Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Running on low air pressure isn’t just bad for your tire, it’s also bad for your gas mileage, vehicle performance, and the overall safety of you and your passengers. Accurately monitoring your vehicle’s tire pressure used to take discipline, dedication, and was honestly a bit of a hassle. Luckily things have changed since we opened our doors back in 1929.

Modern vehicles are often equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) that continually monitors tire pressure and alerts the driver with a warning light when there’s an issue.

A TPMS is an excellent, modern feature; that is until that little horseshoe shaped light stays illuminated after you’re sure your tires are already properly inflated.

If this happens to your TPMS warning light, don’t panic, and don’t dig out the black electrical tape to cover the light up!

There are two main types of TPMS. One is called Indirect TPMS and uses wheel speed sensors to monitor tire rotation in relation to the size of your tire. If a wheel starts spinning faster than expected, the TPMS will alert the driver that a tire is underinflated. The other type is called Direct TPMS and uses a sensor inside of each tire that monitors pressure directly. Since the direct method actually monitors air pressure instead of computing an estimate, it is considered the more accurate system, but also more expensive to service and monitor.

The good news is that no matter what kind of TPMS you have, the friendly technicians at Gateway Tire can repair it. Actually, we can repair your vehicle when any red or yellow light comes on!