Reasons why the tire pressure sensor light stays on

The tire pressure sensor (TPMS indicator on the dashboard) is on for one of three reasons: the air pressure in one or more tires has dropped below the permissible level , a sharp decrease in pressure in the wheel (in particular, during a puncture), incorrect operation of the sensor or signal receiver from it, and also, often, the power to the sensor simply disappears .

In some cases, the tire pressure error comes on after replacing a wheel with a new one due to damage to the sensor during tire fitting or changing the radius of the wheels being used, driving a car on an uneven road (at the minimum permissible tire pressure), or uneven tread wear on wheels on the same axle. car and other conditions. Most car manufacturers do not provide special disabling of the corresponding system, since it directly affects traffic safety. However, there are four methods you can use to reset your tire pressure light.

Why does the TPMS light stay on on the dashboard?

When the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light comes on on your car's dashboard, it usually means that the air pressure in one or more tires has dropped below expected levels. But, unfortunately, due to the way this system works, very often the low tire pressure icon lights up on the dashboard by mistake.

Firstly, if your car is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, it is important to remember that it does not exempt you from regularly checking tire pressure or inspecting the condition of the tires. Although turning on the TPMS light can be an excellent warning of a flat tire (a tire pressure monitoring system cannot replace physically inspecting your tires for damage), it can also free you from checking your tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge.

Tips for maintaining the tpms system

After replacing the sensors of the air pressure monitoring system in car wheels with new ones, it makes sense to follow a few simple recommendations that will help extend the life of the newly installed parts. These recommendations include:

Replace the valve stem core with a similar one, but made of stainless steel. Copper rods quickly corrode as a result of exposure to mechanical shocks and chemical reagents. The core costs a penny, but the price of the sensor installed on it will be significant. In this way, it is possible to protect the sensor housing from the formation of corrosion spots on it.
The TPMS sensor should always be kept screwed to the nipple valve stem. This will protect it from the harmful effects of water, dirt, dust, chemicals, and molten bitumen.
The sensor must not be exposed to aerosol fixative, tire conditioner, silicone grease or other similar compounds intended, among other things, to protect the rubber of the tire. There is a high probability that the thickened composition will get into the hole of the sensor and block its operation; accordingly, the sensor will issue an error message to its control unit or ECU.

Proper operation of the system will not only extend its service life, but also protect the driver and passengers in the event of an emergency with the wheels.

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What does a tire pressure monitoring system actually mean?

If you have a vehicle with TPMS, this means that each tire has a wireless sensor.
Each sensor transmits data to a computer, which in turn analyzes the data with reference values and, if the data for any wheel does not match, turns on an icon on the dashboard warning the driver about low tire pressure. Moreover, the indicator can light up both when there is insufficient pressure in one or more wheels, and when it is excessive. See also How to extend the life of car tires: The most important tips
But why is this system needed if quite often it misleads drivers? In fact, the appearance of a low tire pressure icon on the dashboard is the best reason to stop the car, take a pump with a pressure gauge and check the tire pressure. The tire pressure monitoring system most often transmits important information to the driver. In 75% of cases, a warning from the tire pressure monitoring system actually indicates problems with the wheels.

Tire pressure light comes on while driving and won't go off

What happens on the dashboard : the icon on the dashboard turns on and stays on.
What it means : The air pressure is low in at least one tire.
What you should do : Check your tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge as soon as possible.
Can you continue driving with the TPMS light on : Although you can drive your vehicle with the tire pressure monitoring light on, be aware that one or more tires may have low air pressure. Your car may not perform as expected, and driving on a flat tire can not only damage the tire, rim, but also cause an accident.

How to reset tire pressure sensor error

When the tire pressure light comes on on the car’s dashboard, first of all, before removing it, make a visual inspection of the wheel and check the pressure with a pressure gauge in all wheels.

According to statistics, most often owners of Ford, Mercedes, Kia, Lexus (Toyota) cars encounter this problem. And in order to remove the error, you need to know the reset principle for cars of different brands. For example, the tire pressure icon on Toyota Prado cars is reset with a Tire Set button specially designed for this purpose, located deep on the bottom of the side panel, at the level of the bottom of the steering wheel.

