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What Does TPMS Mean? A Guide to Your Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Woman fills up a tire

While you’re driving, your tires shouldn’t be over or under-inflated, as both cause your tires to wear down faster and raise your risk of a blowout. In an attempt to make vehicles safer and reduce the risk of under or over-inflated tires, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration established the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 138. This standard mandated that every passenger vehicle produced after September 2007 have a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Though TPMSs are now mandatory in passenger vehicles, many drivers still don’t know what they do, which makes it more likely they drive on a set of underinflated tires. Since these systems play a crucial safety role in vehicles, drivers should know what they are and how to spot signs that their TMPS is malfunctioning. 

What Does TPMS Mean on a Car?

A TPMS refers to tire pressure sensors that monitor your tires’ pressure to make sure the pressure doesn’t drop below your vehicle’s recommended levels (typically, 32 to 35 psi). If the sensors detect your tire’s pressure is too low or high, it will display a warning light on your vehicle’s dashboard. Most TPMSs will display a warning light when the tire pressure is 25% below or above the recommended level. This warning light will stay on until the tire pressure is restored to recommended levels.

What Does a TPMS Warning Light Look Like?

Typically, a vehicle’s TPMS warning light will appear on the dashboard and look like an exclamation point in the center of a horseshoe. However, some vehicles will also display text on the dashboard that says “Low Tire Pressure.” If you notice either of these warnings, your TPMS will have detected that at least one of your tires doesn’t have enough pressure. Cars with more advanced dashboards might even display your vehicles’ tires with the PSI listed beside them to show you which tire needs to be refilled with air.

What Should You Do If Your TPMS Warning Light Comes On?

When you start your vehicle, it’s perfectly normal for the TPMS light to come on with other warning lights and turn off after a minute or so. However, if the light continues to stay on after the other lights turn off, you likely have a tire pressure issue.

You should check your tires’ PSI as soon as possible after the warning light comes on. After checking your tires with a tire pressure gauge and finding which ones have too much or too little pressure, you should take your vehicle to a gas station with an air pump if you don’t have a pump at home. Use the pump to fill your vehicle’s tires to the right level. After you’re done, your TPMS warning light should turn off.

Signs Your TPMS Is Malfunctioning

At times, a TPMS can malfunction, raising the risk you don’t notice that you’re driving on a set of under or over-inflated tires. As you try to prevent excess wear on your tires and reduce your risk of a blowout, you should know the following main signs of a malfunctioning TPMS:

  • A flashing TPMS warning light: If your TPMS starts flashing, it’s a sign that at least one of your TPMS’s sensors is failing. Solving this issue involves repairing or replacing the failing sensor.
  • Inaccurate tire pressure readings: Even though TPMSs are standard in vehicles, you should still check your tire pressure at least once a month. If you discover your tire pressure is too high or low, but the TPMS warning light hasn’t come on, your TPMS needs to be inspected. Additionally, if you have a vehicle that displays the PSI of each tire on your dashboard, you can compare its readings to your tire pressure gauge’s measurements to determine how accurate the TPMS is.
  • A TPMS warning light that won’t reset: If you know your tires’ pressure is correct but the TPMS warning light won’t let you reset it, it could be due to a TPMS malfunction. Before you take your vehicle in for an inspection, make sure you’ve followed the instructions in your owner’s manual to properly reset the light. Once you’ve followed your manual’s instructions and the light still won’t reset, it’s time for a professional to inspect your TPMS.

What Should I Do If My TPMS Is Malfunctioning?

If your TPMS is showing signs that it’s malfunctioning, you should take your vehicle to a mechanic for an inspection. The mechanic should be able to determine if the TPMS is malfunctioning, repair it, and get you back on the road. 

Choose Chapel Hill Tire for TPMS Repairs in the Triangle

If you’re looking for TPMS repair services in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, or the surrounding Triangle area, turn to Chapel Hill Tire. Whether you think your TPMS is malfunctioning or you need assistance refilling the pressure in your tires, our team can help. After we inspect your vehicle and discuss our results with you, our mechanics will quickly solve your TPMS issue. We can also help you find and install a new set of tires if your old tires are consistently losing air due to a puncture or other damage. 

Learn more about our automotive repair services today. If you need a TPMS repair or any other automotive service, please make an appointment at one of our convenient locations in the Triangle area. We also recommend checking out our coupons to see how much you can save!

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Common Tire Change Mistakes: Is Your Car at Risk?

Tire change

Knowing how to safely change a tire is essential for any driver. If it’s been a while since you learned how to change a tire and want to make sure you’re doing it correctly, you’ll want to avoid some common mistakes. As you prepare to change a tire, take a moment to review the top seven tire-changing mistakes drivers often make.

