Low Tire Pressure Indicator: Service and Repair

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS - if equipped)

The tire pressure monitoring system provides the driver with a warning message indicating by sending a signal from a sensor that is installed in each wheel when tire pressure is severely low. The tire pressure monitoring system will activate only when the vehicle is driven. Also, this system may not react immediately to a sudden drop in tire pressure (for example, a blowout caused by running over a sharp object).

If you adjust the tire pressures in a warm garage and will then drive the vehicle in cold outside air, the resulting drop in tire pressures may cause the low tire pressure warning light to come on. To avoid this problem when adjusting the tire pressures in a warm garage, inflate the tires to pressures higher than those shown on the tire placard. Specifically, inflate them by an extra 1 psi (6.9 kPa, for every difference of 10°F (5.6°C) between the temperature in the garage and the temperature outside. By way of example the following table shows the required tire pressures that correspond to various outside temperatures when the temperature in the garage is 60°F (15.6°C).






If the low tire pressure warning light comes on when you drive the vehicle in cold outside air after adjusting the tire pressures in a warm garage, re-adjust the tire pressures using the method described above. Then, increase the vehicle speed to at least 20 mph (32 km/h) and check to see that the low tire pressure warning light goes off a few minutes later. If the low tire pressure warning light does not go off, the tire pressure monitoring system may not be functioning normally.