May_2022 - 28

TOOL BRIEFING
The first rule of any tire service (even
a simple rotation) on a vehicle equipped
with TPMS is to document the state that
the system came in. This means notation
of any TPMS warning lights, as well
as confirming the operation (or lack-of)
of each installed sensor. This only takes
a few minutes and saves time and headaches,
down the road. It also presents an
opportunity to educate the customer on
the state of their vehicles.
There is a multitude of TPMS tools
on the market, from simple activation
devices to mid-grade units that read and
program sensors, up to full function units
that simplify sensor programming and
position relearn, with OBD2 integration.
A TPMS activation (trigger) tool simply
wakes up sensors that are in sleep mode,
while a TPMS reset tool can be used to
reprogram and reset TPMS sensors within
the TPMS monitoring module.
A TPMS " decoding " tool can do all of
the above as well as readout additional
data (such as temperature, battery status,
and more), depending on the system. The
choice of tool depends on the individual
shop or technician's needs. Almost every
major tool or scanner company offers a
TPMS solution (for instance: ATEQ,
Bartec, Autel, Snap-On, Launch, or a variety
of other brands). Currently, my main
TPMS tool is the Autel TS608 (Figure
4). It covers 95 percent of my daily usage
needs, has a relatively simple interface, and
incorporates live scan data functionality
and service reset functions. A shop that
does a larger volume or variety of vehicles
may be better served with a tool such as
the ATEQ VT56.
Many TPMS tools are now integrating
tire tread depth capabilities into the tool,
or as an accessory. These are a great addition
to help quickly evaluate the condition
of many tires and more clearly illustrate
irregular tread wear patterns (which can
affect vehicle handling characteristics as
well as create faults with indirect TPMS
systems). These tools are an excellent aid
in evaluating and documenting tire conditions,
especially in inspection states (like
my home state of Pennsylvania) but are
p Figure 2 - A clean hub and wheel mating surface is required to maintain proper clamping
force, so wheel assemblies don't loosen over time.
p Figure 3 - The Snapon
TechAngle is a very
capable torque wrench but
also boasts some unique
features to ensure torque
accuracy.
 Figure 4 - Tools like this
one allow for evaluating
TPMS data as well as
provide functions for
programming sensors or
learning sensor locations.
not a replacement for a good visual inspection.
For example, unusual tire faults such
as broken or shifted cords, as well as tire
breakdown may not always be caught by
these tools, depending on where the measurement
is taken on the tire.
MODIFIED VEHICLES
As long as there have been vehicles, there
have been people modifying them to better
suit their own needs, be it work or play.
These modifications play a major role in
making sure we are servicing the vehicles
28 PTEN MAY 2022 www.VehicleServicePros.com
in our bays properly. We've already run
through a few of our baseline best practices,
now it's time to put the pieces together.
Since every vehicle is designed to
operate within a set of parameters, when
a customer starts to change one or more
of these parameters then others begin to
change. This can lead to a compounding of
pre-existing problems or aggravate inherent
weak points in the design of a specific
system. Our shop works on a few commercial
fleets that tend to run their trucks
heavily loaded, and with a less than
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May_2022

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