Posted on 6/5/2013
TPMS Warning Light The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is an electronic system that alerts the driver when the car’s tire pressure has fallen below an acceptable level of inflation by means of a dashboard warning light. The purpose of the TPMS is to improve vehicle handling, increase road safety and fuel economy, and decrease stopping distance and tire tread wear. Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enacted the TREAD Act of 2008, a mandate that all vehicles be equipped with a TPMS, most Volvos, Saabs, Subarus and Minis have opted toward a direct TPMS, which uses a wheel-mounted sensor that measures air pressure. When air pressure drops 25% below the manufacturer’s recommended level, the sensor tells your car’s computer and triggers the dashboard warning light. Another possible option, which we see on vehicles manufactured before the technology was mandatory is the i ... read more