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The low tire pressure icon comes on and goes off.

What happens on the dashboard : The light comes on and then goes off.
What this means : The tire pressure in at least one tire is likely very close to the minimum or maximum inflation rating. When air is compressed due to cold weather or heated, the tire pressure sensor is activated.
What you should do : Check your tire pressure and adjust it if necessary.
Is it safe to continue driving : The air pressure is probably close to where it might not be safe. Keep in mind that a vehicle with low tire pressure may be less controllable and generally perform differently than you expect.

Reasons for triggering the tire pressure sensor

The sensor will still respond even though the wheel circumference has changed quite a bit. In this situation, it is necessary to find out what mechanical reason led to this. This is the only way you can eliminate the incorrect interpretation of signals transmitted by the system. This can happen because:

the tires are not inflated enough;
you installed another wheel, the shape, dimensions and tread of which are different;
a “spare” was installed; its parameters also differ from other wheels;
there is a puncture or rupture of the rubber;
there is an uneven load on the car, as a result the car is skewed to one side;
you have installed anti-slip chains on the wheels;
an overload occurred on one of the axes; This happens when you drive a car uphill or down a hill, towing a trailer.

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The TPMS also gives an error when you install new wheels or rotate them.

When, after these steps, a tire pressure error appears indicating imbalance, you should reset the settings and then set the main parameters. In this case, the control signal may remain even if the basic settings have been selected.

Why these problems might occur:

Different tire pressures. Some wheel is not inflated enough or vice versa.
The error appears because the system has crashed. It can only be reset at a service station.
The indicator lights up when you operate the car using a sporty driving style, driving on ice or a dirt road. At the same time, as soon as you drive onto an asphalt surface or start driving the car calmly, the error disappears.

How to reset tire pressure error? To begin with, imagine that the TPMS system is working normally and a flashing indicator indicates a problem with the vehicle's chassis. The first thing you should do is slowly release the gas. Do not brake sharply or turn the steering wheel.

Note! The TPMS system will not always indicate a tire pressure error. For example, if the tires are slowly deflating, the system will not inform you of the problem. In the same way, she will not notice the error if the tire pressure begins to drop quickly.

However, in some cases, it happens that the TPMS indicator is on, but the tires are in perfect condition. How to reset tire pressure error? Let's figure it out.

The low tire pressure indicator flashes before the engine is turned on.

What's Happening on the Dashboard : The low tire pressure light flashes on the dash for a minute or so every time you start the engine, then comes on and won't go off.
What it means : Your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) may be faulty and you can't fix the problem yourself. In this case, you need electronic diagnostics of the car in a specialized technical center.
What you should do : Take your car to a qualified professional as soon as possible. Also be sure to check your tire pressure with a tire pressure gauge.
Is it safe to drive : If you check the air pressure in your tires and they are OK, then you are safe. Just in this case, do not count on the TPMS system to warn you about a problem in the wheels.

Tire pressure and temperature change

In most cases, your car's tires are filled with air that is identical to the air in the atmosphere. But sometimes tires are filled with nitrogen instead of air. However, the same rules of thermodynamics apply to nitrogen that apply to the mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen, as well as other elements that make up the air we breathe and what we typically inflate our car tires with.

According to the laws of physics, if the temperature of a gas decreases, the pressure also decreases. Since the tires on a car are more or less a closed system, this essentially means that as the temperature of the air in the tire drops, the pressure inside the tire also drops.

This is also true when the pressure increases due to an increase in temperature. As the gas heats up, it expands and has nowhere to go because it is confined to the tire, causing the pressure to increase.

See also: What is the correct tire pressure for various off-road conditions?

The exact amount of increase or decrease in tire pressure depends on a number of factors. But on average, it is believed that when the ambient temperature decreases by 10 degrees Celsius, the tire loses approximately 0.07 bar and, conversely, when the temperature rises by 10 degrees, the pressure in the tire increases by approximately 0.07 bar.

Cold winter weather and tire pressure monitoring system

Most often, tire pressure problems occur in winter. And this is logical, since in winter there are sharp temperature changes. This is especially true for the northern regions of the country, where winters are very cold.

