Tire pressure light flashing or on: what it means and what to do
A steady tire pressure light means one or more tires is well below the pressure it should be. A light that flashes for about a minute and then stays on means something different: the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) itself has a problem, so it may not warn you about low pressure. That’s how 61 of the 128 owner’s manuals we read with a TPMS light describe it.
Flashing vs steady: what to do
- Steady: check all four tires with a gauge when they’re cold and inflate them to the pressure on your door-jamb label (see finding the right tire pressure). Many manuals say to stop and check as soon as it’s safe, because a badly underinflated tire can overheat and fail.
- Flashing, then steady: the system has a fault. Common reasons the manuals give include a spare or a replacement wheel without a working sensor, and new tires or wheels; 24 of the manuals mention tires, wheels or the spare in this context. Have it checked soon, and check your pressures by hand until it’s fixed.
- Light comes on in cold weather: tire pressure drops as the air cools, so the light often appears on the first cold morning. Inflate to the label pressure; don’t just wait for it to go out.
Turning the light off
Once the pressures are right, many cars turn the light off after a short drive; others need a reset or calibration from the menu or a button. Find your car’s steps in TPMS reset by vehicle.
Examples from owner’s manuals
- Honda CR-V: Low Tire Pressure/TPMS Indicator. A tire pressure is significantly low or TPMS is uncalibrated. Blinking about a minute then staying on indicates a TPMS problem.
- Chevrolet Equinox: Low Tire Pressure Warning Light. One or more tires are significantly under-inflated. Flashing about a minute, then staying on, indicates a TPMS malfunction, such as a missing or inoperable sensor.
- Nissan Rogue: Low tire pressure warning light. Warns of low tire pressure; flashing about 1 minute then staying on indicates a TPMS malfunction.
- Ford Explorer: Low tire pressure telltale. One or more tires are significantly underinflated. If it flashes about a minute then stays on, the monitoring system has a malfunction.
Every model’s lights are in Warning lights by vehicle.
Tools for tire pressure
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