TIRE MINDER TM55 User manual

The Minder Research, Inc.
3000 SE Waaler Street
Stuart, FL 34997
772 463-6522
[e-mail]
www.MinderResearch.com

Wireless Tire Pressure
Monitoring System
for cars, light trucks
and SUVs

The TireMinder® TM55™ TPMS Operang Manual
Table of Contents___________________________________________Page
Congratulaons and Overview…...................................…………………………………....... 2
So Let’s Get Started.............……………….……............................................................... 3
1) Understanding the Monitor ……………………………….............................................. 3
2) Aluminum or Brass Valve Stems?………………………………....................................... 5
3) Seng the Baseline Pressures……………………………………...................................... 6
4) Baery Installaon.........………………………………………………………........................... 7
5) Mounng the Tranmsiers…………………………...................................................... 7
6) Convert to “Learn Mode”…………………………………………........................................ 8
7) Replacing a Single Transmier…………………………………………….............................. 11
8) Auto Sleep Mode and Power O…………………………………………............................. 12
9) Power On…………………………………………………………................................................. 13
10) Low Baery Indicator……………………………………………………………........................... 13
11) Accuracy of Pressure Gauges and TPMS………………………….................................. 15
12) Mutliple Alerts............…………………………………………………………............................. 16
13) Technical Specicaons……………………………………………......................................... 21
14) TireMinder® Limited Warranty………………………………………………........................... 23
15) Contact Info and Kit Includes............................................................................... 24
“Be Safe on the Road”™ 1

Congratulaons, you’ve done your homework and decided on the best TPMS on the
market (Trailer Life and Motor Home Magazine’s “Reader’s Choice” Gold awards). If
you have read any “User Comments” on various web sites, you will know that it’s not
just the product that got us the award. Minder has outstanding customer service.
If you have a queson or problem, call or write. You’ll quickly become a believer.
The Minder Team
Overview
The TireMinder® TM55™ Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) allows for
constant monitoring of a vehicle’s Tire Pressure & Temperature. The system can
receive wireless informaon from up to 5 wheels. Various levels of warnings are
issued for pressure changes (under & over), high temperatures
and low baery status.
We realize people rarely read instrucons.
The TM55™ is a highly sophiscated product which requires unique programming and
understanding. Do everyone a favor – read on!
#1 Rule Antenna Up! 2

So Let’s Get Started
Don’t put the transmiers on the res (yet).
1) Understanding your Monitor
The monitor should be parally charged so you can start
programming right away. Press and release the
center buon to turn it on.
1.1) Charging
If the unit does not light up immediately, simply plug it into a live 12 volt power outlet
using the cigaree lighter adapter or the USB cable to any USB port. You may work
with the unit while is charging or aer 15 to 20 minutes, it will have sucient power
to do a complete installaon without being plugged in.
Monitor Baery Status
When only one bar is visible or if the icon ashes and beeps,
it is me to recharge the monitor. An eight hour (or overnight)
charge is recommended. This should be sucient for more
than two weeks of operaon (this depends on how many hours
per day the unit is acve). 3

1.2) Units of Measure (PSI/kPa – °C/°F)
The monitor is set up to measure in PSI and ᵒF.
To switch units, simply press the DN or UP buon while in the monitoring mode.
1.3) Three Monitor Modes
a) Monitoring Mode - You will be in the “Monitoring Mode” 99%
of the me. All wheel posions are shown displaying pressures
and temperatures. Pressing and releasing the center buon turns
on the white backlight.
Pressing the DN or UP buons changes the units of measure
(psi/kPa/°C/°F).
b) Pressure Seng Mode – One of the 5 wheel posions
is ashing. Pressing the DN or UP buon raises or lowers
the pressure next to that posion. This is used when seng
the baseline (cold) pressures you would normally run in
your res. To enter this mode, (from the “Monitoring Mode”),
press and hold the center buon for 5 seconds. The le
front re posion will ash showing a pressure (36.2 psi
if new). See secon 3.
4

