Is the Tire Light On?

If you have a vehicle with a tire pressure monitoring system, TPMS,  you’ve probably seen the yellow tire with an exclamation point, next to the airbag and seatbelt lights when you start the car.

If it stays on, it means one or more of your tires are low on air, but with winter coming, a cold night could also trigger the low tire warning light to come on, and go off as you drive after the tires have heated up and the air pressure increases.

In our shop, most of the tire lights we see are caused by a flat tire……Some tires can be repaired, while others are not so lucky, but getting a flat tire seen to right away increases your chances of it being fixed

No-one likes to check their air pressure and in fact, very few drivers do….and that’s exactly why it’s called the pesky tire light.

Some drivers consider the pesky tire light a nuisance….but I’ve seen many a tire that has been saved by an early warning.

Remember the Firestone tire problems on the Ford Explorers in the late 90′s? Tires that were under-inflated for the load they were carrying started blowing out and as a result, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created the  TREAD Act, that starting in 2007, requires that cars, vans and SUV’s have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, or TPMS.

Here’s a few tips on TPMS:

• If the light comes on and stays on, you probably have a flat tire,
• If the light comes on and goes out as you drive, you probably just need to check the air pressure.
• If the light on your dash is flashing, you probably have a bad sensor.
• Never use metal valve caps, they’ll ruin your expensive sensors.

For more information about the TPMS on your car, check out www.tpmsmadesimple.com.

Let me know if you have any questions about your tires.