The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is a safety feature that alerts drivers when the air pressure in one or more tires is low. You can identify the warning light by the exclamation point inside of a horseshoe-shaped outline.
This light warns that there is a malfunction in the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) tells you when one or more of your tires are low on air pressure.
The TPMS warning light will illuminate and blink if it has a malfunction. If this occurs, have your vehicle inspected by an authorized dealer as soon as possible.
Table of Contents
What is the reason for the tire pressure light blinking?
The TPMS light in your car exists to ensure that you are driving safely at all times. The sensors in the tires track the pressure and temperature of the tire while you are driving and report back to the TPMS light in the instrument panel.
If there is a problem, the TPMS light will come on and let you know that there is an issue with your tires.
If the light is flashing, it can mean a few different things. In some cases, it means that there is an issue with one of the sensors that needs to be addressed immediately.
This could be caused by a flat tire or a damaged sensor. In other cases, it might just mean that the batteries in one of the sensors need to be replaced.
Can I drive with a blinking tire pressure light?
Flashing tire pressure light is the warning that one or more of your tires is low on air pressure. The tire pressure light should be flashing when you start your car and should turn off after a few seconds.
If it does not turn off, it means that there is a problem with the tire pressure monitoring system.
The tire pressure light blinking may indicate that a tire has lost more than 25% of its air pressure. This may be a sign of a serious problem, such as a large gash in the sidewall of the tire.
The car will be riding on an under-inflated tire for an extended period of time until you stop to check the tires.
Driving with low air pressure in one of your tires can cause uneven wear and put you at risk for a flat tire or blowout, which can be dangerous. It is also against the law to drive with low air pressure in any of your tires.
Why does my low tire pressure light blink?
Low tire pressure can cause the TPMS light to blink.
Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are designed to warn you when your tires are underinflated, which can lead to flat tires, blowouts, poor handling, and reduced fuel economy.
Typically, the low tire pressure light will come on briefly when you start your car. They should go off when the engine is started. If it stays on or comes on while you’re driving, one or more of your tires is significantly underinflated.
A blinking tire pressure light means that the TPMS has detected a malfunction in the system; it could be a problem with the sensors themselves or a problem with the vehicle’s computer.
A blinking light typically means there is something wrong with the system; if you see one, take your vehicle to a service center as soon as possible.
What does a flashing air pressure light mean?
When the tire pressure light flashes, it means that there is a problem with the monitoring system. This could be because of a malfunctioning sensor or a faulty receiver.
The system should be checked by a qualified technician as soon as possible to ensure that your tires are properly monitored.
In some cases, you may be able to reset the tire pressure monitor yourself.
To do this, first, make sure that your tires are inflated to their correct air pressure levels. Then, turn off your car and start it again while holding down the “reset” button on your dashboard. If everything works properly, the light will stop blinking and remain off.
If the light doesn’t go off after this reset procedure, you should contact your mechanic.
Why is my tire light on, but the tires are full?
If the light is blinking, it means that the pressure in one or more tires is so low that the car’s safety systems have been disabled. Stop somewhere safe as soon as possible and check your tire pressures using a gauge; don’t just re-inflate your tires.
Many drivers are confused by the TPMS system’s warnings. “My light is on, but my tires look OK,” they say. It may be tempting to ignore the warning and keep driving, but this is not a good idea.
The first thing to remember is that when your TPMS light comes on, it means that at least one tire has lost 25 percent of its recommended air pressure.
If this were an ordinary tire, you might not notice any difference — particularly if you weren’t already aware of how much air pressure was supposed to be in there.
But this is a TPMS-equipped tire: In addition to being full of air, it contains a sensor capable of measuring the exact pressure inside itself and transmitting this information to the car’s monitoring system.
What Does It Mean When the TPMS Light is Flashing?
The tire pressure sensors use a battery, and if the TPMS light is flashing, it could mean that the battery needs to be replaced. If you remove the tire from the rim, you’ll see a small cylinder, which is the tire pressure sensor. This part will have to be replaced if it’s not working properly.
Another reason for this flashing warning light could be due to a faulty pressure sensor valve. The valve helps keep the air in your tires and also has an electronic transmitter that sends data to your car’s computer, so it knows when you have low tires.
