TPMS: Tire Pressure Monitoring System

What Is a TPMS?

How Your Vehicle Alerts You It Needs Help

The simple answer to what a TPMS is, is a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. How it works and how to understand what it is telling you requires a little more explanation. The TPMS is an automated check that will alert you when your tire pressure gets too low. Leaving your tires in this state can have some undesirable effects such as reduced fuel efficiency, worse handling, and even tire damage. When alerted by your TPMS you must get tire service to refill them with air.

What a TPMS Looks Like

You won’t be able to see the TPMS, only the alert that it shows on your dashboard. The sensors are underneath your car hidden next to the tires. They check the pressure and if the pressure exceeds a limit it will trigger the warning which warrants tire service. Most modern cars have these so if your car is relatively new you should keep an eye out for the signal. If your car’s TPMS does go off it will look like a horseshoe with an exclamation mark in the middle of it. The bottom of the horseshoe has squares that represent tread. It’s supposed to look like a tire.

How to Handle a TPMS Alert

If you aren’t already getting your tires serviced, you can put pressure on them using the manufacturer suggested levels. The recommended PSI levels of your tire can be found in your owner’s manual or the door jamb.

Because temperature can affect the pressure in your tires, the TPMS may turn off and on throughout the day if it gets cold in the morning, deflating your tires, and then warmer which will increase your pressure during the day. You may interpret this as the sensor needing repair, but it may be perfectly reasonable for it to do that. The TPMS may be damaged though, so it is best to check your tires every once in a while even if the alert doesn’t happen.

If you need Tire Repair Services in Roanoke, Virginia, come to Blue Ridge Truck & Auto where we can check your tires along with other checks. Call us at (540) 982-7512 to learn more about how we can handle your tires!