Why does my TPMS light come on?

Do you ever wonder why that annoying TPMS light comes on while you are driving? Is this something that you should concern yourself with? Read on and find out what to do when that TPMS warning light comes on while you are traveling.

TPMS stands for Tire Pressure Monitoring System. We have all experienced this while traveling. Everything is going well. You are on the highway driving at normal speed and suddenly you see a warning light. The light is on either because the tire pressure is too low, or the pressure sensor is faulty. Now what?

My suggestion is to find a safe exit from the expressway. As soon as possible, stop your car, get out and have a look at all 4 of your tires. You should be looking for a tire that is soft. It will appear kind of squished down compared to the other tires. If you have a pressure gauge with you then well done. Use it to check the tire pressure on all your tires.

Expect the tire pressure to be 28 to 37 pounds on most cars. If any of your tires are below 28 pounds. but above 23 pounds, then drive to an auto repair shop and have your tires checked and filled. If a tire is below 23 pounds, then I recommend you move your spare tire down to replace the low tire.

This is because an extremely low tire will overheat while running at normal speeds and eventually fail. A good rule of thumb is to have your tires checked every 3 months, as tires normally leak down over time.