I am asking for help from anyone who has firsthand knowledge regarding the 2009 Honda Civic Si. According to the owners manual, my local dealer service mgr., and the "Tire Rack guy", if wheels are installed on this vehicle without tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors programmed to this specific vehicle, the vehicle stability assist (VSA) cannot be turned off. I want to use this car for autocrossing/soloing in a stock class and must be able to turn off the VSA when competing. My intent is to install competition wheels and tires only on event days then switch back to everyday wheels/tires afterward. Please help with a workable solution. Thanks.

 

The only thing I can think of is you have to buy a second set of TPMS sensors and install them in your track wheels. Once they are programmed they will be read by your car whenever they are installed.

 

What some of the toyota truck guys are doing is taking the 4 pressure sensors and making a vessel out of 4" PVC pipe.

A short piece of pipe 2 glue on or screw on ends, drill one hole put the stem of one of the pressure sensors in the hole, then add the rest of the sensors and close and inflate the pipe to 35lbs.

You now have all your sensors with the car only they are in the trunk, or some are putting them inside the spare tire, which is even more easy.

 

http://www.8thcivic.com/forums/wheel...stem-tpms.html

"5. Ive heard that if my TPMS or Low Pressure light is on, I cannot turn VSA on/off. Is this true?

This seems to be the question that has caused the most confusion about the whole TPMS system.
Now, I have tested this numerous times in order to try and understand it as much as possible.

Thanks to tests by myself and other members, it seems as if the manual is NOT correct
when it describes how VSA is always enabled when either light is present.

Again... (on US models 08+), if either light (TPMS) or (!) is on... your VSA will still function as it normally does"

 

This will not work, our sensors are motion activated. If they are stationary they will not turn on and you will throw a light.

You've got a few options:

1) your car will not recognize that it's lost it's sensors for about 10 miles. In autocross terms, that's more than an event.
2) let the light come on, you'll still be able to disable traction control. It will go off on its own once your tpms equipped wheels are back on.
3) purchase a quickset from ATEQ and program your own sensors

Hth