Continental’s NEW Autodiagnos TPMS tools will help shops and technicians to quickly and easily service all of their customers’ TPMS and tire service needs. Sean Lannoo talks about these two unique TPMS tools. The technology, features, and benefits that the TPMS SE and the TPMS D tools have help increase shop efficiency, save time, and simplify TPMS and tire service.
Continental has offered TPMS sensors for quite some time now. What does Continental offer for TPMS that makes your program unique?
Continental provides a total service solution. One that includes not only sensors, but also TPMS tools to support service and repair facilities to provide TPMS service for all makes and models of passenger cars and light duty trucks that are equipped with TPMS systems.
A total service solution is a good thing but what makes these tools unique compared to other tools in the field?
Continental developed the TPMS SE and TPMS D tools with shops in mind. Every year our team visits thousands of shops. Based on their feedback, we saw the need to streamline the TPMS service functions in tools. Both the TPMS D and TPMS SE incorporate Continental specific software. The unique user interface allows for services to be performed using fewer keystrokes, making the tools faster as well as increasing profit and reducing comebacks.
What’s the difference between the TPMS SE Tool and the TPMS D Tool?
The TPMS SE tool has all the powerful features needed in a TPMS tool such as trigger, diagnose, and read 100% of OE passenger vehicle sensors as well as relearn coverage for 98.6% of domestic, Asian, and European passenger vehicles. The TPMS SE provides full TPMS relearn capability for shops that need a service-based tool. The TPMS SE tool is a perfect complement to the TPMS D tool for larger repair shops that have a need for multiple TPMS tools.
The Autodiagnos TPMS D is a complete service and diagnostic TPMS tool with enhanced features. The TPMS D retrieves and decodes TPMS diagnostic information on applicable vehicles as well as provides tire management capabilities with an optional Tire Tread Depth Gauge. It works with 100% of OE and aftermarket TPMS sensors. It has a built-in VIN barcode scanner that enables Make/Model/Year data retrieval in seconds. The barcode scanner reads QR codes in addition to conventional barcodes eliminating errors when configuring the tool when vehicle-specific information is needed to perform TPMS services. The TPMS D also has Wi-Fi capability that allows the tool user to know when vehicle-specific updates are available for download to the tool.
Both tools support individual repair facility’s service repair processes, and both support TPMS and tire service features from the main screen that do not require vehicle specific configurations.
When does the software need to be updated? Do you offer a warranty?
Continental’s Autodiagnos TPMS tools include five years of free software updates. We found that three out of four shops do not update their TPMS tools. It’s important to keep the tool current which provides the shop with up-to-date vehicle and sensor coverage. We provide a three-year warranty on our TPMS tools.
Do these tools program aftermarket sensors? 
Since Continental is the manufacturer of TPMS REDI-Sensor, we have been working close to shops for years. We have seen every type of problem when it comes to programming sensors. That’s why Continental developed these two TPMS tools.
The SE tool has been designed to work with two of the top OE manufacturer aftermarket replacement sensors, our own REDI-Sensor as well as Schrader EZ-Sensor. The D tool works with REDI-Sensor, Schrader’s EZ-Sensor and it has been designed to work with over 18 other aftermarket programmable sensor brands.
How does Continental support a full TPMS service solution?
Continental offers two promotional bundles that couple our Multi-Application REDI-Sensors with our TPMS tools. The TPMS D bundle includes 24 TPMS sensors and the TPMS SE bundle includes 12 of our most popular sensors. In addition to our tool and bundle offering, Continental also has a tire tread depth gauge as an add-on accessory to our TPMS D tool that allows for repair shops to bolster tire, front-end and suspension sales.