My Expedition Modifications and Write-Ups

The Stinker said:

Sounds good. My buddy knows quite a bit about cars, but he is speaking from his exp from 10 years ago. I wonder what has changed in 10 years. I look forward to your reply on this.

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So many things have changed over the last 10 years in vehicles, let alone the products that interface with them. For example - Many newer Chryslers and GMs don't even need a remote start module in order to add a remote start. Through the use of databus (CAN or MOST) interfaces, many of the features that are offered by the manufacturers are now utilized directly through the data interface instead of chasing wiring all around the vehicle. Using one of these modules with the appropriate firmware, one can use a button sequence on a factory keyfob to start their vehicle.

Many Fords, including our beloved Expeditions, don't have the complex data networks needed to have this as an option. However, using a transponder bypass in the Fords, leaves the transponder interface completely untouched until remote start, when it sends a signal to the module to tell the vehicle that a valid key has been inserted and can begin the start sequence.

The fear of interfacing with a factory security system is a thing of the past. Whether through the data network (newer vehicles), or hardwired (many Fords or older vehicles), the remote start units have a factory arm/disarm trigger to keep as many things working the way they should. The capability of most reputable brand remote starts and alarms are only limited by the people installing them.

20s!

FINALLY got my hands on some decent used 20s with tires from an F150. MUCH better than the factory 17s and they even ride better. I did not swap my TPMS into these wheels/tires. I am going to remove the TPMS from the factory wheels and do the "pipe bomb" method.

For those who don't know about the pipe bomb... its a pressurized PVC cylinder with the TPMS sensors in it, hidden in the vehicle so the truck thinks everything is A-OK.

Well... I finally got around to doing the "pipe bomb" for my TPMS sensors. Waiting to get out of work to place it in the truck and see if it does the trick. Will post a picture and results after this evening.

bricekin said:

Well... I finally got around to doing the "pipe bomb" for my TPMS sensors. Waiting to get out of work to place it in the truck and see if it does the trick. Will post a picture and results after this evening.

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My guess would be it won't work. Usually the Fords have a specific procedure locating the position of each wheel for programming the TPM with a little clicker thing, but we'll see.

Good luck.


Matt

RI-Matt said:

My guess would be it won't work. Usually the Fords have a specific procedure locating the position of each wheel for programming the TPM with a little clicker thing, but we'll see.

Good luck.


Matt

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I don't have anything good to report. I think the material that I used to make a pad between the sensors is too thick and pressed too tightly together to let the air past the first sensor. Going to cut it open and make a new one in the morning.

F150 and mustang guys seem to have decent luck with the pipe so I'm hoping for the best.

Why not just reinstall the TPMS? It is a safety system. Just wondering.

BIGRED03 said:

Why not just reinstall the TPMS? It is a safety system. Just wondering.

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A seat belt is a safety device as well, one required by law here. Needless to say, it isn't one that I follow. If I cared about being safe, I wouldn't leave my house.

But here is why I don't care for TPMS. I don't need a flashing light and message on a display to tell me when my tire is low for one. And for two, I'm not spending the money on a second set of sensors for my new wheels.

You can call me cheap if you want. I don't need a babysitter in my vehicle telling me what to do.

bricekin said:

I don't have anything good to report. I think the material that I used to make a pad between the sensors is too thick and pressed too tightly together to let the air past the first sensor. Going to cut it open and make a new one in the morning.

F150 and mustang guys seem to have decent luck with the pipe so I'm hoping for the best.

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Bricekin, I was hoping it would work for you, but it just doesn't make sense that it would. By no means do I claim to know the "ins" and "outs" of the TPMS but I do know that if you had a flat tire and throw the spare on there the light will be on, correct ? Then when you fix the flat the system still wont read it while the old ( newly fixed flat ) is in the cargo area.
My understanding of the system was that it is looking for a reading in very close proximity to where each wheel would be. They even have a specific programming order when changing a sensor.

Also, if your idea works, could it be that you drove around for awhile without the sensors and the system has "forgotten" your old sensors and they need to be reprogrammed ?



Matt

RI-Matt said:

Bricekin, I was hoping it would work for you, but it just doesn't make sense that it would. By no means do I claim to know the "ins" and "outs" of the TPMS but I do know that if you had a flat tire and throw the spare on there the light will be on, correct ? Then when you fix the flat the system still wont read it while the old ( newly fixed flat ) is in the cargo area.
My understanding of the system was that it is looking for a reading in very close proximity to where each wheel would be. They even have a specific programming order when changing a sensor.

Also, if your idea works, could it be that you drove around for awhile without the sensors and the system has "forgotten" your old sensors and they need to be reprogrammed ?

Matt

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If you have a low tire, replace it with the spare, and fill up the low tire leaving the spare mounted up, drive the required distance for the system to reset, the error and light will go away. I don't believe that the Ford system is that advanced. If it were, it should be able to tell me which individual wheel has low tire pressure. Not just a vague warning "Low Tire Pressue". Chevy's have fully independent sensor readings, but not any Ford I've ever been in.

