Mysterious Tire Pressure Monitoring System Error Warning - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road

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Mysterious Tire Pressure Monitoring System Error Warning - 2014 Jeep Cherokee Limited Long-Term Road Test

Our 2014 Jeep Cherokee has a full-featured TPMS system, but last weekend it displayed an error message.

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rsholland

This is the kind of thing that can drive an owner nuts.

kirkhilles1

This would be a red flag for me to see this at 6,000 miles. Maybe its nothing, but this won't be the last time it happens - even if the issue is "fixed".

misterfusion

If it's the same as the (slightly older) driver information unit in my car, you can manually back-out of the error screen at any time if you do not want to be bothered by the flashing numbers.

As Dan said, this may have been an anomaly that the system identified, and then was smart enough to correct by itself. There is no evidence of a systemic failure at this point. But if that were the case, then of course it would be concerning.

legacygt

Here's the question for the Jeep people: If there is a problem with the TPMS (be it one of the guesses in the post or something else) how do the responsibly allow the screen to display pressure for all 4 wheels. The system has one job and one job only: to check the tire pressure. If it knows the pressure in all 4 wheels there's nothing wrong. If there's something wrong, it should not report the pressure for all 4 wheels because it could be misleading the driver.

TPMS sensors drive me nuts. I've dropped about a grand on new sensors for my CX-9 as the OEM ones have broken of during tire changes, etc. The guys as my local shop tell me that about 75% of the cars they see come in with a TPMS light on and most owners are conditioned to ignore them. What makes things worse is that people are ignoring the light because its always on AND not checking tire pressure because they are used to TPMS. This is an example where the government has mandated something that might be making us less safe.

allthingshonda

I had a similar odd experience with my Acura. Every morning at the exact same location the TPMS warning light would start blinking and the info display would say "Check TPMS System" and miles later the light would go off and the message would be cleared. This happened every day for a while. The dealer said that the TPMS system gets info from the sensors via radio frequency and if something else in a similar frequency is nearby the signal will be interrupted. Losing the signal causes the warning message. When the interference goes away and communication is established with the sensors the computer cancels the warnings.

Got a feeling this is what happened with the Jeep.

chol92594

In practice, TPMS systems are a great idea, but a combination of poor execution (in some cases) and drivers being uneducated can make them a huge pain. I know so many people who have two different TPMS lights on their cars (like on my 09 Civic) that either indicate a low tire or an actual problem with the TPMS system. Most people don't know that there are these two distinct lights for two different problems and aren't clear on which problem their car is having.

Even on modern cars, a lot of TPMS systems will indicate a low tire during colder weather, even though there isn't actually a problem. Most of the time, the light goes off after the tires heat up after driving for a few miles. All manufacturers with any sort of info screen should indicate the PSI for each wheel. My friend has a GMC Terrain that is older than my mother's 2013 Tiguan, yet unlike the Tiguan, it shows the PSI for each wheel. Manufacturers need to do a better job at using their technology in the best way that they can. If you can show the PSI for each tire, do so. Like with the Jeep, if there is a problem with the system and not an individual tire, show a system error, not the PSI screen. I would definitely be just as confused as you were, Dan.

At the same time, drivers need to be more knowledgable of their cars. My grandmother has a 2007 Audi A4, and while I was in the car, a brake pad wear warning popped up on her info display. Since it was just a symbol with no text, I wouldn't have even known what it meant if I had not looked it up in the owner's manual. She had no idea what it meant and probably wouldn't have looked it up until later. My point is that there are certain instances where manufacturers simply design things poorly, but there are also cases in which drivers blame the car for their own lack of knowledge. Both need to be taken into account when designing a car so that systems not only work properly, but also work in the clearest way so that it's less likely that a driver will misinterpret what the car is trying to say.

s197gt

rsholland said:

This is the kind of thing that can drive an owner nuts.

and is one of the main reasons i sold my 05 grand cherokee a couple of years ago. "service 4wd" light that would illuminate and disappear. "srs" light that would illuminate and disappear...

it is nerve racking to think... oh great, now what?!

rsholland

I see Chrysler has just issued a recall for the TPMS, but the Cherokee is not included.

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"FCA recalling 33k vans and SUVs for TPMS problems in two campaigns"- http://www.autoblog.com/2014/10/30/fca-recalling-33k-vans-suvs-tire-pressure/

schen72

Guess I've been lucky. I have two Acuras (2006 and 2008) with TPMS and never once has the light illuminated. I've also anal about keeping my pressure at spec.

kyfdx

I have an '06 BMW with the old system that works off the traction/stability control, instead of individual tire sensors... I like that the best..

candizzy

I just had the tires rotated on my 2010 Patriot Limited, and 2 days later I noticed that when I start the car, the "check TPM system" comes on. No dings or anything, just goes to the tire pressure screen, where all tires have pressure readings. Could something have happened during the tire rotation?