The TPMS - Tyre Pressure Monitoring System warns you that one or more tyres are underinflated, which may cause dangerous driving conditions. You may have seen a yellow symbol appear on your dashboard and wonder what this symbol means. This yellow symbol is shaped like a tyre with an exclamation point in the middle of it.
It’s found that countless vehicles that travel each day with tyres that are significantly underinflated. If you were to keep a close eye on your tyres, as well as the help of TPMS you could lower your chances greatly of ending up in a serious car accident.
Although ignoring the warning symbol can seem the easy thing to do, it is vital to get your tyres checked out as it's likely that your tyres' air pressures are dangerously low.
However, TPMS has two different types, Indirect TPMS and Direct TPMS. The illumination of the low tyre pressure symbol represents the last step in the process of either a direct TPMS or an indirect TPMS.
An indirect TPMS works with wheel speed sensors that the ABS (anti-lock braking system) uses. If the tyre pressure is too low it will roll at a slower rate than the other tyres. The information is then picked up by the car's computer system, which subsequently triggers the dashboard indicator light.
Direct TPMS has pressure monitoring sensors that are mounted on the wheel to measure the air pressure for each of the tyres. Once the air pressure falls below 25% of the manufacturer's recommended level, the information is then passed onto the car's computer system, which then triggers the dashboard indicator light.
Tyre Techs have the equipment and specialist knowledge to check your car's TPMS system. During your annual vehicle inspection or when your tyres begin to show wear or uneven tread, your technician will inspect the TPMS and sensors to make sure it's operating properly. Even though a TPMS can give you accurate alerts when they are properly maintained, it can't be a replacement for your monthly manual tyre pressure checks.
Get your TPMS checked today!