While in the process of building a new pipe this morning, I had something happen that makes me believe that this should work. I had all of the sensors laying on a table inside my shop about 15 feet away from my truck. Since I got my new rims, the only error I have seen is something like "Tire Pressure System Malfunction". When I left this morning to go get more valve stems, I pulled out of the lot and "Low Tire Pressue" was on my display. That is the first time I've seen that since changing my wheels. My new pipe is drying right now, and I am anxious to test again.

EDIT: Going back on your doubts, I also do have one of my own. It is not uncommon for the sensor to have a centrifugal switch in it to turn the sensor on and off to conserve energy. If this doesn't work, my only explanation as to why would be that the sensors have to be in a rotation in order to be turned on. People will argue this saying that if you start your vehicle and let it run for 3 hours, the tire sensor system won't throw an error. My response to that claim, is that if they can build a sensor that shuts down based on rotation, I'm pretty sure they can program dependencies and redundancies into the system that say "if MPH=0, then TPMS checking not required" or something like that.

Just took a drive with the new pipe. Results are better than yesterday, but still not where I need them. Yesterdays results were the same as not having any sensors within range.

My results now are showing "Low Tire Pressure". I will give this one a couple days, checking pressure constantly. If no change is seen in the next couple of days, I will cut this one open and re-learn the sensors to the vehicle to see if that makes a difference.

Looks Good!

BIGRED03 said:

Looks Good!

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Thank you, sir!



Update on the TPMS issue. Drove home with the new pipe last night. For the first 20ish miles, the error was "Tire Pressure Low". After that, it become "Tire Pressure System Fault". When I left for work this morning, there was nothing, no chimes, lights, errors. It was absolutely beautiful and I almost cried out in joy. But I decided to postpone my celebration till I got to the 20ish mile marker. Then it happened... "DING" "Tire Pressure System Fault".

After doing a ton of research on other forums for Fords that use our style of information display, it is coming to the conclusion that the band style sensors, do indeed, need a constant rotation in order to operate properly.

I do have a question for you, Matt, if you're still reading this. Any pictures I've seen of the band sensors for Fords have been blue. Mine are grey. Haven't read or seen anything about these grey sensors. Any ideas?

bricekin said:

Thank you, sir!
After doing a ton of research on other forums for Fords that use our style of information display, it is coming to the conclusion that the band style sensors, do indeed, need a constant rotation in order to operate properly.

I do have a question for you, Matt, if you're still reading this. Any pictures I've seen of the band sensors for Fords have been blue. Mine are grey. Haven't read or seen anything about these grey sensors. Any ideas?

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Yup still reading.

Here is some info tha may be useful to you.

Per the shop manual:
Tire pressure sensors are manufactured in multiple colors based on their application. When installing a new sensor, make sure the color of the sensor being installed matches the color of the sensor that was removed. The different colored sensors are not interchangeable.

Also:
The tire pressure sensors will go into a "sleep mode" after 30 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery power. The sensors do not transmit information while in sleep mode. It will be necessary to wake them up so they will transmit the latest tire pressure information.

Training:
NOTE: If the vehicle has been stationary for more than 30 minutes, the sensors will go into a "sleep mode" to conserve battery power. It will be necessary to wake them up so they will transmit the latest tire pressure information to the smart junction box (SJB).

NOTE: The tire pressure sensor training procedure must be done on a single vehicle, in an area without radio frequency noise and at least 1 m (3 ft) away from other vehicles equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Radio frequency noise is generated by electrical motors and appliance operation, cellular telephones, remote transmitters, power inverters and portable entertainment equipment.

NOTE: If a sensor does not respond to the activation tool, attempt to activate the same sensor with the activation tool. If the sensor still does not respond, move the vehicle to rotate the wheels at least 1/4 of a turn and attempt to activate the same sensor again.

NOTE: The SJB has a 2-minute time limit between sensor responses. If the SJB does not recognize any 1 of the 4 tire pressure sensors during this time limit, the horn will sound twice and the message center (if equipped) will display TIRE NOT TRAINED REPEAT and the entire procedure must be repeated.

NOTE: For vehicles with different front and rear tire pressures (such as the E-Series and certain F-Series), the tire pressure sensors must be trained following a tire rotation. Failure to train the sensors will cause the TPMS indicator to illuminate. For vehicles with the same tire pressure for front and rear tires, tire rotation will not affect the system.

Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, then press and release the brake pedal.
2.Cycle the ignition switch from the OFF position to the RUN position 3 times, ending in the RUN position.
3.Press and release the brake pedal.
4.Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.
5.Turn the ignition switch from the OFF position to the RUN position 3 times, ending in the RUN position.
•The horn will sound once and the TPMS indicator will flash if the training mode has been entered successfully. If equipped, the message center will display TRAIN LF TIRE.
6.NOTE: It may take up to 6 seconds to activate a tire pressure sensor. During this time, the activation tool must remain in place 180 degrees from the valve stem.

