Tire Pressure Light Won’t Go Off
Although tire pressure monitoring systems have been around longer than 2008, that was the year that all new vehicles sold in the U.S. were required to have the system installed in them.
The system works by having each vehicle tire contain a battery-powered air pressure sensor/radio frequency (RF) transmitter that “talks” with the vehicle’s monitoring system. When the tire pressure drops below 25% of the specified tire pressure, the indicator light comes on.
However, many vehicle owners have been frustrated after checking all the tires, inflating them to the correct pressure, and still not having the low-pressure indicator message turn off on the dashboard.
In this episode, DirtFarmer demonstrates the process of elimination to isolate the problem, and quickly reset the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The system sensors in the tires have a 5 to 10-year life, usually limited by battery life. If the batteries are dead, you will need to visit your favorite tire retailer for a replacement.
Lastly, should you check your tire pressures ongoing even with the TPMS active on your car?
Absolutely! Having underinflated tires simply doesn’t make sense. Your tires wear faster, braking and cornering performance is negatively affected, and your gas mileage is also reduced significantly. So, getting into the habit of keeping your tires properly inflated gives you great economic and performance returns on your tire investment, all for only a few minutes every couple of weeks. To make it easier to do this task, consider getting a portable tire inflator. You can check out our review of the DeWalt® 20V tire inflator HERE.
If you’d like to purchase one of these inflators, you can do so using THIS LINK. We make a small commission when you do, which helps us to continue to produce video episodes. Thanks for your support!
Another great helper to assure your tires are being maintained at the correct pressure is Quick Pressure™ tire pressure monitoring valve caps. These durable visual indicators screw onto the top of your tire’s valve stems and indicate if your tires are properly inflated. Quick Pressure™ caps will let you know if the pressure drops below 10% of the correct pressure.
This is a great improvement over using the TPMS solely, as the TPMS will display a low tire pressure message when there is about 25% pressure loss. You can purchase Quick Pressure™ pressure monitors at QuickPressure.com, or tireqp.com. You can obtain a set of four for your car or light truck for well under $40!
Want to know more about tire pressure monitoring systems, including their history, how they work, and what they can and can’t do? Then check out our extended ARTICLE on DirtFarmerJay.com.
Sure, you can take your vehicle to the tire shop to get your TPMS low tire pressure warning turned off, but with what you now know, you can JUST DO IT YOURSELF!