Tire Pressure Warning

[wildhorses]

Every time I take my RAV to the dealer to rotate the tires, the low tire pressure warning light comes on. I reset using the manual's instructions, yet the light will come back on a few minutes later.

This only happens after a rotation. All tire pressures (including spare) are correct. Any suggestions (other than returning to dealer)? The last time this happened and I had to go back to dealer. They never said what they did to cure the problem.

Thanks in advance.

[flyingn]

rotaing should have no bearing. My guess is that the dealer is adjusting the pressures after rotation. If not you have a defective sensor

[rav4owner]

look at ur tire closly make sure there is no nail if no nail then run ur hand on the inside of ur rim, if ur hand come out back then clean the inside of the rim all four then reset the sensor

[spleck]

Originally Posted by flyingn

rotating should have no bearing. My guess is that the dealer is adjusting the pressures after rotation. If not you have a defective sensor

I've been checking into this, and from what I'm seeing, the 2004 RAV4 doesn't actually have pressure sensors in the tire. They're using the wheel speed sensor. If true, this would explain how a rotation can throw off the sensors (if your tires are slightly different diameter). Has anyone watched their tire get mounted to see if there is a sensor in the tire?

PD008-03 INITIALIZATION OF TIRE SENSOR WARNING SYSTEM DURING PDS (REVISED)
11/11/2004 - 2004, 2005 Toyota RAV4. While the vehicle is in motion, the Tire Pressure Warning System (TPWS) monitors the wheel speed signals that are output by the speed sensors for the brake control system. The system uses the resonance frequency method and the relative wheel speed method to detect low tire pressure in one or more of the tires. The resonance frequency method detects a change in the resonance of the tires that is caused by a low tire pressure based on the total value of the wheel speed signals that are output by the four speed sensors. The relative wheel speed method utilizes the changes in the wheel speeds that occur when the actual radius of a tire decreases due to a low tire pressure.

[spleck]

By the way, we had a similar problem. Took two dealers to find that TSB that describes how to initialize the TPWS. This was back in 04 a couple months after we got the RAV4.

Here's what it says:
1) Adjust all tires to the standard air pressure.
2) Turn ignition to ON with vehicle stopped. Check that the low tire pressure warning light blinks twice a second.
3) Push and hold the tire pressure warning reset switch for 3 seconds until the light blinks 3 times in 6 seconds (once every two seconds). After that, make sure the light goes off.
NOTE: If the light does not blink, release the switch once and press the switch again.

After you drive under normal conditions for 30-60 minutes, initialization will be complete and sytem will begin monitoring tire pressure.

Or you can become a member here and download the full TSB.