say, no issue unless the receiver has a lot of noise emmissions from the processor etc.  I am finding a lot of these part 15 devices are inherently noisy.  My garage door opener is one but fortunately it only operates for seconds.  I had to move my Cisco router/wireless across the room from my Ham radios due to noise.  I have a few noisy LED lights too but they don't bother that much on the bands I use most. 

 

[Ned]

I believe the monitor just listens, the sensors do all the transmitting.  Each sensor has a unique identifier that's associated with a wheel position as part of the setup procedure.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

As Ned says, the monitor is just a receiver. The sensors are self-identifying and transmit on a time interval. Collisions can happen, but it's a non-issue since the data is not critical and gets repeated in the next cycle. In the event of an alarm, the broadcast frequency is increased so that the message gets through quickly.

My PP sensor batteries began to die at 6+ years and the furthest away ones (4 on the toad) were replaced at that time. Now, at 7.5 years, the ones on the coach rear wheels are pretty much goners and one of the fronts is getting flaky too. I'll be replacing all of them this winter.

Replacements with new batteries are now $35.  Contact Doug McMeen or Vanessa Zaroor at Pressure Pro for the special pricing on battery replacements.

 

[John From Detroit]

After six years I do not suspect batteries,,, I convict them!  Yes, it's the batteries, you need to send 'em in for replacement.  They are not user replacable.

 

[lavarock1210]

Batteries! You need new ones.
It is my understanding the sensor will send a low battery alarm when the battery is low.  But when it gets very low it no longer sends the alarm.  You may have missed the alarm.

 

[Clay L]

We leave Kingman today and get to Bouse this afternoon. I will call PP tomorrow and get set up for new batteries.

Yesterday after we got on the road I saw a 10 psi difference between the starboard side dualies. At first I thought it was the sensors since the pressures were  fine the day before, but I had a nagging doubt and pulled off to check. The difference was real and I had to add air. They were okay when we stopped yesterday.
I will check again this morning before we leave . Sure glad I have a TPMS. 

 

[lavarock1210]

We leave Kingman today and get to Bouse this afternoon. I will call PP tomorrow and get set up for new batteries.

Yesterday after we got on the road I saw a 10 psi difference between the starboard side dualies. At first I thought it was the sensors since the pressures were  fine the day before, but I had a nagging doubt and pulled off to check. The difference was real and I had to add air. They were okay when we stopped yesterday.
I will check again this morning before we leave . Sure glad I have a TPMS.

With 6 year old sensors you may have a bad gasket on the sensors.  But you could also have a nail or such.  Two years ago I found a 1 inch 3/8 bolt in my 5th wheel tire which was loosing air very very slowly.  I noticed the loss before it got to the alarm state.  The Pressure Pro probably saved me from a damaging tire failure.  Watch your pressures carefully and often do not wait for the low pressure alarm. 

 

[John From Detroit]

At first I thought it was the sensors since the pressures were  fine the day before, but I had a nagging doubt and pulled off to check. The difference was real and I had to add air.

The mark of a WISE MAN (you doubted the sensors but checked anyway Good thing too.)

 

[WhiteEagle]

IF anyone wanted to improve the received signal strength on their PP monitor from the sensors by replacing their 3 " antenna with a 7" one, Here's what I did..
I actually went to 11 places through out FL,GA,and MO including several Radio Shacks, electronic stores, and CB shops looking for the right one... Gave up, went to the internet - I ordered and received the wrong one - currently have two unused 7" antennas that have no use for me .. (the last product numbers were ND) maybe I'll get rid of them somewhere..

In any case, I finally got the right one from Digi-Key on the internet (located in Thief River Falls, MN)  -- the right part # for my PP monitor is ANT-433-CW-QW-SMA... the cost was $7.74 (and the freight was $12.19) ..... all I know is that I tried several things and finally replaced the little antenna .... it eliminated my problem and all sensors have been receiving fine since.

 

[Clay L]

As lavarock said above I think the gaskets are going bad.
Yesterday after we left Kingman and got almost to Bouse, the outside dually on the drivers side showed an 8 psi difference when the previously non operating sensor started working all of a sudden. I pulled off at the casino in Parker and checked and the difference was real and I had to add air.

I bought a spare set of gaskets last year but since I am going to get replacements when I send the old sensors in I will hang on to them.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I always keep a supply of the seals on hand. If for no other reason that they can be lost or damaged when removing and re-installing a sensor and the sensor is no good without one in place.

 

[BernieD]

Clay

Sorry for the late response, but you have gotten all of the right answers, along with a few not so right . Talk to Doug at PP, I think he'll probably recommend new sensors. A better antenna or repeater may extend the life of the sensors a little bit, but it is still something that will have to happen in the near future and, with new sensors, you don't have to have a better antenna. What color are the seals that you have. If they are red, throw them away after you get the new sensors, they won't work well. If they are black they should be OK for the new ones.

 

[Clay L]

Clay

Sorry for the late response, but you have gotten all of the right answers, along with a few not so right . Talk to Doug at PP, I think he'll probably recommend new sensors. A better antenna or repeater may extend the life of the sensors a little bit, but it is still something that will have to happen in the near future and, with new sensors, you don't have to have a better antenna. What color are the seals that you have. If they are red, throw them away after you get the new sensors, they won't work well. If they are black they should be OK for the new ones.

The replacement gaskets I bought last year are black so I will hang on to them.
I didn't call Doug yesterday - got involved in setting up the site  - so will call Monday.

Clay

 

[Clay L]

I called PP and talked to Doug. I got the new sensors Friday and installed them Saturday. All of the sensors are operational so the batteries were approaching or had reached the end of their life span.

I will take another look at the pressures in a week or so to make sure the leaks on two tires were due to the gaskets. I am sure that was the problem. They were the old black gaskets except for one that I had replaced last year and that tire was not one of the two that were leaking.