c) Learn Mode– This is only used for inial installaon or when changing
transmiers. In this mode, you “marry” the transmiers to individual wheel
posions (there’s just got to be a beer word???)! To enter the “Learn mode,” (from
the “Monitoring Mode”), press and hold the DN and UP buons
for 5 seconds. The le front posion will ash. If a transmier
has not been installed, you will see a solid RED light. If a
transmier has been installed, the light will be GREEN. See secon 6.
2) Aluminum or Brass Valve Stems?
We hope you purchased the correct system for your vehicle. There are two basic
TM55™ kits. One comes with brass transmiers (TM55-B) and the other with
aluminum transmiers (TM55-A). The determining factor lies in the type of valve
stems found on your car, SUV or truck. If the valve stems are rubber with brass
threads, then you need model TM55-B. If your valve stems are metal with a dull
silver color, then you need model TM55-A. These laer aluminum valve stems are
only found on newer vehicles with factory installed Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
(TPMS). If you plan to order a 5th transmier for your spare re, be sure to order the
correct one.
Do not put transmiers on the res (YET). 5

6
3) Convert Monitor to “Pressure Seng Mode”
Seng the Baseline pressures (0 to 80psi)
3.1) From the “Monitoring Mode” (1.3a) press & hold the
center buon for approximately 5 seconds. Release the
center buon when you hear the beep.
3.2) All 5 re posions will show 36.2 psi (if the monitor is new). The le front re will
be ashing.
3.3) Press DN or UP buon unl you see your desired “cold
pressure”. This should be what is recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer and is usually found on the driver’s side door
jamb (NOT ON THE TIRE).
TIP: Holding the DN or UP buon will make the numbers change rapidly.
3.4) Press and release the center buon to move to the next re
posion.
Repeat step 3.3. Do this for all 4 (or 5) posions.
3.5) To EXIT, press and hold center buon for approximately
ve seconds. Display will “beep” and revert to the “Monitoring Mode.”

4) Baery Installaon
Your monitor is now ready to receive informaon from each
transmier. In order for this to happen, you will need to install
the CR1632 lithium baeries.
Look at the illustraon. Note that the baery slides UNDER the aluminum “bridge”,
“clip” or “bracket”. Do NOT place it on top!! Be sure the plus (+) side is UP. Incorrect
inseron may burn out the circuit or break the solder connecon.
The cover should be nger ght (snug) so as to remain waterproof. Please, DO NOT
use pliers and a pipe wrench! Over ghtening will damage the O-ring.
Be sure to send in your warranty card to register for our FREE baery exchange
program (details under Secon 14).
5) Mounng the Transmiers (nally!!)
We are about to start mounng the transmiers on your vehicle. Keep the following
in mind.
TIPS:
• First, air up your res to the baseline pressures you set in Secon 3. 7

• Check that valve stem threads are not scratched, rusted or damaged.
• Once a transmier is mounted on the valve stem, be sure it does not touch any
solid poron of the wheel or hub cap.
• As TireMinder® transmiers weigh less than an ounce they should not aect re
balance.
• Even though we prefer metal valve stems, TireMinder® transmiers may be used
on wheels equipped with rubber valve stems. Consider going to metal the next
me you buy new res.
• Remember that once transmiers are learned to a re posion, they are “married”
to that re posion (there’s that word again). Mark your transmiers before re
rotaon so they can return to the learned posion.
• The locking rings are there if you really really need them. They do not aect the
operaon of the system. They make good sinkers!
6) Convert Monitor to “Learn Mode”
6.1) From “Monitoring Mode” (1.3a) press and hold
DN and UP buons simultaneously (that’s like at the same
me – EH?) for approximately 5 seconds. Release the
buons when you hear a beep. 8

6.2) If the monitor is new, the le front posion will ash with a solid RED LED
illuminated. There will be no pressure or temperature readings “- - - PSI.”
6.3) Mount any transmier (FINALLY!!!) at the ashing locaon
indicated on the screen. The LED will turn GREEN and the
PSI/temperature will be displayed within 30 seconds. If the screen
has gone dark (at any me), simply press and release the center buon
to see the numbers.
If synchronizaon is not achieved (light stays red), remove the transmier for 10
seconds and re-mount. It’s also a good idea to have the monitor close by with
ANTENNA FULLY EXTENDED.
6.4) Press the UP buon to move to the next posion.
Repeat steps 6.3 and 6.4 unl all 4 (or 5) transmiers have
been installed.
6.5) Aer having seen 4 or 5 green lights, Exit the “Learn Mode”
by pressing and holding the DN and UP buons for approximately
5 seconds unl you hear a “beep.” 9