1. Assuming You Have a Spare and Tire Changing Tools in Your Vehicle

While spare tires used to be standard in almost every vehicle, 40% of new cars don’t come with a spare tire; instead they include a mobility kit with tire sealer.  If you’ve never checked if your vehicle has a spare, jack, and tire tool, you’ll want to make sure you have them (typically, they’re located in a spare tire well beneath the trunk of a vehicle). Drivers who don’t have a spare tire, jack, and tire tool should invest in them, but if there’s nowhere to store them, they should at least invest in a puncture repair kit to fix minor punctures temporarily.

In addition to checking that you have a spare tire, jack, and tire tool, you’ll need to have a few more right tire-changing tools in your vehicle. If your vehicle has a tire pressure gauge, portable tire inflator, and wheel wedges/chocks, you’re in good shape.  A torque wrench to properly tighten the lug nuts/studs would be a plus, but isn’t necessary for a temporary tire.  While checking for the necessary items, it is a great time to check and adjust the spare tire’s pressure.

2. Using an Improperly Sized Spare Tire

After verifying you have a spare tire and the right tools, you should check that your spare tire is properly sized for your vehicle. Driving on a spare that’s too small or large for your vehicle can lead to vehicle damage, performance issues, and reduce the durability of your other tires. 

You can easily see if a tire is sized correctly by checking your owner’s manual for the right type of tire. If you don’t have your owner’s manual, you can find the information on a sticker located on the driver’s side door or in the door jamb on most vehicles.

3. Not Parking the Vehicle in a Safe or Flat Location

Before you start changing your tire, it’s important to park your vehicle in a safe location first. While an unexpected flat tire can make you panic, you’ll need to keep a cool head and gradually pull your vehicle off the road. Typically, parking lots will be the safest location to change a tire, and if you can’t find a safe location, there’s no shame in calling for a tow instead of trying to change your tire in a dangerous place.

If you’re on a highway and aren’t close to an offramp where it will be safer to pull over, try to stop on a straight section of the highway, as parking on a curve could reduce your visibility to other drivers. Turning your vehicle’s hazards on can also make you more visible. Additionally, avoid changing your tire on a hill or at an incline, as it raises the risk of your car falling off the jack.

4. Not Knowing Where to Place the Jack When Changing a Tire

Every vehicle should have jacking points designed for your jack on its underside. When you don’t place the jack underneath these points, your vehicle could slip off the jack, or the jack could damage your vehicle. Before you place your jack underneath your vehicle, check your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the correct jacking points.  Once the jack is properly positioned, but before lifting the vehicle, loosen each lug nut or bolt on the wheel with the flat tire about 1 turn.

5. Leaving the Lug Nuts Not Fully Tightened

Once you’ve replaced your tire with the spare, you’ll need to screw the lug nuts or bolts back on before you lower your vehicle back down. If you don’t fully tighten the lug nuts or bolts, your wheel will be loose and could fall off your vehicle.

While you can use your hand to screw the lug nuts or bolts back on part of the way, you’ll need a lug wrench to snug them. After snugging the lug nuts or bolts, you can lower your vehicle off the jack. Once the installed spare tire is on the ground, use the wrench and your full body weight to turn the lug nuts or bolts until they can’t be tightened anymore. This should ensure they are tight enough to get to your destination.

6. Driving Away Without Checking the Spare Tire’s Tire Pressure

After you’ve lowered your vehicle off the jack, don’t immediately drive away. Instead, use your tire pressure gauge on the spare tire to verify that the pressure is right for your vehicle. If the spare is underinflated, you can use a portable inflator to fill the tire to your vehicle’s recommended levels. If you don’t have a portable inflator, but the spare tire has at least ¾ of the rated pressure, slowly drive to the closest gas station and use their air pump.

7. Not Changing Your Tires at Recommended Intervals

Knowing how often to change tires can help reduce the chance you experience a flat tire in the first place. Tires are only built to last so long, and driving on tires with significant wear and tear raises the risk of a blown tire. A good rule of thumb is to replace your tires once their tread depth has dipped below 4/32 of an inch of thickness. Since a tire’s rubber will harden over time, tires older than six years should also be replaced.

Choose Chapel Hill Tire for Tire Replacement Services in the Triangle

If you need tire replacement services in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, or the surrounding Triangle area, Chapel Hill Tire can help. Whether you’ve just experienced a flat tire or your current tires have reached the end of their lifespan, our team can quickly inspect your vehicle and install a new set for you. We also have a tire finder tool that makes it easy to find a new set of tires!

Learn more about our tire replacement services today. If you need new tires or any other auto services, please make an appointment at one of our convenient locations in the Triangle area. We also recommend checking out our coupons to see how much you can save!