Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Tires operating below inflation standards put the overall performance of your vehicle and the safety of your passengers at risk. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System helps increase your safety on the road by improving your vehicle’s maneuverability, decreasing the tread wear of your tires, reducing your vehicle’s braking distance, and improving your vehicle’s fuel economy. There are two types of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems in existence today—Direct and Indirect. A Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System uses sensors on the inside tire assembly to transmit tire pressure information to your vehicle’s computer. An Indirect Tire Pressure Monitoring System gauges tire pressure through your vehicle’s Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) by using speed sensors to measure the rotational speed of each wheel (as tire pressure decreases, the rolling distance decreases, and the rotational speed increases). All TPMS systems require regular maintenance in order to meet maximum performance standards, which requires all vehicles to be equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
Benefits of Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Your vehicle’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) continuously monitors the air pressure in your tires. When there is an instance of low tire pressure, or if the tire pressure drops below the manufacturer’s recommended level of tire pressure, the TPMS will detect and report the discrepancy by illuminating an indicator light on the dashboard of your vehicle. When the TPMS light flashes on the dashboard, you should check your tire pressure, inflate the affected tire to the level indicated by the manufacturer, or bring your vehicle into our shop so that the issue can be remedied by our expert staff. During a TPMS maintenance service, our service staff will run a series of tests to ensure that the system is operating both correctly and at maximum efficiency. If our technicians uncover damage to the system or its accompanying components, they may need to replace valve cores, valve nuts, seals, seal washers, or valve caps. If you are in need of TPMS repairs, maintenance, or replacement services, or if you are in need of a TPMS installation service, then contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light comes on, you shouldn’t drive long distances before resolving the situation. While you can safely drive to the air pump if this light turns on, putting more strain than that on your car’s tires could have surprisingly serious consequences.
Your TPMS relies on sensors to monitor tire pressure. When a sensor detects dangerously low pressure in one or more tires, the system activates a dashboard light to warn you. This helps prevent extended driving on underinflated tires, which can cause faster tire wear and increase the risk of a blowout.
Because of this, driving with an active tire pressure light is never a good idea. Instead, check your tire pressure and reinflate your tires — and if that doesn’t work, set up an appointment for TPMS service at T.O. Haas Tire & Auto!
Typically, an active TPMS light indicates that your tire pressure is low. If that’s the case, dealing with this situation is easy: once you’ve inflated your tires, the light should turn off.
However, the light can also stay on in response to a faulty sensor. If you still see this light on your dashboard after reinflating your tires, ask the ASE-certified mechanics at T.O. Haas for help.
While TPMS sensors play a crucial role in vehicle safety, they can sometimes fail. Whether your car has a direct or indirect TPMS, issues with sensors can arise. Signs of a bad TPMS include:
- An active TPMS warning light: Though this light generally means you have low tire pressure, it can also point to issues with your TPMS sensors.
- Incorrect tire pressure readings: If your TPMS displays tire pressure displays obviously inaccurate pressure readings, a faulty sensor may be to blame.
- Trouble resetting your dashboard light: After checking your tire pressure and resetting the TPMS warning light, it should stay off. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to have this system checked.
- An unresponsive TPMS: If a TPMS won’t display any warnings or readings, it could be due to sensor failure or other issues, such as problems with your TPMS module.
After your tire shop refills your tires or resolves other TPMS-related issues, you won’t need this light to remain on. Fortunately, reputable shops like T.O. Haas can reset your TPMS, ensuring this light turns off until the next time your TPMS detects pressure issues.
However, if the system fails to reset due to sensor problems or other issues, our skilled technicians can diagnose and fix the problem to get your TPMS functioning correctly.