The system is now in the “Monitoring Mode.” You will see all of your res displayed
with the current pressures and temperatures. There should be no GREEN or RED light
at the top.
Press the center buon to illuminate the screen.
The UP or DN buons will only change the units
of measure.
For now, you are ready to roll. Mount the monitor where it does not obstruct your
view of the road. The TM55™ antenna is an integral part of the unit and should be
fully extended at all mes!
The rest of this document contains important operang informaon. We suggest
you “scan” through it. Some secons will apply to your situaon either now or in the
future.
PLEASE DON’T LOSE these instrucons. If you do, just visit www.MinderResearch.com
for a copy.
Remember: Antenna UP! 10

11
7) Replacing a single transmier
If you need to replace a single transmier, rst enter the “Learn Mode.”
From the “Monitoring Mode,” press and hold the
DN and UP buons unl you hear a “beep.”
Press and release the UP buon unl you get to the re
posion you wish to replace.
Press and hold the center buon unl the green LED light
at the top of the monitor turns to red with a “- - - PSI.”
Aach the new transmier (assumes you already removed the
old transmier). The LED should turn green within 10 to 15 seconds.
Exit the “Learn Mode” the same way you entered, press
and hold both the DN and UP buons unl you hear a “beep.”
Voila, your new transmier is installed!

8) Auto “Sleep Mode” and Manual Power O
It is not necessary to power o the system as it will shut itself down in “Sleep Mode”
aer 15 (een) minutes of no acvity. “No acvity” means the vehicle is not moving
and there is nothing (or no one) moving about.
The monitor is vibraon sensive and will re-start automacally when you re-enter
the vehicle.
To manually turn o the system
From the “Monitoring Mode,” press & hold the center buon
unl the screen goes completely blank. This will take about
10 seconds.
TIP: The unit will enter the “Pressure Seng Mode” aer 5 seconds at which me
you will see the baseline pressure for your le front re. Connue to hold down the
center buon unl the screen goes completely blank.
To turn the system back on, just simply press and release the
center buon.
12

13
9) Power On
Press and release the center buon to turn on the monitor.
The unit will now start to search for updated informaon. The
readings you see will be in the memory of the monitor from when it was
last turned o (night before, the week before or whenever it was last acve.) It will
take approximately 20 minutes to update all pressures and temperatures.
TIP: If when you press the center buon the unit does not light up, it simply needs to
be re-charged.
10) Low Baery Indicator (Monitor and Transmier)
10.1) Monitor Baery
The TM55™ monitor has a built-in Lithium-Ion rechargeable baery which under
normal use will funcon for over 2 weeks before requiring a re-charge. The level of
charge is displayed in the lower le of the monitor. You may recharge the unit at any
me if you feel it may be necessary.
If the last bar disappears, the unit will beep several mes and the baery icon will
ash. If you don’t plug it in soon, the monitor will shut down completely.

14
To re-charge, simply use the supplies 12/24V USB car charger.
A full charge takes approximately 8 hours using a cigaree type outlet. If using a USB
power outlet, the me required may be more or less depending on the power of the
outlet.
10.2) Transmier Baery & “no S (5)”
Is your Antenna Up?
This alert indicates the transmier has lost contact with the monitor. If you see an
outline of a ashing baery icon below the temperature line next to the re posion
with the problem then it is me to replace the CR1632 in the transmier.
If you have a voltage meter available, you may check the voltage which should be
3.0 volts or higher. If it’s under 3.0v and the system is older than 9 months, replace
all the baeries on all your transmiers at the same me. If the voltage is above 3.0,
then the loss of signal may be due to electronic interference.
Contact a TPMS specialist at Minder Research to discuss the problem.

