04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Wiring, DIY, lighting, etc.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

This car was built with TPMS but a previous owner removed all the sensors. However, my MB-II scantool cannot communicate with the TPMS module. All I've ever seen from the car is this on the cluster occasionally:
20210423_090558.jpg

I wonder if the module is dead or missing. I need to pull the left rear trunk cover to find out. If it needs a module, they are cheap (about $63):
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R ... PMS+module

I am considering buying 4 new sensors if I can get to a state where I have comms with the module. Then I would hope to not have an antenna problem (each wheel well has an antenna which makes the system more complicated but also knows where each wheel is which is handy).
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

Seemingly cheapest source for OEM sensors:
https://www.tpms.com/Huf-RDE004-p/h0004.htm
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

Since I had to fix the trunk harness wires I finally had an excuse to dig into the left trunk area and examine stuff.

The TPMS module is kind of buried under the navigation drive frame (my frame is empty, le sigh). Not that hardest thing to get to but took a little playing around until I figured out the combination to get in.

Ordered a used module on eBay for $33 and should arrive Saturday. I am hoping that I plug it in and will be able to communicate with the module with my scan tool. If so I guess depending on whether I think the system is healthy (without sensors it may not be possible) I will consider blessing the system as "fixed, just needs 4 new sensors." As to when I actually buy them, who knows. I would really like tire pressure monitoring for my road trip but unless I plan to replace the tires (which it kind of needs) that seems like a waste.
20210508_065607~2.jpg
20210507_203742.jpg

Located where the arrow points.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

This was a bit of a mixed bag.

Removed my old module.
20210513_192024.jpg

Installed the used one and....still no comm with scan tool.
20210513_192719_HDR.jpg

Then I tried disconnecting the module and see if the car presents any different symptoms. Kind of an old school way to find out if it was doing anything. And the answer is, actually, yes. I got this after disconnecting. So both modules seem to be doing "something."
20210513_194826.jpg

Still disconnected I tried scrolling in the menu to see if I could get it to complain any further about the module being disconnected and to my surprised, this screen came up. I have never seen this before. Look how fancy. It has a display for the spare! Of course there is no spare so I guess that would be blank even if everything was working.
20210513_194845.jpg

Finally I plugged in the used module again and followed the cluster instructions to press R to reset. It asked me to select Yes to activate. I have done this before on my old module and nothing happens. However on the used module, THIS happened.
20210513_195230.jpg

Wow, never seen that before. Does this mean the used module is doing "better" than my old one? Or would they both actually work? Or is there another problem? No way to know but I am feeling optimistic that I could buy 4 sensors and it would just work. Will I? Stay tuned to find out.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

So while driving it now always presents this during each ignition cycle, which I didn't see with the old module.
20210517_091949_HDR.jpg

This is the equivalent of an orange TPMS light I believe. But you can simply clear it because the car holds all malfunctions in an accessible part of the gauge cluster menu system for your convenience while operating a German car.

Anyway, this is new and continues to suggest that this other used module is doing something different than my old one. And it stems from different behavior when I tried to activate the sensors (which the car doesn't have yet).

So the theory is, since it at least entered activation mode, it then fails to find sensors during the ignition cycle and throws the malfunction. I guess this makes sense.

Well now it's doing another new thing. The past few cycles it is now back to the Reactivate message that I started with on the original module. My theory here is that after so many attempts, the module "gives up" on activation and basically reverts to telling you to activate. I don't know why it would take so many ignition cycles unless it is counting miles or something. I could check WIS.

My current thinking is that I could still throw 4 sensors at it, select Activate, and it would just work. I don't have anything conclusive to prove that though. And I still don't want to waste the money on mounting/balancing unless I am ready to replace all 4 tires. So this project will remain in limbo until I reach a decision.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

Most German thing ever?
E55 TPMS display info.PNG
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

I splurged and ordered new tires and TPMS sensors. So I will find out pretty soon if this feature is restored. I sure hope so.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

Got my new tires mounted (Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4) and my new TPMS sensors installed. They were in fact the OEM Huf sensors for $45/ea on Discount Tire Direct.

I was there for 2-1/2 hours. Sheesh.

First they called me out to ask me about the sensors. They asked if the sensors I bought needed to be programmed. I said, no, they are OEM. So I get up and ask to see a sensor. Again, it was the OEM Huf. I said, these are 315 MHz OEM sensors, they should just work. He had this TPMS tool and I guess you are supposed to select the car/sensor type, hold the sensor near the tool and some kind of magic happens. But nothing was happening. Then the shop foreman was like, the older ones sometimes needed pressure to be activated and there was some kind of tool for that (which they didn't have). Anyway I said just install them and we'll see what happens. Not the best start but it's highly unlikely I had 4 DOA sensors.

It was at least an hour later and I'm like....wtf is going on back there. I get up and look for my car. I couldn't find it! Joy ride? I walk around the building to the other side and nothing. I walk back to where I was and finally I see it being backed out of this way back bay that's separate from the main shop. No joy ride. He was just finishing I guess.

He pulls it up to the door and gets out. I said, so does it work? He said no, the cluster still indicates no TPMS. Sigh. So I pay and leave. Actually I left my laptop and water there and didn't notice until I got home but I digress.

On my way home I press Activate and.....nothing. Then it comes up with this message.
20210612_111815.jpg

I kept selecting activate and kept seeing this message. Drat. Went to get gas, got gas, drove home. When I was almost home I scrolled through the cluster menu again and noticed that it had no malfunction. I scrolled to the TPMS and.....voila.
20210612_115712.jpg

Nice!! I guess I just needed to drive it some distance?

Got home and bled out some pressure.
20210612_131721.jpg

It actually still has a malfunction. When I shut it off it says something weird, like check tires. Not sure what that's about but it clearly works! I could try the original TPMS module but it doesn't seem to be an emergency since I had tire pressures for my entire 4 hours of driving today. So, I'm happy with this. Took me a year but I got it!
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

More random warnings when I start the engine. Saw the Reactivate thing. Then this.
20210613_101748.jpg

But as soon as I scroll to the tire pressure screen, all 4 always display with issues at all. So I don't know what is going on. All I can really try at this point is my original TPMS module. Maybe this one is coded slightly wrong for my car? Maybe it's looking for the spare sensor and freaking out? No idea. When I get a moment I'll swap the original module in and see how that behaves. At least, in the mean time, it does seem to be working. Just would like to eliminate the nuisance malfunctions.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: 04 E55 AMG: Restore TPMS system

Post by kevm14 »

It's back to Reactivate but still works. Definitely going to swap my original module back and see what happens.
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