Solid light: low pressure
Every car and light truck from the 2008 model year on has a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The system warns you when a tire is significantly underinflated, about 25 percent low. Fill the tires to the pressure on the driver's door sticker, not the number on the tire, and the light should go off.
Flashing, then solid: sensor problem
If the light flashes for 60 to 90 seconds when you start the car and then stays on, the system has a fault. Often a sensor has died or been damaged. Adding air won't fix it. The sensor needs to be replaced and programmed to the car.
Why it comes on when it gets cold
Tires lose about 1 PSI for every 10 degree drop in temperature. On the first cold mornings in Rockford, that is enough to trip the light even without a leak. Top the tires up and check again.
If the light keeps coming back
A tire that keeps losing air usually has one of these:
- A nail or screw in the tread
- A cracked or leaking valve stem
- Corrosion where the tire meets the rim
TPMS service at our shop
We find the leak, replace valve stems, and replace and program sensor valves so the dash light goes off, usually while you wait. No appointment.
TPMS facts from NHTSA. Cold weather figure from AAA.