Yahoo Autos A Tire-Pressure Sensor Can Save You From Having a Blowout
A tire-pressure sensor is a small programmable electronic device, located in the pressurized pocket made by a wheel and tire, that constantly measures the air pressure inside the tire. The sensor transmits that information via low-frequency radio to the vehicle's onboard computer and, if the car has one, to a corresponding display in the instrument cluster. It reads out in pounds per square inch (psi), and it illuminates an amber warning light to alert you if one or more tires are low on air.
Tire-pressure sensors are integral to what is known as the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Millions of these systems have been fitted to passenger vehicles since the 2008 model year, when they were made mandatory in the United States. Tire-pressure sensors are usually attached to the valve-stem assembly of each tire and are powered by batteries.
It Warns You That Your Tire Is Low
In the event that the sensor detects that air pressure in a tire has dropped to a dangerously low level-25 percent below the recommended air pressure, according to federal government regulations-a warning message or light will display in the instrument cluster. Inflation pressure recommendations for the tires that originally come on a car can usually be found on a label on the driver's doorsill.
TPMS sensors are powered by batteries designed to last several years, but they do eventually lose their charge. Because the sensors cannot easily be removed, when their battery dies the entire sensor must be replaced.
Replacement tire sensors vary in price depending on your vehicle and can be found from many sources, from Amazon to Advance Auto Parts to Tire Rack-or at your local tire store. Expect to pay at least $100 for a set of four, and they need to be replaced at a repair facility or tire store. You can continue to drive indefinitely with a failed TPMS sensor in one or more of the wheels, but then the system will never be able to warn you if you've picked up a puncture in those tires and are on the verge of a blowout.
There is a second type of tire-pressure monitoring system, which works entirely differently. It does not employ tire-pressure sensors in the tires, relying instead on the anti-lock-braking system's wheel-speed sensors to determine if any particular tire's rotational speed is out of sync with the others. This indicates that the suspect tire's circumference has changed and that it could have lost air pressure.
To ensure that your vehicle's TPMS system's pressure sensors remain operational for as long as possible, always reaffix the valve-stem cap after checking air pressure or inflating the tires. This helps prevent valve-stem corrosion, particularly where salt is used to clear the roads in the winter.
If the TPMS Warning Light Comes On
If the TPMS warning light does illuminate-the light looks like a flat tire as viewed from behind the car-check your instrument cluster display and then use a tire-pressure gauge to check all four tires to determine which ones, if any, are low. Fill them to the manufacturer's recommendation as soon as possible, remembering that, if you've driven several miles to get to an air hose, your tires will have warmed up and you should inflate them evenly.
For example, if when you get to the gas station one tire is at 20 psi and the other three are at 34, bring the low tire up to the other three, as long they are at or above the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure.
However, if the TPMS warning comes on again after a short period of time-hours or days-you most likely have a leak in one of your tires. Get to a tire store and have it repaired without delay. Driving on a badly underinflated tire can destroy it; worse yet, it can cause you to lose control of your car and have an accident.
Finally, for drivers who keep a set of winter tires mounted on a second set of wheels for use in the snowy months, we recommend having compatible TPMS sensors installed on the second set of tires, too. That way, you're covered no matter the season or which tires you have on at the time. After all, we wouldn't want you to feel, ahem, deflated by getting a flat.
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