Got a 2008 SLine A3. Bought some A8 Avus wheels for my ride's winter wheels. Well guess what, the A8 wheel pressure sensors are not compatible. AudiUSA wants $126 a pop for four A3 type sensors that will work plus dismounting the Blizzaks and balancing them again ($$ more). I keep my tires properly filled and just want to turn off the idiotic TPMS system, but my Audi dealer can not/will not help me. Cripes! The A3 instrument console is in TPMS crazy mode. This is going to drive me nuts over the winter (until April here in Colorado). Anybody know how to disable this POS feature? Thanks in advance guys.

 

Probably can do it using a VagCom.

 

Find a local VW/Audi Mechanic they will have all the abilities to turn it off. Audi wont because its sad to be a safety feature thus needs to stay on. Your local mechanic will turn it of for probably an hours service charge.

 

Not just a safty feature. But a federal law requiring it. You may be able to recode the instrument panel for a vehicle without tpms. If that doesnt work you would have to change the gateways installation list to uninstall the tpms module as well. That may or may not work. I havnt played with that problem yet. Have you tried hitting the set tire pressure button? That may work for 15min or so at a time.

 

4ringman: please post any solution you come up with as I am about to run into the same problem. In fact my dealership told me there is a way to turn them off but I am sure they will likely not back the sales guy who said this to me (now gone). I got a winter/wheel package from the tirerack which I'll put on in a month and I didn't want to pay for the stupid TPM in each tire. What does the console do when it doesn't detect a valid monitor? Does it beep or just show a warning on the dash? If it is just a warning I can live with that but if you are saying the things is continually making warning sounds that will be a problem.

 

I have been to two Audi Dealers in the Denver area. No dice from them. They say.. buy the Audi sensors and move on (+$500 and tire removal and installation work!). TPMS can not be turned off on the 2008 A3s, nuts! Went to an independent shop today, we hooked up the VAG-COM software, the mechanic did not see how to do it right away but promised to get back to me. TireRack sells sensors for the wheels half the price of Audi but they are probably junk. The TPMS warning is a regular flash on the tach and the center LED is constantly telling the TPMS is in malfunction mode, kind of a drag. I will resolve this bs. The TPMS reset button only lasts less than a minute. Stay tuned.

 

not sure if this will help, but here is how OOOO-A3 retrofitted tpms to an A3 without it, might be able to reverse, reverse engineer it to get rid of it.
http://oooo-a3.blogspot.com/2006/04/...stem-tpms.html

 

Actually I just recieved a set of Borbet LV5 wheels with TPMS sensors on each wheel from Tire Rack. The sensors are OEM Siemens and came installed and torqued to spec. After I put on my Michelin Alpin tires the only thing I'll need is some snow!

 

This is the second season I am using the wheels and sensors I got from tirerack and they work fine. They may be junk but a good one i guess.
BTW , the audi dealer wanted about 80 dollars a piece, this was last year. Did they go up so much?

 

Threw in the towel this morning! Tirerack has the right sensor for my A3 @ $63 a pop, $268 with shipping to Colorado. OEM Siemens sensors. Hopefully I can just get these frickin' devices installed without scratching my newly refinished, black powder coated, Avus wheels .... Oh and I guess I do not need my oil filled, race proven, calibrated, tire guage anymore unless my self aware A3 tells me there is a problem. Thank you Firestone/Ford!