Alignment & Suspension Specs: 2005-’10 Ford Mustang (Plus Shelby)
In 2005, Ford introduced a new Mustang with an all-new platform and clean-sheet design. While the formula of a live axle rear and MacPherson strut front end were the same from the previous model, Ford refined the design. These changes make for a vehicle that is easier to align and diagnose compared to the previous generation.
Tech Feature: GM Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
GM TPMS systems on Buick, Pontiac, Chevy (Chevrolet), GMC Cadillac and Hummer models are some of the easiest to service if you have the right tools and knowledge. Starting in 2007, most vehicles use a Schrader- or VDO-manufactured system that shares the same relearn procedures and behaviors. There are exceptions, like the Pontiac Vibe.
Tech Feature: TPMS a Headache or Opportunity?
A decade after the TREAD Act and almost four years into mandatory TPMS on all passenger vehicles in the U.S., one can fairly ask: Is TPMS still a headache for the industry, or has it become a profit opportunity for smart tire dealers? There are varying opinions, and ultimately the reader will have to decide.
TPMS: The Proper Tools to Service Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
While law makers and tire makers are quick to sing the praises of TPMS, as a technician or shop owner, you know that this amazing technology comes with its fair share of headaches and problems relative to diagnosis, repair and maintenance of these systems.
Tech Feature: The Past, Present and Future of TPMS
Ebenezer Scrooge would probably fear the Ghost of Christmas Past and welcome the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, if the Scrooge and Marley firm of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was a player in the tire pressure monitoring system industry instead of London’s financial lending community.
2010 Mitchell 1 TPMS Guide Now Available
Mitchell 1 announces its 2010 Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) Guide is now available. This 976-page TPMS procedures guide contains updates on previously covered models, as well as includes information on 68 new 2010 models/systems.
TPMS UPDATE: BMW Systems
BMW has offered Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) on most of its vehicles since 2002. Some 2002 and 2003 models have a indirect system called Flat Tire Monitor (FTM). These system compare the inputs of the wheel speed sensors to detect a flat tire. These early indirect and direct systems were implemented not to meet the 2007 government mandate, but to inform the driver when a run-flat tire was deflated.
Bartec USA Announces TPMS Tool Software Update
Bartec USA, LLC recently announced the latest software update for the Tech400 TPMS re-learn tool. Release 40 has numerous coverage additions and significant improvements to the user interface.
TPMS Tech Tip: Popular Questions for an Unpopular Topic
A recent 19th-hole opinion exchange among friends included Gulf of Mexico oil drilling, Tea Party rallies and LeBron. Chatter about pre-season college football polls had just escalated to a feverish pitch when a participant in the conversation thought it was time to test the popularity of a discussion topic that would benefit all automotive drivers in the room – TPMS.
TPMS Update: Chrysler Tire Pressure Monitor Systems
Chrysler uses a Schrader Electronics or VDO systems on just about every late-model vehicle. Chrysler never used a band sensor in any of its platforms. On some 2004 and 2005 models, Chrysler may have used two different TPMS systems on a vehicle platform depending on if the vehicle was equipped with AWD or if the system was optional or standard.
And You Thought Resetting the TPMS was Hard
Geek media was all atwitter last week when it was revealed that the lowly TPMS sensors in a car could be used to track that vehicle. Or worse. Seems that researchers from Rutgers University and University of South Carolina discovered that the wireless communication between tire and vehicle that tells a driver when their inflation pressure is too low can be traced or even forged. It is a security flaw in a vehicle computer system that no one considered.
Tech Tip: TPMS Troubleshooting on 2007 Subaru Models
The 2007 Subaru models use a direct detecting-type tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that consists of four transmitters and a receiver. If you rotate the tires or install a new sensor, you need the right scan tool or TPMS tool that plugs into the OBD II connection. If the indicator comes on due to low tire pressure, the indicator will turn off when the under-inflated tire is inflated to normal pressure.