A 2016 Volkswagen Passat recently experienced intermittent “Tire Pressure Monitoring System” fault warnings at speeds exceeding 100 km/h. The fault was accompanied by a loud beep and a flashing orange tire icon with an exclamation point. Using VCDS, the following Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) was retrieved:
Sunday,28,February,2021,19:40:44:10613
VCDS Version: Release 20.12.0 (x64)
...
1 Fault Found:
16388 - TPMS Display
C1146 F0 [009] - Not Available
Confirmed - Tested Since Memory ClearA search for Technical Product Information (TPI) revealed document 2038705/1 from 2014 describing similar symptoms. However, the TPI lacked a conclusive solution, stating the technical background was “in analysis.”
Following the guided fault finding procedure in ODIS, potential causes included chassis damage, driving on rough surfaces, aggressive driving style, and foreign objects near wheel speed sensors.
While no foreign objects were found, further inspection revealed intermittent signals from both rear wheel ABS rings at high speeds.
Replacing both rear wheel bearings, which include the ABS rings, resolved the TPMS fault. This suggests that faulty ABS rings can trigger a TPMS DTC, even in the absence of tire pressure issues. This experience highlights the importance of using VCDS and ODIS for accurate diagnostics and efficient Vcds Vw Solving Dtc related to TPMS. The intermittent nature of the fault and its connection to wheel speed sensors underscore the need for thorough inspection and testing when troubleshooting such issues.
