Orange TPMS Monitor Review

isketerol

Contributor
:
Mazda CX-5 GS 2018 AWD
Product:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Latest Manual:
http://www.orange-electronic.com/en/download/orange_mazda_cx5_tpms_display(product_manual).pdf

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwLFOBMKf3A

This product addresses a very real deficiency in the Mazda CX-5 in that the tire air pressure and temperature are available from the TPMS sensors within the tires but not displayed on the gauge displays or on the infotainment system. This small, unobtrusive unit can be easily left by the storage cubby in front of the shifter or attached to the dashboard. It displays the four tire pressures in either PSI or Kpa and the temperature in F or C degrees.

The unit is powered by a micro usb connection so it can be used in the car via a cable or outside the car with a USB power bank. I had no issues getting a signal to read from the sensors either inside or outside the car. The sensors do need the car to have been driven for a small distance for a signal to be broadcast and registered on the monitor. I found that the air pressure that was displayed on the unit was very much in sync with the needle gauge I use. I also found that change in air pressure was very quickly displayed on the unit. My one month old car car had tires overinflated to 44 PSI which both the monitor and the needle gauge showed. This was the way that the car had been delivered from the dealer wo I was very surprised to find in this state.

I had some initial issues with finding a English manual, which had in part to do with the box being designed for the Chinese speaking market. I have emailed the vendor in regards this and some other concerns. They have been very responsive an shown quite a bit of interest in ensuring that I was happy with the unit and able to use it properly. I am sure that they will followup with any other purchasers as well.

I have found that on my 2018 CX-5 the sensors do not require the tires to be deflated under 27 PSI to trigger the onboard system to detect it as underinflated per the four tire learning method in the manual. All four tires were detected and registered on the unit within about 5 minutes of the unit being powered on and without any action taken on my part. This does mean that I do not have the monitor telling me precisely which tires is which on the vehicle. This is a minor inconvenience as generally the tires will tend to deflate at roughly the same rate. Under normal circumstances, all od the tires should need attention at the same time. If there is a tire which deflates more rapidly a quick check with a needle gauge and a visual check will show which is causing the problem.

There is a procedure to train the unit so that a single tire sensor will show the tire pressure of the exact tire that shows on the display - it has a graphic of a vehicle so that the front / rear and left / right locations can be matched. I am not sure if the single tire training method will work as the sensors seem to be picked up regardless of the onboard system. I may try this when the weather is better; however, I don't see this as a pressing concern.

Buyers should be aware that the unit ships from Taiwan, not from the continental US. To receive this in Canada, I had to pay both the exchange rate on the USD price and a customs and excise fee plus a handling fee from FedEx. This will added to the cost of the unit. Buyers may have to pay customs duties depending on the country to which they have it shipped.

Having said this, I like this unit and strongly recommend it. I had several issues with slow leaks on my previous car on different tires. These are not necessarily easy to see and in cold weather in Canada in the winter, it's easily to put off wanting to check it and address it. Beyond this, the unit shows the tire pressure while the tires are still cold. In many situations, we check our tire pressures when the car has been drive for some distance. I found that even with a drive of 25 kilometres (15 miles), the tires rose as much as 2 PSI. Adjusting the pressure on a warm tire will result in an incorrect tire pressure being maintained - the air pressure listed on the car door is meant to be from a cold tire. Cold tire air pressures will also rise in warmer weather meaning that tires that may be correctly adjusted at the beginning of a month may be wrong at the end of a month.

In summary, yes, the information about tire pressures should be made available by Mazda in the display. It isn't. This TPMS monitor does a great job of displaying accurate information and will make it much easier for me to manage my tires properly with minimal effort. I feel very confident that the tire's pressure will be known to me at all times as I drive the car.
 
Here's a pic of it in operation:

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Thanks for that great review, IskiE.
You ought to cut and paste it to Amazon.
 
Can you take a pic farther away?
NVM. Watched the video.
 
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Thanks for the very thorough review. I wish that Mazda connect would adapt this, Instead of having to have another gadget to do it.
 
I was awaiting your review.

Thank you ... ordered.
 
TPMS Valves go inside the tires and the stem comes out as the place where you put air in.

I believe this Pressure Display takes the reading from the OEM TPMS valves that are already installed on the 2017/18 CX-5.
 
I'm not entirely sure what TPMS valves would be. The valve stems use normal screw caps.

Yes, this is direct pressure monitoring on 17 and 18 - so there is a transmitter inside the tire.

There are some aftermarket solutions that do TPMS via battery operated valve stem "Caps" that screw on and measure pressure. The only think Isketerol had to buy is the receiver unit reviewed.

Earlier models of the CX-5 don't have direct TPMS.
 
Ohhhh. I thought he bought caps, too. Well that's pretty cool...and bad of Mazda. If some aftermarket device can read Mazdas sensors so easily it really make you wonder why they didn't include this.
/Scatches head
 
Ohhhh. I thought he bought caps, too. Well that's pretty cool...and bad of Mazda. If some aftermarket device can read Mazdas sensors so easily it really make you wonder why they didn't include this.
/Scatches head
Yep this Orange Electronic device takes signals from existing Mazda direct-read TPMS pressure sensors inside of each road tire, processes them and displays them. Now you understand why I've been "complaining" since people found out Mazda had secretly "updated" the system to more expensive and sophisticated direct-read TPMS on Gen-2 CX-5, but failed to utilize its full potential displaying discrete, direct read by position on tire pressures which has been done by its competitors such as Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V. Even Toyota RAV4's direct-read TPMS at least gives you a message telling your which tire is having problem when TPMS light is on.
 
Thanks for the great replies. Before I pull the trigger on the receiver, how do I make sure that there is a TPMS sending unit on my 17-18 CX-5? Can the TS also post pictures of the tire valves?
 
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