When the first tire pressure monitor system or TPMS tools were introduced in the late 2000s, cell phones were, well, phones. Today, a cell phone is more than just a phone. The same is true for the next generation of TPMS tools and sensors.
The Bosch TPA 300 TPMS Tool can activate and read TPMS sensor data, program sensors, check remote keyless entry signals, and display sensor data in seconds. Like a modern cell phone, the TPA 300 is connected to data. Inside is a database of indirect, manual and auto relearn procedures that are being constantly updated. When you purchase the tool, you get a three-year subscription to not only new vehicle information but also updates for new programmable sensors.
The connectivity also extends into the Bosch diagnostic ecosystem. Paired with a Bosch scan tool, you can perform OBD II relearns in minutes.
Let’s try out the TPA 300 on this Audi Q4. If we want to quickly check the condition of the four sensors, we can use the read sensor test mode. You can do this without entering the make, model or year. We can see if the sensors are transmitting the pressure, temperature and, for some sensors the health of the battery. This step should be performed before the wheels are removed from the vehicle.
This will eliminate the liability associated with replacing previously damaged or defective sensors. The simple test will avoid finding a previously damaged sensor after a tire rotation, or when new tires are mounted. It follows the Tire Industry Association’s best practice of “test and don’t touch.”
You can then enter the make, model and year of the vehicle, and the TPA 300 tool automatically displays the proper procedure for automatic, manual or scan tool relearning. For manual and scan tool relearn procedures, follow the instructions displayed on the tool’s screen.
A scan tool relearn for some vehicles requires the use of a Bosch scan tool paired with the TPA 300. All the steps, except the sensor reading, are done directly from the Bosch scan tool tablet.
Suppose the old sensor’s ID can’t be retrieved or cloned. The new sensor IDs are generated by the tool and may not be the same as the original one. A TPMS reset is required when replacing new sensors.
The TPA 300 works with most known OE and aftermarket universal programmable sensors, with the option to create new sensor ID’s and duplicate sensor IDs from the original sensor.
If a sensor needs to be replaced, Bosch has you covered. The Quick Fit sensor line covers the majority of TPMS sensors on vehicles. Coverage is simple to stock at your shop. You can cover 90 percent of the market with just a few sensor part numbers. The sensors are a lightweight design that has a ten-year battery life.
When you look at the first TPMS tools from the early 2000s, they were nothing more than a way to “poke” a sensor and make it transmit so the position could be learned. Today’s TPMS tools can do a lot more. They can perform diagnostics, program new sensors, and offer you the information you need to be productive.
This video is sponsored by Bosch.
