Many modern vehicles incorporate tire pressure monitoring systems to alert drivers when tire air pressure slips outside their manufacturer-specified Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI) range, helping avoid underinflation while improving fuel economy, handling, and tire wear. Such safety features provide valuable peace-of-mind.
But sometimes the TPMS light keeps flashing even after filling your tires up with fuel. Here are seven reasons this could be happening to you:
1. Low Tire Pressure
Underinflated tires create more rolling resistance, forcing your engine to work harder to maintain speed while using more gas. Furthermore, incorrect air pressure levels affect how onboard electronic emergency braking systems respond to sensor feedback; becoming less effective and increasing stopping distances as a result.
Vehicle sensors will typically sound an alarm if tire pressure falls below 32-35 PSI, and you can easily check this with either your owner’s manual or by looking at a sticker inside your driver’s door or manual.
Low tire pressure increases the risk of blowouts, posing an imminent safety hazard that may require costly repairs or even flat tires to rectify. One way to mitigate this issue is keeping an inflated spare tire with recommended PSI levels at hand.
2. Sensor Malfunction
TPMS systems usually consist of sensors that directly or indirectly monitor tire pressure. They send this data back to your car’s onboard system, which in turn triggers its warning light. However, malfunctioning sensors could prevent proper communication with their system and instead cause false-alarm warning lights to illuminate when no low tire pressure exists.
This can occur for various reasons, such as temperature changes that cause tire pressure to drop suddenly, internal damage such as punctures or broken sensors, or their batteries simply running out over time (9 years on average). Since sensors are sealed units requiring professional tools and knowledge about your vehicle to replace.
3. Dead Battery
An annoying tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light can be disconcerting when it is on, especially after taking care to properly fill your tires. If this has happened despite doing everything correctly and the tire pressure sensor still won’t switch off after filling them to their maximum levels, then chances are the battery in it has failed and won’t shut off automatically.
TPMS batteries are sealed units and typically last 9 years before needing replacing. The best way to test TPMS sensors’ batteries is with an inexpensive tool available at most tire shops; just $10 will get you all of the answers about whether your sensor is good or dead.
If the battery in your vehicle has died, it will no longer charge and must be replaced. At Sid Dillon service centers near you, our expert staff can identify the issue and get you back on the road quickly.
4. Bad Sensor
When your tire pressures meet the recommended levels, but your TPMS light still flashes, this could be an indicator that one or more sensors is defective. Sensors have limited lifespans; if one of them becomes compromised through wear-and-tear issues or battery malfunction, the light won’t go off until that sensor has been replaced with an updated model.
When your TPMS sensor malfunctions, it is best to let the experts at Sid Dillon service centers diagnose and resolve it quickly using professional equipment and knowledge. They can also clean the sensor while inspecting its wiring harness to identify possible causes for the issue. Don’t wait–call now to arrange service!
5. Communication Issues
Most vehicles today feature either direct or indirect tire pressure monitoring systems as more cost-effective alternatives to the TPMS sensors required by the TREAD Act in 2008. These systems are intended to alert drivers if their tires become underinflated; driving on underinflated tires can cause uneven wear that shortens tire lifespan, increases costs and compromises handling of your car as well as strain on its brake system.
After filling your tires, if your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light remains illuminated, use a professional tire gauge to inspect its sensor to make sure it hasn’t been affected by jostling during driving or broken sensors. Resetting may also be necessary; please refer to your owner’s manual or search online for assistance with that model and year vehicle.
6. Overfilling
Few dashboard notifications can be as annoying as when your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light stays illuminated after filling your tires up with air. TPMS systems are intended to alert users to low or overinflated tire conditions and recommend following their vehicle manufacturer’s recommended PSI levels for your specific tire type.
This reading may differ from that listed on the side of your tire, which indicates the maximum PSI allowed and should never be exceeded. Another issue could arise due to seasonal shifts in atmospheric pressure that cause changes that could cause an inaccurate reading by TPMS sensors and trigger warning lights.
Utilizing a reliable tire pressure gauge is key to ensuring you have the appropriate air pressure in your tires, with optimal results being seen when checked first thing in the morning when they are cold.
7. Damaged Tires
If the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light keeps flashing as you adjust your tires, there could be something amiss with either your sensor or system. A frayed or burned-out wire is often to blame and leads to false readings and warnings from TPMS sensors.
Your tires are intended to support your vehicle, so they must be strong. However, tire damage may cause its sidewall to fail in certain instances – usually as the result of driving over curbs, speed bumps, or other obstacles at high speeds and at an incorrect angle.
Cuts and gashes in tire sidewalls can lead to serious delamination of tread and plies or total tire failure, so it is wise to inspect tires regularly for damage and have any major concerns assessed by a qualified technician.