Disappointed with TPMS system.....do I understand it correctly?

I've only had my new 2019 CX-9 GT for about a week and so far love just about everything about it. One of the exceptions is the TPMS system (the other is bumping my head on the liftgate). As I understand from reading here that Mazda has fairly recently gone to sensors in each wheel for the CX-9 (instead of the old rotational sensor system) but that there's no way to see individual tire pressures or even an indication of which tire is low - all we have is a 'low pressure' idiot light. The owner's manual doesn't say any different.

It's been a long time since I've owned a vehicle that didn't at least tell me which tire is low and most have allowed me to check individual tire pressures from the cabin. I'm really going to miss being able to monitor my pressures regularly (if I'm understanding this correctly). Fortunately I have a good air compressor with a long hose and reel that make it handy to check and fill the tires.

I'm amazed that a vehicle with this much technology would have such an antiquated TPMS system, especially since the move has been made to individual tire sensors.

Assuming you're not just tall and the max height for the liftgate doesn't cut it, you can adjust the height the liftgate will open to. I believe you just open the liftgate, manually move it to the height you'd like it to always open to, then press and hold the liftgate button on the bottom of the door until it beeps. Test to make sure the new height is registered and that's it.

Regarding the TPMS system, I agree that it would have been nice to be able to see which tire was low. My Lexus didn't even have that feature, but it was just an IS after all. I'm glad they switched back to the sensor-in-wheel system in 2018, as the previous system would only detect low pressure after driving for a while. That could result in some serious damage to the wheel and tire if you drive even a few feet on a completely flat tire. I wonder if the sensors in the CX-9 are any different from those that are used in vehicles that can relay exact pressure to the infotainment system, or if it's just a feature of the infotainment system. If you need special, more expensive sensors for those kinds of readings, I'll pass. A set of sensors for $50 USD suits me just fine.

Since Mazda changed back to the individual TPMS system, and there are sensors in the tires now, there really is not much of an excuse I can think of NOT to have it. So I agree, there needs to be a section added to the Mazda Connect Software applications menu that shows the tire pressures.

sm1ke said:

Assuming you're not just tall and the max height for the liftgate doesn't cut it, you can adjust the height the liftgate will open to. I believe you just open the liftgate, manually move it to the height you'd like it to always open to, then press and hold the liftgate button on the bottom of the door until it beeps. Test to make sure the new height is registered and that's it.

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I tried adjust it higher as you describe. I pushed it up to its maximum height by hand and then held the button on the gate until it beeped. The automatic height stayed about where it was previously. So apparently it can be set at a lower height but not any higher. I'll try to get in the habit of pushing it up further by hand. My height is pretty average - just under 6'. The engineers must have been short.

19CX9 said:

I tried adjust it higher as you describe. I pushed it up to its maximum height by hand and then held the button on the gate until it beeped. The automatic height stayed about where it was previously. So apparently it can be set at a lower height but not any higher. I'll try to get in the habit of pushing it up further by hand. My height is pretty average - just under 6'. The engineers must have been short.

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Interesting, I wonder if the height restriction is also tied to a safety or design component of some sort, like average height of garage door. Sorry that didn't help! Maybe call the service desk and see if there's something they can do to adjust the default.

I too would like individual tire pressures (and temps)

I'm 5'10" and I have dented my skull on the hard rubber guides that protrude on either side of the lift gate. Both times have been when dropping my daughter off at college and trying to quickly unload the vehicle. Grab a box, step up on to the curb, and BAM! Blackness followed by Stars*** and pain. Lots and lots of swear words.

TPMS that doesn't point you to which low profile tire is a couple pounds down on pressure is not the best, but at least it does clue you in to check.

Ah, that tailgate! The pointy bit at the edge just exactly matches the height of my eye. I learned very, very quickly to duck when moving under the open gate.

I share your question about TPMS. The system obviously contains the actual pressures, so why can't it make them visible somewhere? Life's little mysteries.

sm1ke said:

Assuming you're not just tall and the max height for the liftgate doesn't cut it, you can adjust the height the liftgate will open to. I believe you just open the liftgate, manually move it to the height you'd like it to always open to, then press and hold the liftgate button on the bottom of the door until it beeps. Test to make sure the new height is registered and that's it.

Regarding the TPMS system, I agree that it would have been nice to be able to see which tire was low. My Lexus didn't even have that feature, but it was just an IS after all. I'm glad they switched back to the sensor-in-wheel system in 2018, as the previous system would only detect low pressure after driving for a while. That could result in some serious damage to the wheel and tire if you drive even a few feet on a completely flat tire. I wonder if the sensors in the CX-9 are any different from those that are used in vehicles that can relay exact pressure to the infotainment system, or if it's just a feature of the infotainment system. If you need special, more expensive sensors for those kinds of readings, I'll pass. A set of sensors for $50 USD suits me just fine.

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I had a Lexus IS that did not show which tire was affected, but mine was an '07 MY. My '12 CX-9 is the same.

But it's pretty inexcusable for this generation of CX-9 not to have upgraded to show individual tire pressures. How can you have tech like HUD, which no competitors offer, but not have individual tire readings?