If there’s something wrong with this valve, then it won’t send accurate data to your car’s computer, causing the TPMS light to flash. The valve stem will have to be replaced if it’s malfunctioning.
Why are my tires losing air?
When the temperature drops, so do your tire pressures. That’s because all air is a gas, and just like other gasses, it expands when it gets hot and shrinks when it cools down.
So in the summer, your tire pressure readings may be at 35 psi (pounds per square inch), for example. But in the winter, that same pressure may be down to 30 psi.
That might not sound like much, but it can be the difference between a low tire pressure warning light coming on (or not).
Why does my tire pressure drop in the fall?
It’s a little more complicated than that. First, you need to know that your vehicle’s tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is calibrated at the factory to indicate an underinflated condition when any of your tires is 25 percent below its recommended inflation pressure.
So if your tires are supposed to be inflated to 35 psi, then any reading of 26 psi or less would trigger an underinflated warning light.
And since air expands when heated and contracts when cooled, the outside temperature has a big impact on how much air is in your tires.
What does the TPMS light mean on a vehicle?
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is a safety system that gives the driver a warning if the tire pressure becomes too low. The system is designed to detect low tire pressure by means of Tire Pressure Sensors that are fitted in each wheel.
These sensors send signals to a receiver within the vehicle, which will then light up a small symbol on the dashboard as soon as any tire drops below the threshold pressure.
It is important to act quickly when this warning light appears because driving with low tire pressure can cause serious damage to your tires and even lead to accidents. In order to prevent this from happening, simply fill your tires with air in an appropriate manner.
There are two types of TPMS systems in vehicles: Direct and Indirect.
When a vehicle has a direct TPMS system, it means that there is a sensor mounted inside each tire. When one of the tires loses air, the sensor detects this and sends out a signal that alerts the vehicle’s computer about the problem.
An indirect TPMS system doesn’t have sensors installed in each tire. Instead, it uses existing ABS sensors on the wheels to check for any differences in tire rotations when driving at low speeds or braking.
When should the tire pressure warning light be on?
The tire pressure warning light should be on when the key is first turned to the “on” position. It should turn off after about three seconds if the tires are properly inflated. If it does not, you have a problem.
If your tire pressure warning light remains on even after you’ve checked and corrected the tire pressures, you should bring your car in for service as soon as possible.
If a TPMS sensor goes bad, it may cause the warning light to stay on even after the problem has been fixed. In other cases, it may mean that one or more of your tires is dangerously underinflated and must be addressed immediately.
When you start the car, the low-pressure warning light should come on. When the car is started, it will briefly show the system check.
This is where the tire pressure warning light blinks. Then, after a second or two, if everything is OK, then it should go off and stay off.
If everything is not OK, then it will either stay on all of the time, come on when you are driving (which would be a slow leak), or blink to warn you that the air pressure in one of your tires is too low.
If the tire pressure warning light is flashing, it means that one or more of your tires have lost a significant amount of air pressure. This could be due to a puncture or other damage.
If this light is on and not flashing, it means that your tires are at their recommended pressure, but the warning system needs to be reset.
The solution is simple: add air to your tires until the light turns off. However, if you’ve already tried this and the light continues to flash, you may have a puncture or other damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you fix tire pressure?
Fixing a tire pressure warning light can be as simple as adding air to your tires or resetting the TPMS system.
If you have a system with individual sensors, one of them can fail and need to be replaced.
If you are driving with low tire pressure, it can cause bad gas mileage and damage to your tires.
2. Will the tire light come on if pressure is too high?
The tire pressure light will come on if the pressure is too high. It’s not a warning to add air. It’s a warning that the tires are overinflated and might have problems.
3. Why do I have to put air in my tire every week?
There’s no way to tell with certainty why you have to put air in your tire every week. The only way to find out is to use a tire pressure gauge and actually measure the pressure, then see how much it drops in a week. You might be surprised at the answer.
4. Why won’t my tire pressure go up?
If the pressure won’t go up when you add air, there’s almost certainly a leak, and you need to get it fixed ASAP before that tire goes flat.
Conclusion
Although the TPMS light is often a warning that one or more of your tires is under-inflated, it may also indicate that the sensor battery needs to be replaced.
If you have recently had the tires rotated and you notice that the TPMS light is flashing, it could mean that the tire pressure sensors need to be reset.
