Well after initially fitting a Defeat Cable, I thought, whats the point ? - the thought of possibly damaging my rims with flat tyres hitting a pothole is very much a reality. So after reading about the much talked about AUTEL universal sensors fitted to the older Astons, I decided to ask Aston Installations for some assistance to fit them to the DBS (whilst they were also sorting out a new Vodafone / Cobra tracker/immobilistation alarm). Alas the Sensors / Smartire system were not playing ball. Aston Installations, were great, but for some reason they were stumped. They spent a good part of an afternoon and the following morning trying to get the Autel Sensors to talk to the Smartire System, but to no avail. They swapped Smartire modules with another DBS unit / a Vantage Unit but alas, they held up their hands and advised that nothing would be charged. They have fitted these to other older Astons, but for whatever reason, mine were not playing ball. AUTEL could not figure it our either, as they had updated their software to cater for the DBS. Any how, the Defeat Cable went back on and I left feeling in a similar condition.
I also have the AUTEL Maxi TS508 at home, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. The programming procedure is quite tedious, especially if you are trying to trouble shoot. It requires dropping the pressure to under 10PSI before it will let you program. As I have a foot pump at home, I now have massive thighs.
It has taken me 2 days, deflating, pumping, trying Decimal variations, Hexadecimal variations, Different Car models and of course driving for 10-15 minutes after each program. I think I may have solved it, and just waiting for some dry weather to confirm it. << EDIT 22May23 - Confirm it has been solved :) >>
So for those out there not wanting to fork out for Original TPMS, Autel do provide programmable alternatives, and worth a shot as I believe its about £100 for 4 sensors + tyre fitters costs. I have the Programmable Tool, and willing to help out if somebody is in need.