For example, if you inflated your car's tires to factory specifications in August when the ambient temperature was 26 degrees, then with the onset of cold weather in late autumn, when the outside temperature dropped to -17 degrees, the pressure in the tires of your car will drop by about 0.34 bar.

By the way, due to sudden temperature changes at night and during the day in winter, the tire pressure monitoring system may begin to act up. For example, if you get into your car early on a frosty morning and notice that the TPMS light comes on, but then a few hours later it goes out, this indicates that due to changes in temperature in the tires, the pressure in the tires is changing. In this case, we would advise not to change the tire pressure, since this risks causing the tire pressure to be excessive during the day, which will lead to premature wear of the rubber tread.

Also, tire pressure may change while the vehicle is moving. The fact is that the friction of the tires causes them to heat up, which in turn causes the air inside the tires to heat up. This is one reason why automakers recommend inflating tires when they are cold rather than hot after driving the car.

Thus, there is a real chance that the tire pressure monitoring system will warn you early in the morning about insufficient tire pressure, but after some time of driving the car, the indicator will go out on the dashboard.

How to set tire pressure sensors

Sensors monitor what tire pressure is. However, you need to be sure that they are functioning properly. Of course, you don't need to constantly walk around with a special measuring device and find out the status of the sensors. You just need to calibrate it from time to time.

It is done quite simply. The most important thing to remember is that, depending on the make and model of your car, each wheel has pressure parameters strictly defined by the manufacturer for winter and summer. These values must be set to the sensors. How installation and configuration will be carried out depends on the controller used.

Mechanical controller. It is convenient to use. We just screw it in instead of the cap. You don't need to configure anything else.
Electronic controller. The installation procedure will be more complicated, because the device has a control unit. It can work autonomously or you will need to connect it to the cigarette lighter. We turn on the device in learning mode. Then proceed according to the setting algorithm specified by the manufacturer. You will have to install the device on all wheels, starting with the left front. Once the installation is complete, make sure that all sensors are displayed correctly on the monitor. Otherwise, you will have to rearrange them so that everything matches the parameters on the display.
Internal controller. Such devices are the most difficult to install, because for this you will have to use special equipment for tire fitting. Experts do not recommend using the internal controller yourself. However, additional settings are not required if the data is read using the screen that is located directly at the control system.

To prevent tire pressure errors from appearing, it is important to calibrate (adjust the TPMS system) every time you make changes. For example, when you installed a new set of wheels, repaired tires, did balancing, etc.

Every car owner gets annoyed when the tire pressure error icon lights up on the dashboard. This indicator informs you that there is something wrong with the wheels. However, even if the tire pressure is optimal, the tire pressure error must be reset.

The fact is that if the TPMS system icon constantly indicates insufficient pressure, the driver will not be able to know when the tires actually begin to deflate. Driving becomes dangerous for both you and other road users.

Checking tire pressure in summer, spring, autumn and winter

If you check your tire pressure in the morning before you hit the road and realize that the pressure is not low, but the tire pressure indicator on your dash is on or flashing, most likely there is a faulty tire pressure sensor in one of the wheels. This fault is not very common. But nevertheless, sometimes this happens. By the way, some fluids and dirt from brake pads can accelerate the wear of tire pressure sensors.

On the other hand, if your tire pressure monitoring system warns you of low pressure when your tires are cold, then inflating them while they are cold will save you from unnecessary TPMS warnings in cold winter weather.

By the way, this is why it is recommended to check and adjust tire pressure several times throughout the year. Especially when the seasons change. For example, with the onset of the cold season, it is recommended to add tire pressure and, conversely, with the onset of spring, it is recommended to slightly reduce the pressure. Taking into account changes in ambient temperature during the changing seasons in this way can save you from problems with the tire pressure monitoring system indicator.

Non-standard devices

There are also non-standard tire pressure monitoring systems. First, let's consider those with sensors that directly measure the pressure inside the tire and transmit signals via radio to a receiving device, usually combined with an indicator display. Such sensors are necessarily supplied with energy sources in the form of small-sized batteries, but they can vary significantly in design. Once upon a time, sensors were installed directly in the center groove of the wheel rim using a tape running along the groove. This design is already outdated, and today sensors mounted on the inside of the wheel valve are much more often used.