Q: Tire pressure sensor giving false warnings
I am just very frustrated with my 2010 Mazda3. I liked the added safety of sensors that could tell me if my tires were low on air or let air out if they happen to get overinflated. Unfortunately the valve stems and other components that came from the factory perform terribly. Is there an easy fix for this? The light on my dash is annoying and inspection is coming up, I don’t want a big expensive repair at 42,000 miles old.
Hello, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is an important system. It has helped reduce blowouts due to low tire pressure. The battery life of a tire pressure sensor is estimated to be five years. The battery life is reduced if you have tires replaced, or a blowout. The tire pressure sensor battery in each wheel can be checked with a scanner connected to the OBD port or a tire pressure monitor tool that can read data independently at each sensor. If you have to keep correcting tire pressure due to leaks you should have the tires, rims and valve stems checked for leaks. If the valve stems are leaking you might be covered under Mazda warranty technical service bulletin TSB 02-001/12 which covers the valve stems if they have neck breakage, hairline cracks, or the valve nuts have breakage. Mazda only recommends plastic caps. If the cap is made of metal or has a metal insert that will void the warranty due to galvanic corrosion causing more force needed to remove and install the cap causing strain on the valve stem.
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