11) Accuracy of Pressure Gauges and TPMS
No (reasonably priced) pressure gauge is going to be 100% accurate. Likewise, NO
TPMS is going to be 100% accurate. What’s important is that they are reasonably
close and relavely consistent. You engineers and pilots probably have steam coming
out of your ears aer that last statement!!
Maybe this will help…
• The TireMinder® transmiers are accurate to ± 3% (that’s +/- 1psi on 32 psi res!)
• TireMinder® brand pressure gauges (mechanical or digital) are among the most
accurate on the market at ± 2 psi.
So if you are running 32 psi in your res, you could have a gauge reading 2 psi high
and a TPMS transmier reading 1 psi low leaving a dierence of 3 psi. This is not
uncommon and is considered totally acceptable. Keep in mind, many gauges can be
o by 4 or 5 psi!
What is important to understand is that the TireMinder® TM55™ (and any other
brand for that maer) is designed to warn you of changes. For exmple, on a 32psi
baseline re, theTPMS really does not care whether it starts at 35 psi or 29 psi. It is
the change and deviaons from the baseline you need to know about. 15

12) Mulple Alerts
The TireMinder® TPMS monitors re pressure & temperature in real me (that’s like
every 6 seconds). To save baery power, the REGULAR pressures and temperatures
are updated on the monitor every 4 minutes if a change has occurred. Should an
abnormality occur, the monitor will react within 6 seconds. There are mulple levels
of alerts which vary in style & intensity depending on the severity of the abnormality.
Alerts are acvated whether moving or staonary.
Above all else folks, DO NOT PANIC! Also, the DRIVER SHOULD NEVER try to gure
out what the problem is. Let your husband (or wife), co-pilot, navigator, partner,
etc., look at the monitor or simply wait for a convenient me to carefully pull o
the road. At that me, check the monitor to see which re posion is causing the
alert and why. Nine out of 10 mes it will be due to a pressure change (15% below
or 20% above the baseline you set in Secon 3).
12.1) Rapid Air Loss (Blow Out)
If you have never seen this icon, simply loosen a transmier.
The below descripon will happen. Make a mental note of what
it looks like. If convenient, why not do that right now ?
This is the most important alert to watch for and requires correcon ASAP. 16

Condion: A re losses 3 or more psi in less than 2 minutes.
Alert Descripon:
• Audible “Beep” 15 mes
• White LCD screen lights up and stays lit for 5 minutes
• RED LED ashes as does the oending re posion
• “Blow Out” icon appears next to the oending re posion
• Digital re pressure ashes – you will see the psi number go down as the re
connues to lose pressure.
Acon Required:
If you encounter this alert while driving, cauously bring your vehicle to a safe,
o-road locaon to check the oending re.
12.2) Semi Rapid Air Loss
Condion: A re loses 6 or more psi in 2 to 10 minutes.
Alert Descripon:
• Intermient “Beep Beep”
• Red LED ashes as does the oending re posion
• Tire posion icon ashes
• Modied “blow out” icon ashes
• Digital re pressure ashes and shows remaining psi 17

This warning would most oen occur should you pick up a nail or sharp object punc-
turing the re causing a semi-rapid air loss. This alert may also be acvated due to a
rapid drop in temperature causing a corresponding drop in pressure.
Acon Required:
Cauously bring the vehicle to a safe o road locaon and check the oending re.
12.3) Normal Pressure Loss
Condion: Over a long period of me, pressure in a specic re
has dropped 15% below the “baseline” pressure you set up for
this posion. Example: You originally set up the system for this
re to contain 35 psi. If pressure drops to 29.7 psi (15% loss), the
system will issue an alert.
Alert Descripon:
• Intermient “Beep” for 5 (ve) minutes.
• Tire posion icon will ash and display lower than normal pressure
• Pressure icon (circle beside oending re) will ash and show 75% full
• To turn o the alert, press CENTER buon. If the abnormality is not corrected, the
alert will re-acvate aer 1 (one) hour.
Acon Required:
Monitor the pressure and bring it up to normal soon. 18