Tire Pressure Sensor IDs: Why, Where and When (2015)

I've got an RTL-SDR radio listening on 433Mhz near a public parking lot and I can definitely see the comings and goings of individual cars. While I'm sure ALPRs are taking over any TPMS-based surveillance there's definitely a risk there.

Aside: I'll never get another chance to share this, so please forgive the "humor".

Once my wife was driving, with me as her passenger when, the car's TPMS indicator came on. She was concerned and said "There's this 'TPMS' warning light here. What does that mean?".

Without even thinking I said "That probably means something." Likely the greatest accidental fitting of words to an initialism I've ever made in my life.

A couple years ago I picked up some Autel MX Sensors which support "cloning" through their diagnostic tool. Then I cloned my summer tire TPMS IDs to be the same TPMS IDs as my winter tires, and now I can swap them seasonally in only a few minutes with no need to make the car relearn them.

TPMS is just another surveillance method. Check your pressure like the old days.

Tire sensor component is a wireless component, calibrated to the dash.

A compression test for whether manual transmission engine is capable of cylinder combustion.

One perfect example of why cars cost so much more these days. It was totally unnecessary, too.

Yeah, TPMS and the way its implemented is a BAD idea.

1. Data is not signed.

So data can be easily spoofed and jam up the real sensor's transmissions.

2. Serial number is not obfuscated or in a reduced serial number set.

This allows TPMS trackers to be placed at high vehicle through areas and uniquely track cars. Is dying out due to Flock and ALPRs.

3. Some cars, primarily luxury, will force slow you down to 15mph, honk horns, and go into limp mode.

Note this is trusting unencrypted, unsigned, cleartext data. This is a terrible idea, and you cant turn it off.