Q: How does the tire pressure monitoring system work?

Your car is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that checks the pressure in each tire via a special sensor mounted inside the tire (it’s connected to the valve stem). When the system detects a drop in tire pressure beyond a specific threshold, it turns on the Low Tire Pressure light on the dash of your car. That’s your cue to find somewhere safe to pull over and check the pressure in each tire. Add air to the low tire and the Low Tire Pressure light in the dash should go off after a few miles of driving (the system has to recheck and verify the pressure before turning out).

Tips

• You’ll also see a message reading “Check tire pressure” on your vehicle’s information display.

• The TPMS is not a replacement for manually checking your tire pressure. Check your tires once per week with an accurate pressure gauge.

• If the TPMS light on the dash comes on, it indicates a problem with the monitoring system, not low tire pressure.