Place the activation tool on the LF tire sidewall opposite (180 degrees) from the valve stem. Press and release the test button on the special tool. The horn will sound briefly to indicate that the tire pressure sensor has been recognized by the SJB. Click here to view an animated version of this procedure.

7.Within 2 minutes of the horn sounding, place the activation tool on the RF tire sidewall opposite (180 degrees) from the valve stem and press and release the test button to train the RF tire pressure sensor.

8.NOTE: Do not wait more than 2 minutes between training each sensor or the SJB will time out and the entire procedure must be repeated.

Repeat Step 7 for the RR and LR tires.
The procedure is completed after the last tire has been trained. When the training procedure is complete, the message center (if equipped) will display TIRE TRAINING COMPLETE.
For vehicles not equipped with a message center, successful completion of the training procedure will be verified by turning the ignition switch to the OFF position without the horn sounding. If the horn sounds twice when the switch is turned to the OFF position, the training procedure was not successful.



Matt

RI-Matt said:

Yup still reading.

Here is some info tha may be useful to you.


Matt

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Awesome. I'm halfway considering taking one of the sensors apart now to see what I can hack together.

H&S makes a tuning system for the 6.4 PowerStrokes. Just read that H&S has also released a daisy chain device that allows for disabling/adjusting the TPMS system on those trucks. Maybe the light at the end of the tunnel is coming soon?

bricekin said:

A seat belt is a safety device as well, one required by law here. Needless to say, it isn't one that I follow. If I cared about being safe, I wouldn't leave my house.

But here is why I don't care for TPMS. I don't need a flashing light and message on a display to tell me when my tire is low for one. And for two, I'm not spending the money on a second set of sensors for my new wheels.

You can call me cheap if you want. I don't need a babysitter in my vehicle telling me what to do.

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So an 18 inch wheel tpms won't work with a 20 inch wheel? Even OEM wheels?

BIGRED03 said:

So an 18 inch wheel tpms won't work with a 20 inch wheel? Even OEM wheels?

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The sensors will work with pretty much whatever wheel you need them to. They are strapped to the wheel via adjustable straps and a bracket with adhesive.

bricekin said:

The sensors will work with pretty much whatever wheel you need them to. They are strapped to the wheel via adjustable straps and a bracket with adhesive.

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That is good to hear, I'm keeping an eye out for four Ford 3786 oem 20's.

bricekin said:

The sensors will work with pretty much whatever wheel you need them to. They are strapped to the wheel via adjustable straps and a bracket with adhesive.

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For what its worth. I 'had' factory band sensors. One broke off and bounced around inside the wheel. I replaced it with a stem style (so I have 3 band and 1 stem) and my system still works great - reprogrammed it all with the little Ford tool I bought from the dealer. This is on 22" wheels - not factory.

eddiemoney said:

For what its worth. I 'had' factory band sensors. One broke off and bounced around inside the wheel. I replaced it with a stem style (so I have 3 band and 1 stem) and my system still works great - reprogrammed it all with the little Ford tool I bought from the dealer. This is on 22" wheels - not factory.

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I have heard of people successfully changing over to the stem style. Glad to see someone on this forum has had success. Might be an option.



Haven't been driving the truck much lately, and since I had the day off, I decided to take care of a few things that needed addressed.

Drivers door puddle lamp has decided to start flickering... Upon inspection, it looks like one the bulb started to get corroded and one of the diodes in it had died. Replaced with a new one and its all good again. Thanks to Matt for the mirror disassembly guide, this job is very straightforward.

Alarm detail work... I never installed the LED and had the door trigger input connected to the dome lamps. Installed the LED in between the AUX and CIG lighter on the dash panel and made a harness that kept each door latch trigger diode isolated from each other. Pretty sure my neighbors are pissed that the alarm went off so many times during testing. Oh well.

New issue developed over the last week of sitting... My low beams quit working. Had myself puzzled for a couple hours. Didn't know they weren't working when I pulled it into the garage, so I thought I had screwed something up disconnecting harnesses from the SJB. Once I finished up the alarm details, I dug into the headlights. Hi beams worked fine which told me the relay box from TRS wasn't getting 12v on the low circuit. Pulled the headlight and started disconnecting harnesses. The one that plugs into the relay box had a wire that looked prematurely worn. When I disconnected this one and looked at the pins, one looks a little corroded. Plugged them back together and got my low beams back, but as soon as I let go, they died again. I decided to jump right in and just hardwire the damned thing. Wired it up and it works beautifully. Upon further inspection, it appears that one of the pins had been getting forced out of the harness plug. I left some extra wire on the plug end in case I decided to wire it back in.

I resealed my headlights about 2 weeks ago to try to conquer the condensation issue. I used a ton more sealer this time around. I am still having a condensation issue but it isn't half as bad as it was. May bake them again to see if I can squeeze them together tighter.

The Indianapolis 4 Wheel Jamboree is only a few weeks away so getting these things sealed up tight has been bumped up high on the agenda. I'll also be purchasing the whole set of BrakeMotive rotors and pads this week.