Everything you need to know about tire pressure lights!

New TPMS Sensor ready to be installed in a rim

What does the TPMS sensor do?

We've all had the experience of starting the car in the morning and being greeted by a dreaded warning light on the dash. One of the most common warning lights is the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light. TPMS Lights were made mandatory starting in 2007 and are present in all cars manufactured after that date. There are two main types of TPMS systems, but both perform the same function. Direct TPMS systems measure the pressure in each tire through a sensor, typically built into the valve stem. Indirect TPMS systems measure the rotational speed of each wheel through data received from sensors like the wheel speed sensor, meaning the car must be driven to get a tire pressure reading.

Reasons Your TPMS Light May Be On And How To Fix It

Flat Tires—most drivers experience at least a few in their lifetime. Nails and other foreign objects from the road can puncture your tires and leave you stranded, but smaller, slow leaks are also a headache to deal with. Constantly adding air to your tires slows you down and adds one more stop to your drive. But why do tires lose air? And how can we fix a leaking tire? Here are some of the common reasons tires lose air and what we do at Jamie’s Tire & Service to fix them.

Tires Lose Air Due to Punctures

The most common reasons tires lose air are punctures. Screws, nails, staples are some of the most common things we pull from tires, but anything sharp or pointy can cause damage to your tire that may or may not be repairable. Most punctures under ¼ inch and more than an inch from the sidewall of the tire can be repaired by a patch/plug that permanently seals the hole.

Tires Can Leak Air from The Bead Seal or Valve Stem

Another common way that tires lose air is from leaking bead seals or valve stems. The area where the tire meets the rim, called the bead, can sometimes corrode and fail to hold air like it should. When we install tires, we clean this lip on the rim, but with moisture, over time it can corrode and lose its seal. Valve stems also corrode and leak over time, but are easy to replace and relatively inexpensive. At Jamie’s Tire & Service, to test for these types of leaks, we use a dunk tank and submerge the tire in liquid to find any air that is escaping from the tire. Once we locate the source of the leak, it is marked and repaired before we reinstall the tire on the rim.

Tires Lose Pressure Due to Cold Temperatures

In Dayton, Ohio, when the temperature begins to fall, we often start seeing TPMS lights turn on and tires losing pressure. Every 10 degrees in temperature change results in about a pound of lost pressure as the air condenses. If you notice your tires are low due to cold temperatures, stop by any of our 6 Jamie’s Tire & Service stores in Fairborn, Beavercreek, Xenia, and Dayton, and we’d be happy to air them to the correct level for you.

Tires Lose Pressure Naturally Over Time

While tires are relatively airtight, they do naturally lose small amounts of pressure over time. A typical pressure loss is 1 pound per month. If you notice your tires losing more pressure than this, there could be another leak causing them to go flat.

TPMS Sensors with Dead Batteries Can Set Off the Warning Light On Your Dash

If you see a TPMS warning light on your dash, it normally means one of the tires is low on pressure. Occasionally, these sensors stop working due to dead batteries or faulty components. At Jamie’s Tire & Service, we have special tools to test and reprogram these sensors if they can be fixed, and we stock high quality replacements for when they are unrepairable.

Is your TPMS Light On? We Can Help!

If your TPMS Light is on, there’s no better place to call than Jamie’s Tire & Service. Our Tire Centers in Fairborn, Beavercreek, Dayton, and Xenia are here for you and our team will help make sure your tires are properly aired up. Whether you need your tire pressure topped off, a puncture patched, or a TPMS sensor replaced, we will make sure your vehicle is ready for the road. Give us a call or schedule online today at JamiesTire.com.

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