Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)

 

Having proper tire pressure allows for a nice smooth ride.  Tires can lose pressure and become imbalanced on the car. This will make for uneven wear as well as a rougher ride.  There are two types of TPMS . One is indirect TPMS and the other is direct TPMS. The indirect TPMS measures the size of the tire and the rate at which it rotates.  Tires rotate faster when they are under inflated. This sensor is set up to measure the rate at which the tire is rotating. It will throw an alarm if the tire starts to rotate faster than it should be based on the tire size.  This sensor must be reset after each experience of low tire pressure as it will not reset itself. If you have a TPMS indicator light on give us a call.

The indirect TPMS systems don’t actually touch the tire.  It is a computer that is watching the rotation of the tire.  It doesn’t work as a tire gauge would but off from a calculated rotation monitor.  This works in conjunction with an on board computer monitoring system for the entire car.  The disadvantages of this sort of system are that it has to be reset when anything is done to a tire.  This is just as a simple annoyance, however, it does bother some people more. This type of method can be unreliable if the tires are not worn evenly.  This also is unreliable if you don’t have the same type/brand of tire but have mixed tire brands/models. Also, it’s not accurate if you decide to put larger or smaller tires onto the vehicle. 

Direct TPMS

The direct TPMS systems are the systems that are monitoring each and every tire directly at the tire stem cap.  This is apart of the car’s computer system that will interpret when the car’s tires are in fact low and issue a warning light.  These systems are proprietary to the manufacturer and are quite complex in nature. If you are looking to have something replace within this system it will need to be done by a highly trained professional. 

There is no need to reset the system with a direct tire TPMS as there is with indirect.  There are batteries that power this system that lasts about a decade. Some of the advantages to the direct TPMS is that it is more accurate than indirect, it’s simple to use, it may be included on the car’s spare tire and it’s not prone to inaccuracies because of tire rotation and other tire fixes.  

The disadvantages of the direct TPMS systems is that they are expensive to install.  Most cars come from the factory with them already in the car. To re-synchronize, you will need some special and highly expensive equipment.  Re-synchronizing is easy, but this equipment can be quite costly. The sensors are susceptible to damage during tire repair and maintenance.  

If your TPMS indicator light is on.  You should come visit us at any of the 11 Rice Tire locations.  We will be happy to take a look at your tires and car to see how we can help.  We work with all makes and models of cars and understand the various types of sensors that are used.

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