I have seen many posts on the TPMS going off when you change out your tires but I do have a question.

I recently bought a 2008 Lancer GTS and drove it in one New England snow storm before I realized these are not the tires for snow. I bought new tires, rims, and tire pressure monitors from Tire rack (since I didn't want to transfer them from one set of rims to another). I got a great deal at 869 with shipping and taxes. The issue is the car thinks I have an error with the TPMS. I have the little light and the display now has a "service required" message. I called Tire Rack and they said I need to go back to the dealer and have the computer reset (at a cost of course) and if I do this, I will need to do it again when I put the original rims back on the car in the spring.

Has anyone found a way to reset the computer to sync it up with new sensors? I know I can clear the error by holding the info button but I want the light to go away and the error not to come back when I open a car door. I had a 99 Grand Am years ago that had a reset button hidden in the fuse box for the TPMS that was on that car. There has to be a better way then going to the dealer 2 times a year and paying to have it reset.

One thing that comes to mind is perhaps disconnect the battery? I'm not sure if there is no backup power and memory for this vehicle (sorta like RAM in a computer). Put perhaps that could work? Don't quote me though, I'm pulling this outta my wazoo.
Maybe see if you can talk to your dealer and perhaps they could just tell you where to press or what cable to pull or something - worth a shot.

And BTW, I hear ya on the tires! They're horrible for winter.

I am going to the dealer either today or tomorrow to have the skid plates inside the doors installed. I will keep everyone posted on what they say about resetting the computer.

I put on the new snow tires and of course no new snow now...

Yeah there have been two big snows here in Minnesota, and the main roads are plowed asap! yes i agree the tires blow major BALLS' but its not worth it for me to spend $1,000 to get steelies and winter tires. Although i work at sams club and i could get winter tires there to fit the stock 18's and charge them to a sams discover, and then return them when winters over with 0 interest and 0 payments and say i didnt like how loud they were. ROFL true story.

but as far as the sensor not sure im sure they have to hook up to your cars computer and hit three buttons.

1. power
2. reset Tpms
3. power

$ Ok, thats $100

I think they charge some $65 up here in Canada anyway, to recalibrate the sensor's and I'm sure it takes no more than 5 mins :(

right, damn dealer profit margain

I didn't bother with the TPMS on my winter tires. When I got the tires installed at the dealership, they actually said not to bother with adding TPMS in them. They also mentioned that they'll find a way to disable the TPMS altogether (I can live without it). Hopefully they can by the time I go back there to get my subwoofer replaced.

Ok, so after a month of fighting with Tirerack and a Mitsubishi dealership each blaming the other for the new sensors not working, I finally went to a different dealer. This dealer had a "special tool" that could reset the TPMS in my car. The first dealer was clueless on this tool.

He plugged into the computer with some connector and had this wand thing that he waved over each tire, took it for a test drive and now everything is fine. It took him about 25 minutes to do it so of course I got charged 30 minutes worth of labor (40 bucks in the US).

Downside.... Mitsubishi only allows one set of sensors to be monitored by the TPMS (not the case with other cars). So that means come the spring I get to shell out another 40 bucks to get my stock 18 inch rims to work correctly with the car. I called Tirerack back and because I wasn't told this, they are giving me a credit (a whopping 50 bucks).

I really hope this "special tool" becomes mass produced at a cheap cost so I can reset it myself.

Hope this all helps to those who swap out their stock tires for winter ones and they buy the extra sensors.

If I had to do it again.. I would save my money and not buy the sensors and deal with the anoying lite on the dashboard and resetting the computer each time I start it.

This special tool is mitsubishi's MUT IIII program that does their code reading and diagnostics for the ECU. I have one at work but for Mitsubishi FUSO's (1-3 ton trucks)

so anyways I just bought rims from a private seller. (Old school style) had the mounted, balanced w.e and now this **** TPMS is lighting up. the dealership told me they would charge me 200 dollars to have the sensors installed on the new tires and for the reset. Is there any news on how to just disable that feature?

It is a federal law now that all 2008 and above cars have this so there will be no way to disable it and have it pass inspections. Look at tire rack for the sensors or if you have your original rims you can get them from those and install them into the new rims and you won't need the system re-programmed.

I heard that its a law, then how come my lancer didnt come with TPMS?

illegal??? frankly i could care less. Inspections . . .whos gonna give my car an inspection. I just want that stupid light turned off. There has to be a way. the sensors are connected to the valve stem. To remove the sensors you need to actually remove the valve stem and **** up your stock tires. The TPMS sucks the big one.

you can blame ***** american owners for the TPMS. had a normal person taken the 10 seconds to check their air pressure once a month, that entire "firestone/ford" fiasco would have never seen the light of day.

so now because people are lazy, whining twits, the government has to step in to take care of them. Hence the TPMS.