The tire pressure monitoring system or TPMS is a little light that may blink periodically on your dashboard. Visually, it looks like a little U with a dot inside. This light is essentially telling you that one or more of your tire has low pressure. Many people tend to ignore this warning signal because the light usually turns off by itself.
How Does the Light Turn Off Itself?
On days when there are dramatic temperature changes from cold to hot, that light can go on and off. This is because on days of early spring and winter, there are many day to day weather changes. The tire’s pressure corresponds to these weather changes. The light can therefore come on as the tire loses pressure in the cold, and as the day warms up, the tires re-inflate and lights go back off.
You can be Stranded
If your tire pressure monitoring light has been on for a day or so, then you must address the pressure issue. You never know whether there is a nail in your tire or any other small air leakage. If that may be the case, then driving your car means that you are also running the risk of a flat tire, and possibly even get stranded.
Fuel Economy
Not to mention, driving with underinflated tires can be very taxing for your car’s engine, and you will suffer in terms of fuel consumption. This is because the car burning more fuel to drive the car forward due to the significant loss in traction. Not to mention, the tires can also no longer efficiently hold your weight in the air.
Disabling the TPMS Light
Sometimes the light will also turn on if your do not have TPMS sensors inside your tires. Nonetheless, if you have the light on and all your tires are running on optimum pressure, then you need to resort to options that fix this problem.
One option would be to replace your car tires with ones that have TPMS sensors, considering that your current ones don’t. As far as the standard disabling method goes, you will not find any. This is because it is illegal to disable the TBMS sensor in your car.
Installing a Switch
If your gauge cluster is displaying the light even if your tires have optimum pressure, then you need a replacement. Another solution is to install a switch to the gauge cluster that will allow you to choose whether or not you want to see the light.
To do this, you will need to remove the gauge cluster from your car, and install a switch to the printed circuit board inside. This is a job for a certified technician, and it is better that you take your car for a professional inspection and repair.
Overall, ignoring the TPMS signal warning can be the biggest mistake of your life. Road accidents caused because of underinflated tires can lead to fatal outcomes. Take your car to the technician quickly when you come across this problem.