A tire pressure monitoring system can save your life!

Road traffic safety is becoming increasingly important. Safety belts that tighten automatically in the event of a collision or airbags in the entire vehicle interior are almost standard features. In addition, a new law was enacted on 01.11.2014 that all new cars and motor homes registered in the EU from this date must have a tire pressure monitoring system.

A tire pressure sensor is most commonly used for this purpose. In order to be able to rely on the RDKS sensor, it is advisable to rely on quality. We therefore offer an extensive range of original tire pressure sensors from vehicle manufacturers. In addition, in the lower section we describe the relevance and functionality of a tire pressure monitoring system and present the different types of RDKS.

What is the RDKS and why do you need it?
When does the RDKS warn the driver?
What to do if I get an error message from the RDKS and when should I buy new tire pressure sensors?

What is the RDKS and why do you need it?

The tire pressure monitoring system, RDKS for short, is divided into direct and indirect RDKS. However, both tire pressure monitors have the same function. They each monitor the pressure of the fitted vehicle tyres and at regular intervals forward the relevant information to the control unit in the car. If the tyre pressure in one or more tyres does not correspond to the specification, the driver is warned in good time. This prevents accidents that could be caused by a possible tyre burnout.

The two tire pressure monitoring systems differ as follows:

Direct RDKS
In this system, the tire pressure is permanently monitored by tire pressure sensors. The RDKS sensors are mounted either on the inside of the tyre, on the rim or on the valve. The data is collected via low-frequency antennas and transmitted by radio to a central receiver. As soon as a tire pressure sensor detects a change, a warning message is sent to the driver's vehicle display.

Indirect RDKS
With the indirect RDKS, the existing sensors of the ABS and ESP are used to determine the tire pressure. The tire speed data is passed on to the ECU control unit, processed and then sent to the vehicle display. The indirect RDKS measures the vibrations of the tyres. If deviations occur, the system interprets a loss of air pressure and sends a warning to the vehicle's on-board computer. With the indirect tire pressure monitoring system, it is absolutely necessary to always reset the sensors after an air pressure adjustment and to teach them anew. In the case of a direct RDKS, the tire pressure sensors are generally replaced when the tire is changed.

When does the RDKS warn the driver?

Act EU Regulation ECE-R 64 states that a tyre pressure monitoring system must have the following characteristics:

Single tyre pressure loss warning (within 10 minutes) 20% lower than operating pressure (Pwarm) at 1.5 bar
Warning in case of pressure loss of all four tyres (sudden and insidious loss) 20% less than Operating pressure (Pwarm) at 1.5 bar
Determination of pressure loss at speeds of 40 km/h up to the maximum mileage of the car
Data transmission from 434 MHz

For vehicles registered after 01 November 2014, a direct or indirect RDKS must already be integrated into the tyre. The tyre pressure monitoring system has also been part of the main inspection (HU) of the TÜV since then. If a non-functional RDKS is found during the vehicle inspection, this is considered a minor defect according to §29 StVZO and must be rectified immediately by the vehicle owner.

What to do if I get an error message from the TPMS and when should I buy new tire pressure sensors?

If a warning signal is shown in the vehicle display, the nearest workshop should be visited, because either the tire pressure control is not fully functional or there is a loss of air pressure in one or more tires.

With us you can buy original tire pressure sensors of the vehicle manufacturers for all common vehicles.This ensures an optimal fit for your vehicle and ensures a longer lasting and better function compared to alternative products. We offer for this purpose individual parts or even whole sets for all four tires. Our service team will be happy to assist you in choosing the right RDKS sensor for your vehicle.