Is it possible for TPMS to be reversed?

Terry OBrien · March 26, 2023

I have a 2021 2500HD 4x4 CC Duramax... Love it. I recently hit 15k and had the dealer service it. I just completed a trip without my camper on it and now have 15.6K on it. I run my tire pressure 60 up front and 70 in back without the camper. They changed the oil and rotated tires.

Pre-trip check at home showed the TPMS just the opposite. 70 up front and 60 in the rear. I was confused... I took out my tire gauge and read each tire. At the valve stem it read 60 up front and 70 in the rear. BUT the TPMS on the dash showed the opposite. I questioned my air gauge at home and stopped by Les Schwab to get a reading... same thing. 60 up front 70 at the rear.

So my question is... when tires are rotated is each tire assigned a forward and rear position? Does the TPMS follow that for each tire and that info is displayed on the dash? I'm wondering if the dealer somehow reversed assigning the tires? I don't know how the TPMS is configured when tires are rotated, but I definitely need accurate TPMS for my truck and camper.

I'll check in with the dealer but what do folks say about this? Those of you that rotate your own tires, how do you assign tire position for accurate TPMS? Wondering how to have this conversation with the dealer and get my display to be accurate. I certainly have a discrepancy at the valve stem and display for tire position. For now I'm trusting the valve stem... ugh... looking for your expertise and insights when I talk with the dealer this week. THANKS!

PhilB · March 26, 2023

This is in the owner's manual. See page 345 in the manual. If you don't have the owner's manual, you can look it up online at mychevrolet.com

After you have tires rotated, the TPMS sensors must be matched to their corresponding position. This is accomplished using a TPMS relearn tool. Many of us on this forum have one. Sounds like the dealer didn't perform this step. You should take the truck back to the dealer and complain this. Or purchase a relearn tool from Amazon and do it yourself. The procedure for performing the sensor matching process is in the owner's manual.

Another JR · March 26, 2023

Discount tire will do this for you in their tire pressure check line. It takes less than 5 minutes if the technician knows what they are doing. Have your owners manual handy because they won’t necessarily know how to put your truck in learn mode.

Terry OBrien · March 26, 2023

Man you guys ALWAYS come through! Right down to the very page deep in the manual. How come you guys don't wear a Chevy Hero Cape?

Thank you so much... will hit up the dealer tomorrow and start there. Love this forum and depth of expertise... Much appreciated!

Terry OBrien · March 28, 2023

I hit the dealer up and boom.. resolved. The front desk service guy jumped right up with a handheld unit and instantly set all tires properly to read in their position. Super impressed how easy he made it happen. I love small dealerships in a small town... thank you for your help gentlemen!

PhilB · March 28, 2023

Must be a common issue at that dealership if the front desk service guy had the tool right there.

Glad you got it resolved.

Mark Kuhlmann · October 31, 2023

It is surprising the only way to do this is to get a special tool! GM really doesn't want you to work on the vehicles at all when a simple tire rotation requires a special tool! I did my own rotation so I know the pressures are good, but look off, so now I have a tire pressure warning light when no problem exists simply because GM doesn't want your own service!

Crazy Canuck · November 1, 2023

It is interesting that you even need a tool when there are better technologies out there. Before I moved to GM (on my third HD) I had Fords. I could rotate tires or swap the winters in and that was all I had to worry about. Drove away and they were the right tires in the right position and damn these relentless ads are annoying when using your phone.

Wife has had a couple of VWs and they don't even use sensors. They can't tell you the individual tire pressures (which are not as accurate as a gauge anyway) but you fill them, hit set and then monitor is a tire gets low using the wheel speed sensors. Granted I like seeing the pressures.

reb0957 · November 1, 2023

2 hours ago, Crazy Canuck said:

It is interesting that you even need a tool when there are better technologies out there. Before I moved to GM (on my third HD) I had Fords.

I had Rams. It is amazing how far behind technology wise in a lot of things GM is compared to Ram and Ford. It is a bunch of tiny things and you learn as you go! Why does this take 3 steps and in Ford and Ram it was one.