- TPMS fault appears when tire pressure is off or TPMS/ECU problem
- Causes include faulty TPMS control unit, sensor reset needed, bad cables; read codes with OBD2
- Newer cars have in-tire sensors; older cars rely on ABS for pressure
- Inflate all tires correctly with a manometer to fix the error
**Have you ever been driving and suddenly you got the “Tire pressure sensor anomaly” on your dashboard ?
If the answer is yes, you’ve probably asked yourself a lot of questions about said message, and you’ve probably already imagined scenarios with your car in service, and you’ve probably already thought how much it will cost to fix the problem.
Well, have you ever wondered if the message “Tire pressure sensor fault” will disappear from the dashboard immediately after you inflate your tires ? In the following in this article we will discuss more important details about this message that may appear in the dashboard of the car.
What is “tire pressure sensor failure”?
First of all, you should know that “Tire pressure sensor fault” is a message that you will encounter when there is an error code in the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
This error code is intended to inform you that the tire pressure is lower than it should be or that it is higher than it should be. This error code can also inform you that a tire might have a problem.
There is also the possibility that this message may appear in the dashboard of the car due to the fact that there is a faulty control unit for TPMS, or a TPMS that needs to be reset. There may even be faulty cables, which can lead to the message.
To detect all these problems, however, it is necessary to use an OBD2 scanner, so that all existing problem codes in the car’s control unit can be read.
How TPMS works
TPMS systems have two operating principles, depending on the age of the car. Newer cars from 2007 are equipped with this system, so we specify that there are different car models that in each tire have such a sensor, and the respective sensors feel the air pressure in the tires, and then transmit the pressure of the unit. TPMS control.
If the air pressure in the wheels is too low or too high, then the control unit will not be able to communicate with the sensors, and in this way the following message will appear in the dashboard of the car: “Tire pressure sensor fault “.
But there are also cars that do not have sensors in the tires. Regarding these cars, it is important to mention that they use ABS sensors to calculate the wheel rotation. If you are faced with a low pressure, then the diameter of the wheels will become smaller and it will be necessary for it to rotate faster than the others, in order to obtain the same speed.
In this case, if only one wheel has such a problem, an error code will be stored in the TPMS or ABS system, and the message “Tire pressure sensor fault “ will appear on the dashboard of the car, so it will be necessary to use the OBD2 scanner for error reading.
How to fix a tire pressure sensor error code?
First of all, it is extremely important to make sure that in all 4 tires, there is a correct air pressure, it is important to use a manometer for this. Then, it is also very important to mention that in order to find out what is the required pressure in the car’s wheels, you must check the tire pressure label.
Depending on the make and model of the car, you can find this label on the body behind the driver’s door, or if you do not find that label, you can search for information in the car service book.
A very important detail that you must keep in mind is that if you put air in the tires when they are hot, it is necessary to inflate the wheels with a pressure lower than indicated. It is also very important to know that the air pressure in the wheels differs a lot depending on the temperature of the tire.
If the label recommends inflating the tires to 2.2 bar, if the wheel air pressure drops below this pressure, the car’s TPMS system will store an error code.
However, if you inflate the wheels to 2.2 bar when they are hot, it is possible that when the wheels cool down, the air pressure will drop to only 2 bar, and for this reason the error code will be triggered again.
Now, you are probably wondering what to do. Well, in these conditions it is necessary to inflate the wheels at a slightly higher pressure than the label recommends. Then, after inflating the wheels and the air pressure is the recommended one, you have to manually reset the system.
There are cars with a reset button, or there are cars that need to be driven for about a quarter of an hour for the instrument panel light to go out. To find out how to reset the TPMS system of the car you own, it is advisable to study the car service book very carefully.
But if you reset the car’s TPMS system but the problem persists, then you will definitely need to read all the TPMS system error codes to find out exactly what the error codes are. The problem may be a communication error with one of the wheel air pressure sensors, or such a sensor may be damaged.
There are situations in which the connection between the control unit and the sensors is lost, and this must be restored with a TPMS activation tool, compatible with the machine.
Where are the wheel air pressure sensors located?
In most cases, when talking about these sensors, it should be noted that their place is inside the car tire. These can usually be seen when you see the wheel air valve.
To know if the car has such a sensor or not, it is necessary to see if there is an installed nut around the valve. There are small exceptions in which cars have these sensors, but the respective nuts are missing.
But the simplest solution to find out if the car has air pressure sensors in the tires is to remove the tires from the rim.
Conclusions
If the error message regarding the wheel air pressure sensor appears in the dashboard of the car, it is necessary to first check the correct wheel air pressure and then reset the TPMS system.
Each time you inflate the car’s wheels, add a little more air than recommended, because then when the tires are cold, the air pressure in the wheels will be lower.
There are situations where it is necessary to activate or reprogram TPMS sensors, using a tool specially designed to activate TPMS.
Read the error code memory using the OBD2 scanner, and in this way you will discover the reason why the error message of the wheel air pressure sensor appeared in the dashboard.
So, these are some of the most important details you need to know about the air pressure in the car’s wheels.
