Have you ever wondered what that U-shaped light with an exclamation point on your dashboard means? This warning light is called your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light. The TPMS light alerts you when one or more of your lights are improperly inflated.

Years ago, studies showed that tire-related concerns caused a significant number of road accidents. Many of them were because of underinflated tires, which caused challenges in handling the vehicle. Worse, some underinflated tires resulted in tire blowouts that startled the driver and caused sudden braking or swerving. This resulted in accidents that endangered the lives of other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The studies led to a decision to make TPMS mandatory. In the US, this started in the early 2000s. In Europe, the TPMS warning light became mandatory in 2014. This significantly helped reduce tire-related accidents globally.

What to Do When Your TPMS Light Turns On

The most common complaint from vehicle owners regarding the TPMS warning light is that it sometimes lights up even if the tires are inflated properly. Have you ever experienced this?

If your TPMS light turns on, don’t panic. Stop and park your car. Then, check the tires manually if all are correctly inflated. If you don’t have a tire gauge, drive to the nearest gas station and try to borrow one. You can also go to the nearest auto parts shop and buy one.

When one of your tires has a low-pressure level, inflate them. If your TPMS light is working properly, then inflating your tires should be enough for the warning light to turn off.

However, there may be times when the air pressure in your tires are within the manufacturer’s recommended level, but the warning light stays on. So, what do you do then?

Unfortunately, while the TPMS warning light is supposed to be a helpful tool, it can also malfunction. To be precise, it can give false alerts, lighting up even if your tires are not underinflated or overinflated. This is one reason why vehicle owners choose to disable this safety feature using a TPMS bypass emulator.

How to Address a TPMS Light Malfunction

It can be annoying, even inconvenient, to find out that all your tires are properly inflated, but the TPMS warning light is still on. Knowing the possible causes of the malfunction can minimise your frustration and save you time.

There are several possible causes of a TPMS light malfunction.

If you had your tires replaced recently, you need to do a TPMS reset. Skipping this crucial step can cause the system to malfunction. Make sure your tires are properly inflated before you do a reset. You may refer to your vehicle’s manual or ask assistance from your trusted mechanic if you don’t know how to do this. To learn more about TPMS reset, click here.

If this doesn’t work, you need to check if all your TPMS sensors are working correctly. It is possible that one of your TPMS sensors needs a battery replacement. If this is the case, you just have to buy a new sensor. The batteries are built-in, so you have to replace the sensor and not just the battery.

Another possibility is a damaged sensor. These devices are hard-wearing, but they get worn out over time. Moreover, frequently driving under rough conditions can cause premature damages. If your transponder is damaged, you have to replace it to turn off the warning light.

Keep in mind, you need to reprogram your TPMS after installing your new sensor. This is necessary for the system to sync with your new transponder. You can expect the TPMS warning light to give false alerts when you fail to do this step.

In summary, your TPMS warning light turns on even if your tires are fine. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as not doing a TPMS reset, not programming the sensors, failing battery and broken or damaged sensors.

These issues can be resolved, but dealing with them can be expensive.  For example, sensor replacement costs around €45 to 215 per tire, depending on the vehicle. Meanwhile, the price of a TPMS reset is about €35 to €45.

Given these costs and the inconvenience of dealing with false alerts, some choose to bypass their TPMS. It’s an option you can consider, but make sure you are disciplined enough to check your tires’ pressure level regularly.

Are you tired of seeing your TPMS light on even if there are no issues with your tires’ pressure level? Why not disable your TPMS using our well-designed emulator? Visit our website now or call us on +44(0) 77 837 25020 (UK) or +353(0) 83 847 8878 (IRL) to learn more about our cutting edge product.