Sometimes Tire Pressure Sensors Fail. Here’s How to Handle Them
See that lit-up exclamation point on your dash? That means one or more of your vehicle tires needs air. But if that light stubbornly stays on even after you visited the air pump, you may have a failing tire pressure monitoring system.
Here is why these sensors fail and what you should do when they stop working.
How Do Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Work?
TPMS measure tire pressure in two ways, direct and indirect.
Direct TPMS use sensors that measure pressure in the tires and send the data to the computer within the vehicle and displays it so the driver can see it. Indirect systems measure pressure by gathering data from the anti-lock brake system (ABS) and measuring the rate each wheel turns while driving to determine the pressure.
What Is a Tire Pressure Sensor Fault?
A TPMS fault occurs when there is an error within the system. A warning light comes on that says the vehicle can’t get any information from one or multiple tires. You can recognize a fault if your TPMS is giving constant warnings, improper readings or no reading at all.
What Causes These Faults?
There are various reasons a tire pressure sensor may fail and you receive a warning light in your vehicle. One of the most common being the sensor is dead or the TPMS battery has gone bad and it will need to be replaced. The sensor could also be damaged if the tires have significant contact with potholes or a curb. Other causes can be improper installation, corrosion or ice.
What to Do if Your TPMS Is Broken
Before cars were packed with technology controlling most of their features, tire pressure had to be checked the old-fashioned way. You would remove the valve stem cap on a tire and insert a small, pen-like gauge onto the stem and it would tell you whether the tire is above or below the recommended pressure.
If you have a tire pressure gauge handy and manually check your tire pressures often, then the electronic monitor malfunctioning isn’t going to be a significant problem for you. You can still pay to get the TPMS fixed or buy a part and work on it yourself, but it won’t affect how the vehicle drives.
No matter what course of action you take, always have your own gauge. They are cheap and can be found for sale at auto parts stores or online for under $20.
Keenan Thompson is a car culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Keenan at [email protected]. Follow him on Instagram at @keenanautos.
Reporting by Keenan Thompson, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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