2010 Avalanche LTZ TPMS Problem

I recently picked up a 2010 Avalanche LTZ with 45,000 miles out of state.  The tires were well worn, so through negotiating the deal, I got them to swap out the tires and rims for an identical tire and rim combination that were taken off of a 2014 Tahoe with 105 miles on it.  3 days after I bought the truck, I was driving down the highway and a message appeared that said "right front tire low add air to tire."



The display showed that the tires were above the recommended air pressure, and I verified this with an external tire pressure gauge.  I figured that the mechanic hadn't properly programed the tire pressure monitors, so I took the truck to my local Discount Tire and had them lower the tire pressure to the recommended pressure according to the label on the drivers door (32 PSI), and do a reset.  This still didn't clear the error message.

I had the truck at a local GMC dealer to see if they could fix the cracked dash, and I had them look at the TPMS problem.  They said they reprogrammed the system, but the message was still there.  They wondered if the sensors in the rim from the 2014 Tahoe aren't compatible.  I called the dealer out of state to inquire about this.  The salesman looked into and said that the part numbers for the sensor are the same.

Does anyone have any ideas?  I read somewhere that control module may need to be reset.  I have an appointment with my local Chevy dealer tomorrow to see if they can reset the control module.  Could it be that the 2014 Tahoe is supposed to be inflated to a higher pressure, and the sensors need to be adjusted to the Avalanche, even though they are identical tires? This whole thing is frustrating to say the least!

Are the new tires and rims the same size as the old ones?

Never mind, you said identical.

Yeah MLM, I rolled the new tires and rims next to the old ones to compare numbers before I agreed to the deal. I'm not sure if identical tires have different recommended inflation numbers based on the vehical. If that is the problem, then why is only 1 tire reading low when they are all inflated to the same PSI?

Methinks you most likely have a bad TPMS sensor

Thanks for the reply. Could the sensor be bad, and still show an accurate tire pressure reading?

X2 on the bad sensor.

You could have the tires rotated and reset the sensors.

See if the error message follows the sensor.

Also, I had to put new sensors in my truck when I bought it because they were all missing.

Off the shelf parts from a local Chevrolet dealership fit right in and worked with my Cadillac just fine.

At the time, I had e-series tires and over the course of time that they were on my truck, I had those tires inflated anywhere from 30-50 psi at one time or another.

The TPMS could care less what pressure I decided to run.

I had read somewhere that they are only rated for up to 55 PSI, but I can not confirm that.

I suspect I would have gotten an error message if one or more of the tires SUDDENLY lost a good amount of pressure during a short period of time while driving.

I had dropped the pressure in all four tires from 50 to 30 while sitting in the driveway so I could check ride quality and I never got a peep out of the DIC.

I bet if one of them went from 50 to 30 while driving around I would have gotten a message in the DIC.

Now, my system is also different that yours in that it DOES NOT monitor actual tire pressure so that it can display the message you get.

My system most likely just lets me know that a tire needs to be checked.

Not near as much information as what you would see.

The computer is calibrated at the factory for the tires that the truck was built with, so yes it is vehicle specific but I would think the Tahoe with the same wheels and tires would have the same recommended pressure. Most likely the recommended cold pressure is 32 psi. See label on door jamb. The warning will go off when the pressure drops some percentage below the recommended pressure programmed into the computer. The literature says 25% below, but it usually happens around 26-27 psi.

You don't even need to rotate the tires to do the test EXT4ME suggests. Just recalibrate the sensors in the wrong order (for example, in reverse order: left rear, right rear, right front, left front) and see if the warning moves to another tire. You can do this yourself using the procedure in the owner manual, just do it in the wrong order instead. If it is a bad sensor in the front right wheel then in my example the warning would go off for right rear. If the warning doesn't change wheels then something else is going on but I can't imagine what it would be.

It sounds like it could be a bad sensor but usually the system can tell if a sensor is bad and gives a SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM message instead of low pressure message. I know this because on my old truck I had an intermittent sensor. It is weird that it would read the correct pressure and still give a low pressure warning. Also all four wheels and sensors presumably came off a brand new truck. A tech with a scan tool at the dealer could probably see what is going on inside the computer brains.

Just left my local Chevy dealer. They tried to program the tires, and check the computer for errors. Message light is still there. That cost me $39.61, which is better than the $60.00 shop price I was quoted. They said I need to bring it back when they have more time to dig into the problem.

The dealer I bought it from (2hs away out of state) gave me a 3 month, 3,000 mile warranty. At this point I'm thinking I may need to take a day and go to them to fix it. Lord knows how much diagnosing and repairing could cost me.

I did ask my local dealer if the sensors are programmed to a different level because it's from a Tahoe. They said the programming is all in the truck, the TPM Sensor just reads pressure. Also, they don't think its a sensor because when a sensor is bad, you can't program the sensors.

I would still look at the sidewall of your tires and see what max pressure is. If says 35-36 then 32 psi is ok and will have good tire wear. Max pressure is for max load to protect against tire overheating. If run at max psi then center of tire will wear quicker if not in a max load condition. The tire could be the same size but if a higher ply it could take more air than the 32 psi. Door jam pressures are for the tires on the rig out of the factory. When go to different tires then always check the sidewall for the correct pressure. Just my $.02. With my 02 I am so glad I don't have to mess with the TPMS.

Well this is a crazy idea that might just be worth trying. Disconnect the battery for a few minutes and then reboot and see what happens.

Max tire pressure according to the sidewall is 44 PSI. They tires are Bridgeatone Dueler H/L.

The battery disconnect idea is worth a shot. I'm afraid if I do that, and it clears, the problem will just come back later. I wish the damn thing didn't have a TPMS!

Well I got the problem fixed.  I contacted the dealer I purchased the Avalanche from and said that I wanted to come back up to have them fix it under their warranty.  They were kind enough to offer to reimburse me if I took it to a local reputable Chevy dealer, they just wanted an estimate prior to fixing the problem.  I took it to my local dealer.  They decided that the TPMS sensor in the tire must be bad, and said it would be around $200 to replace it.  I gave the go ahead and got a call later that day that replacing the TPMS sensor did not fix the problem.  They needed to replace the remote control unit (RCDLR).  Of course they didn't have any for my truck in state, so I had to wait another day for them to deliver the part.  I did have to bring in my other key fob to be programed to the new RCDLR, but that only took a few minutes for the technician to do.  In all the local dealer was great, replaced the RCDLR for the same price that they had quoted to do the TPMS sensor.  My total with tax was $212.52. 

I faxed a copy of the receipt to the out of state dealer I bought the truck from and they mailed me a check.  I am very pleased with the dealer I bought the truck for.  The warranty they gave me clearly was with them only, but they were kind enough to foot the bill so I didn't have to drive out of state to get the problem fixed.

I'm not trying to go off topic, but you mentioned a cracked dash. How did that end up?

I'm taking care of the cracked dash on my own to save money.  I'm planning of ordering the new dash pad online, and doing it myself this fall when the temperatures are cooler. GM parts direct wants $273.68 plus shipping.  I tried two local dealers, one wanted $1500 - $1,800, and the other quoted $1,023.  For that much, I'll spend a few hours doing it myself (I hope).