Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
This is the OEM setup installed in the Chinese market Passat New Lingyu. It is integrated into the FIS display and uses sensors in each wheel valve broadcasting to an aerial under each guard. The display is controlled by the MFA buttons on the wiper stalk. There is also a TPMS Warning Light (not shown in photo) in the tachometer display.
Unfortunately, only the Passat New Lingyu clusters after a certain date have the required software to run this display, so it cannot easily be retrofitted to any earlier models.
Instead, I have installed this Steelmate T169 unit that uses sensors mounted in each wheel.
It has a wireless display that simply plugs into a 12V socket.
The display begins working straight away once you exceed 20 km/h.
This unit has preset low and high pressure and high temperature alarm and also slow leak detection.
The display will blink and beep in different ways depending on which alarm is active.
This particular display has the four tyre pressures (shown in bar only) all at once.
I have noticed that the display also seems to automatically dim at night, although that is not mentioned in the instructions.
The sensors are pre-matched at the factory to the receiver for the correct display the first time you plug in the system.
The silver sticker on each supplied sensor tells you which wheel rim to mount them on. This translation shows the correct wheel for the initial installation:
Make sure not overtighten the valve stem when installing. The maximum torque quoted in instructions is only 4 Nm. The big yellow warning sticker on the valve translates as: "Please do not use excessive force".
There is also a procedure in the instructions to re-match sensors if you rotate tyres etc
The SET button on side of display is used for this purpose.
Instructions supplied are only in Chinese, but I have a translation available if anyone wants a copy.
There are probably 30 different systems available from Steelmate with different style displays - some other versions have one display that cycles whilst others can even be connected to your telephone display via an app. or via the sat. nav. screen.
This particular display unit fits PERFECTLY into my ashtray socket and can still close the lid fully if required.
Note: Display in this photo is only a sticker, but it shows how the alarm emblem would look.
Display unit is a VERY close fit to the serrated track (under the top cover) that the alloy ashtray cover rolls along...literally a paper width away, but it does miss on my vehicle.
Minor clearancing of the serrated track may or may not be required on YOUR vehicle if you want to fully close the lid on ashtray with the display installed.