While Mazda gives you a lot of luxury for many things they hose you on some of this stuff. New additions to cx9 make it quite on par with the competition sans the panaromic roof and tpms

CrazyBiker said:

While Mazda gives you a lot of luxury for many things they hose you on some of this stuff. New additions to cx9 make it quite on par with the competition sans the panaromic roof and tpms

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Pretty much. The Gen 2 CX-9 has come a long way since the 2016 model debut, but they still have to cut corners somewhere. They do seem to choose odd places to cut, like making a pretty standard recovery tool optional (towing eyelet), skimping on the software required for individual tire readings (assuming its a simple software thing), AA/ACP, camera resolution, and so on. The top trim of their flagship passenger vehicle should have a better TPMS system. I mean, even 10+ year old Nissan Muranos have systems that report individual tire pressures.

sm1ke said:

Pretty much. The Gen 2 CX-9 has come a long way since the 2016 model debut, but they still have to cut corners somewhere. They do seem to choose odd places to cut, like making a pretty standard recovery tool optional (towing eyelet), skimping on the software required for individual tire readings (assuming its a simple software thing), AA/ACP, camera resolution, and so on). The top trim of their flagship passenger vehicle should have a better TPMS system. I mean, even 10+ year old Nissan Muranos have systems that report individual tire pressures.

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Even Luxury Brands cut corners in weird places. My wifes 17 Lexus RX 350 has the individual tire readings but has no heated rear seats, no rear AC controls and no USBs in the back, no apple car play and this car was redesigned in 2016. Also u should see the material used to cover the steering wheel mechanics. Might as well be a paper towel. Overall Mazdas corner cutting is hard to find, but its there. Frame of car behind tailgate is not clearcoated like rest of car and paint overall doesnt have the depth or thickness the Lexus & Audis (owned Q5s)have. I also have a smudge in paint from factory. But overall the CX-9 is a better overall package, and drives substantially better then both of those cars even at $10k more. Never liked a car more!

Not sure how much they are saving by cutting this out, but it's sad that they would do that with a common safety feature.

19CX9 said:

I'm amazed that a vehicle with this much technology would have such an antiquated TPMS system, especially since the move has been made to individual tire sensors.

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I too loved my CX-9 Signature and still do. However, Mazda, as a car manufacturer has turned out to be a huge disappointment for me personally. They don't stand behind their product when called upon to do so and when the evidence calls for them to do it. And, then there are silly, irrational and non-logical things like their implementation of TPMS. It makes no sense at all. They had it right in the 2016 CX-9 and then blew it by changing to the Toddler TPMS, where only someone with the mind of a child would derive any useful information from this:



Says nothing and does nothing. So, you have to get out of your beautiful CX-9 (unless you have the one where the paint Flakes, Amalgamates and Craters if you stare at it too long) with one of these:



To diagnose that which Mazda in its infinite wisdom decided to keep from you when it changed its TPMS design from 2019-2017 to 2018 and beyond. Ah, yes. The Great Beyond. That place where you don't really know what your brand new CX-9 might do next, but where you can rest assured that whatever it does (mostly good), Mazda sure as hell won't fix it right nor admit that it has a problem.

To reset your TPMS, which sometimes simply decides to stop working properly even when you have not changed tired, rotated tires or when neither of your tires has undergone a loss of pressure, press the start/stop button until the engine shuts down. Wait 10 minutes. Press the start/stop button until ACC comes on. Wait 10 seconds then press start/stop until ignition is "off." Wait 15 minutes (you can't make this stuff up) and then restart your engine. Oh, but it gets better. Lastly, before Mazda will allow its TPMS to receive encoding from each of the four sensors (utterly absurd), you must then drive your brand new CX-9 (mine is the Signature) at a speed of (wait for it.....) not more than 20mph for (wait for it....) no less than 10 full minutes - BEFORE the TPMS will active its "reset" function. Stupid, but true and it works. Unbelievable, but it actually works. I just had my TPMS light come on for no obvious reason, all tires had the exact same tire pressure I set 1 month ago. I followed those exact set of instructions and after 10 full minutes of driving at or below 20 mph - wait for it - the light went off.

I like my Signature a lot, but I'm starting to really dislike the company that makes it.

Not sure what you mean but there is no resetting the TPMS. It goes out immediately upon taking off. I had a nail in a tire and refilled a few times before getting it patched. Each time, light went out right away on take off.

White Pearls said:

Stupid, but true and it works.

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I call BS on all of that. Unless you're trying to configure a brand new default PSI reading to the sensors, there's no reason to use the method you described to reset the sensors. You simply bring the PSI of the tires back into spec and the TPMS light goes out.

One of my CX-5's tires had only 27 PSI (35 recommended) and the light did not go on.

Don't forget not tying side mirrors to seat memory positions. Mazda dropped the ball there too.

htbomb said:

One of my CX-5's tires had only 27 PSI (35 recommended) and the light did not go on.

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It's not about how far off the "recommended" PSI to trigger an alert. It's the % off what the PSI was when you last reset the TPM. So, if your stick tire gauge showed 35 when you filled/reset the tire, but the system read it as, say, 32, a 27 reading may not trigger an alert.

tex2670 said:

It's not about how far off the "recommended" PSI to trigger an alert. It's the % off what the PSI was when you last reset the TPM. So, if your stick tire gauge showed 35 when you filled/reset the tire, but the system read it as, say, 32, a 27 reading may not trigger an alert.

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I should have stated that this is the first time I added air since taking delivery of the new vehicle.

Perhaps the system was not set by the dealer.