Modern vehicles come with Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) with a tire pressure sensor on each tire. And, occasionally, they need to be calibrated. We’ll explain the importance of your TPMS sensors and how to calibrate them so you always know you’re driving safely with the proper air pressure.

What does my tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) do?

Keeping your tires at the correct air pressure is important for safe and economical driving. If your tires begin to lose pressure, handling can become unpredictable, and you’re more likely to get into an accident. Plus, low pressure can really affect your fuel economy.

Your tire pressure monitoring system constantly checks your vehicle’s tire pressure, ensuring that all your tires remain at the recommended levels for safe driving. The TPMS uses sensors on each wheel that measure the pressure of your tires. If the pressure drops so that your tire becomes significantly under-inflated, the TPMS tire pressure light on your dashboard will come on, letting you know that you need to fill the tire with air and get it checked for a possible puncture.

This is really important as proper tire pressure is essential for fuel efficiency, tire lifespan, and, most importantly, safety. As it always monitors your air pressure, the tire pressure monitor system helps you avoid unexpected blowouts, uneven tire wear, and unpredictable handling.

Calibration 

How to calibrate your tire pressure sensor

With the two types of TPMS, direct and indirect, you can calibrate your own indirect TPMS system, but if you have a direct TPMS system, you need to go to a specialist tire shop to have them accurately calibrated with a relearn tool. To find out which type of TPMS you have, check your owner’s manual and then read on to learn how to calibrate the tire pressure sensor.

Direct and indirect TPMS

There are two types of TPMS systems available—to find out what you have, check your owner’s manual:

• Indirect TPMS systems measure the size of the tire and how fast it’s rotating to work out if it’s deflating or not—if the tire is losing pressure, it will have to rotate faster to keep up. These systems are cheaper and easier to maintain but may be less accurate and have to be reset every time you refill your tires with air or have them rotated or aligned. However, this is a simple procedure you can do yourself.
• Direct TPMS systems actually measure the tire pressure of each tire, so they are more accurate, but if they’re replaced, they need to be re-calibrated. This process needs to be carried out by a mechanic with specialist equipment and can’t be done at home.