2004 S430 TPMS Issues
 

Just purchased a 2004 S430. The vehicle has approximately 13,000 miles on it. It has lived its whole life in a garage in Arizona and clearly wasn't driven much. An MB dealer did a full inspection on the vehicle prior to delivery and found everything in fine shape except for the TPMS system. I've just driven the vehicle from Arizona to North Carolina and it performed perfectly with the exception of this one system.

I get a notification of 1 malfunction in the menu window. The malfunction is that the Tire Pressure system is not functioning and the instruction provided is Drive to Workshop. I've spent a little time in the manual trying to reactivate the system and so on but nothing seems to work.

Any ideas or suggestions? Could it be that that batteries in the wheels are just dead and the sensors just need to be replaced? Is this the sort of thing a competent tire store should do or does it have to go to the dealer? Or, there something else that should be looked at?

Thanks in advance for any help.....

Maybe the speed sensors in the wheelhouse

Sounds suspiciously like one or more of the pressure sensors has stopped checking in. Although I'm not 100% certain, I believe you can use the screen to display the pressure in each tire. If you have a bad sensor, it should be pretty easy to spot. Otherwise, take it in to the dealer and let them plug in the diagnostic computer and find out.

Most of the time when you try to activate the system & it and it doesn't stay activated, a sensor is bad.

The dealer should have read that sensor during their scan.

They can read remaining life of all of the sensors.

Seven years is the "expected" life OF the batteries in each of the sensors.

I would think ALL of the TPM sensors need replaced.

Most good tire stores can do that...