I've searched these forums and Google trying to find resolution but am striking out and need help!

I have a 2004 RX 330 FWD with 228,000 miles. Last Fall I blew a rear tire on the highway running over something sharp, put on the spare, took it to a local shop and bought two new rear tires and drove away. A couple days later the TPMS dash light starts blinking about twice a second.

This car does not have individual TPMS sensors and uses the ABS system to detect low pressure... I have checked all four tires multiple times and they are consistently 30 PSI cold. No need to check the spare since it has no individual pressure sensor.

With the car ignition off, I have turned the key to ACC and waited for the TPMS indicator to blink.. then pressed and held the RESET button under the steering wheel until the TPMS indicator goes solid and then blinks three times, once a second and then goes out. I've turned the ignition off and then started the car and within a couple days the TPMS indicator will start blinking again.

Some forums have suggested repeating the RESET sequence above a second time to initialize the system and I've done that and within days the indicator will blink again.

I do not think this car has a switch to identify a second set of wheels (in the glove compartment of some more recent RX).

Any suggestions? I took it back to the tire shop and they were no help. I took it to an independent mechanic and he could not resolve it. Is a dealer visit my only recourse?

 

Usually if the light is blinking, it is because a sensor in the tire is dead or a sensor isn't registering

 

I didn't think there were any sensors in a 2004 RX330... thought this relied on ABS system to detect wheel revolutions to calculate if tire pressure is low

 

I mean I doubt Lexus used a completely different TPMS sensor system between your 2004 and my 2008, but it possible

 

follow exactly the owners manual procedure, try it again

 

You are correct, on 2004 models there are no sensors it uses the ABS system.

 

I tried the reset/initialize procedures, reading them very carefully, to no avail. Took it to my local dealer and it turns out the brake caliper was frozen on the same wheel... am guessing that produced enough drag to affect the TPMS calculations. They fixed the brakes and initialized the TPMS. I'll be relieved if the light does not come back on, but will never know if I truly screwed up the initialize procedure or the frozen caliper was affecting it.