987.2 TPMS retrofit

[Gramps]

Hi All. I daresay this has been asked before on here, but I've tried searching without any luck, has anyone retrofitted TPMS on a 987.2? If so was it successful and how much did it cost? TIA..Gramps

[Paul P]

I have researched.  Complexity of install has stopped me. 
 

What you need is.  
 

the tpms control unit - lives in the frunk. 
 

4 x receivers - one in each wheel arch 

Cost new each 100 - 200 but yes.  Could all be had from a breakers but still likely to run to 400-500 as a guess. 
 

then the kicker.  You need to run a harness from each receiver in the wheel arch to the control unit in the frunk.  The issue is that there is no harness available from Porsche.  If the car was spec’ed with tpms then the connectors and the wiring would be built into the main harness - so it’s a case of 4 x custom looms with connectors that you have to run to the right place in the car.  
 

then you need tpms sensors and valve stems per wheel. - Porsche is what 200 a wheel x 4 - compatible 3rd party perhaps half that.  20 quid a wheel to fit and rebalance 
 

then you need a PIWIS session to tell the car tpms is there that’s either east if you have or know someone or hard if you don’t. 
 

I ended up at too hard (the wiring and running the harness being the blocker. - if it was pre wired then breakers for sensors and controllers and 3rd party for the sensors would have been my route. )

looked at 3rd party sit on the valve stem solutions - nasty.  

now mentally at a different approach perhaps using oem compatible wheel sensors and a diy receiver hooked on on the canbus - I have the “theory” and some pieces on the bench and some software to talk to the display but  it’s a winter project but I suspect I may run out of enthusiasm before I do anything with it. 
 

I got interested after a recent front tyre blowout.  Of course.  I have no idea if the tyre was low and blew or if it was just unlucky or if I went over something half a second earlier. But I have become a little more diligent / paranoid about regular checking pressures.  
 

conversely.  My daily has tpms and I know I have a slow puncture in one wheel but I don’t check those - because the car does it ! 
 

if anything comes of my diy solution then I will be 1) amazed and 2) happy to share anything more I learn. 
 

 

[Gramps]

1 hour ago, Paul P said:

I have researched.  Complexity of install has stopped me. 
 

What you need is.  
 

the tpms control unit - lives in the frunk. 
 

4 x receivers - one in each wheel arch 

Cost new each 100 - 200 but yes.  Could all be had from a breakers but still likely to run to 400-500 as a guess. 
 

then the kicker.  You need to run a harness from each receiver in the wheel arch to the control unit in the frunk.  The issue is that there is no harness available from Porsche.  If the car was spec’ed with tpms then the connectors and the wiring would be built into the main harness - so it’s a case of 4 x custom looms with connectors that you have to run to the right place in the car.  
 

then you need tpms sensors and valve stems per wheel. - Porsche is what 200 a wheel x 4 - compatible 3rd party perhaps half that.  20 quid a wheel to fit and rebalance 
 

then you need a PIWIS session to tell the car tpms is there that’s either east if you have or know someone or hard if you don’t. 
 

I ended up at too hard (the wiring and running the harness being the blocker. - if it was pre wired then breakers for sensors and controllers and 3rd party for the sensors would have been my route. )

looked at 3rd party sit on the valve stem solutions - nasty.  

now mentally at a different approach perhaps using oem compatible wheel sensors and a diy receiver hooked on on the canbus - I have the “theory” and some pieces on the bench and some software to talk to the display but  it’s a winter project but I suspect I may run out of enthusiasm before I do anything with it. 
 

I got interested after a recent front tyre blowout.  Of course.  I have no idea if the tyre was low and blew or if it was just unlucky or if I went over something half a second earlier. But I have become a little more diligent / paranoid about regular checking pressures.  
 

conversely.  My daily has tpms and I know I have a slow puncture in one wheel but I don’t check those - because the car does it ! 
 

if anything comes of my diy solution then I will be 1) amazed and 2) happy to share anything more I learn. 
 

 

Think there's enough "advice" there to convince me not worth the effort. I had a puncture on my 66 plate Mondeo and was unaware other than the TPMS popped up. Had a screw in it and had deflated enough for the rubber to start to delaminate on the inside so 2 new tyres needed. Sods law I was taking my daughter, and family (2 young kids) to the airport so out with all the luggage to fit the space saver wheel. Still made the flight in time so all good there at least. But having had that scenario  I hoped it might be an easy option to retrofit on the Porsche if I could fit the TPMS valves and then have it activated on PIWIS but obviously not the case. Thanks for all the info, very useful reply. I still need to get that cruise control enabled if the offer is still there 🙂

[Paul P]

1 minute ago, Gramps said:

Think there's enough "advice" there to convince me not worth the effort. I had a puncture on my 66 plate Mondeo and was unaware other than the TPMS popped up. Had a screw in it and had deflated enough for the rubber to start to delaminate on the inside so 2 new tyres needed. Sods law I was taking my daughter, and family (2 young kids) to the airport so out with all the luggage to fit the space saver wheel. Still made the flight in time so all good there at least. But having had that scenario  I hoped it might be an easy option to retrofit on the Porsche if I could fit the TPMS valves and then have it activated on PIWIS but obviously not the case. Thanks for all the info, very useful reply. I still need to get that cruise control enabled if the offer is still there 🙂

Of course   Open offer. 
 

 

[Richard Hamilton]

@Paul P  I wonder if you could engineer a 982 TPMS to fit?  There are no sender units in the wheel arches, and the sensors talk directly to the control unit.  (The CU is about £100 new).  The only connections to the CU are power and CAN low/high.  Might be worth investigating.

[Paul P]

11 minutes ago, Richard Hamilton said:

@Paul P  I wonder if you could engineer a 982 TPMS to fit?  There are no sender units in the wheel arches, and the sensors talk directly to the control unit.  (The CU is about £100 new).  The only connections to the CU are power and CAN low/high.  Might be worth investigating.

That’s interesting Richard. Without individual receivers it’s all a lot easier.  I wonder how you would get the CU into learn mode to calibrate (I guess an emulated PIWIS function could do it.)

food for thought (…Starts looking for a CU from a breakers…..) 

[iborguk]

15 minutes ago, Paul P said:

That’s interesting Richard. Without individual receivers it’s all a lot easier.  I wonder how you would get the CU into learn mode to calibrate (I guess an emulated PIWIS function could do it.)

food for thought (…Starts looking for a CU from a breakers…..) 

I'll know where to look when mine stops working 

[Menoporsche]

Sounds interesting. My and many people’s issue is the cost of new sensors every 7-10 years when the batteries die. Like many things we know the sensors can be far cheaper in the US (if a different transmitter frequency?!), at that price they would be more attractive. 

[iborguk]

1 hour ago, Menoporsche said:

Sounds interesting. My and many people’s issue is the cost of new sensors every 7-10 years when the batteries die. Like many things we know the sensors can be far cheaper in the US (if a different transmitter frequency?!), at that price they would be more attractive. 

I recently hoovered up 4 OE sensors (branded VW AG group) for £25 and they check out down to the label re the items you’d buy from an OPC at about £120 a sensor.
 

TPMS sensors operate at 433MHz in Europe and 315MHz in the rest of the World.

Edited September 5, 2022 by iborguk