What to do when your car’s tire pressure monitoring light comes on? Different solutions for different situations
1. Tire puncture causing the tire pressure monitoring light to come on
This usually results in a very slow leak, making it difficult to immediately identify which tire is affected. Use a tire pressure gauge to measure the pressure: front tires 2.3 bar, rear tires 2.5 bar. If the tire is low on pressure, inflate it. Then observe the tire pressure warning light. If it comes on again after a few days, you may need to remove the tire for inspection. Repair shop personnel typically adjust the pressure of the two front tires to 2.3 bar and the rear tires to 2.4 bar, then deactivate the tire pressure warning light and ask you to drive for 3-4 days. If the warning light doesn’t come on again, there’s no problem. If it comes on again, it’s likely a tire has been punctured, and you’ll need to take your car back to a repair shop for further inspection.
2. Tire pressure monitoring light sometimes illuminates due to overinflation.
The international standard GB/T 2978-2008 typically specifies the following tire inflation pressures for passenger cars, as required by Tables 1-15: Standard tires: 2.4-2.5 bar; Reinforced tires: 2.8-2.9 bar; Maximum pressure: not exceeding 3.5 bar. Therefore, if any tire exceeds 3.0 bar, the tire pressure monitoring light will illuminate.
3. Tire pressure monitoring light illuminates due to prolonged driving with low tire pressure.
This usually occurs when a tire has low pressure, and high-speed driving causes the tire temperature to rise, leading to increased tire pressure. In this case, you should stop and rest immediately or replace the tire with the spare.
4. Tire pressure monitoring light illuminates due to low tire pressure from not inflating for a long time.
When the tire pressure is below 1.8 bar, the tire pressure monitoring light will illuminate. Therefore, regular checks should be performed to ensure the tire pressure monitoring system is functioning correctly. If the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) fails to warn you of a problem when a vehicle malfunctions, the TPMS is faulty. If the indicator light and the TPMS indicator light illuminate simultaneously for 2 seconds after the ignition switch is ON/START and then turn off, then either the original receiver was not properly trained and bound, or the receiver controller was previously replaced and was not properly trained and bound. A professional can use a handheld training tool to reacquire all tire sensor IDs and bind the receiver controller.
Warning:
If the TPMS warning light illuminates while driving, remain calm and do not panic. Immediately reduce your speed and avoid sharp steering and sudden braking. Check your tires immediately.
If you have your own tire inflator, pull over and inflate each tire. Otherwise, drive slowly to the nearest auto repair shop.
If no tires show obvious leaks, inflate each tire at an inflatable facility. Wait until the next day or longer to see if the warning light still comes on. If it does, it means one of the tires has a nail in it and needs to be repaired. After fixing it, the warning light won’t go away on its own; you need to press and hold the “set” button until it disappears.