How to Check the Car Tire Pressure Monitoring System?
3 Answers
The car's tire pressure monitoring system can be viewed on the car's dashboard. Most tire pressure monitoring systems display the temperature and pressure of the tires on the central LCD screen or multimedia screen. For aftermarket tire pressure monitoring systems, an additional display can be used to check the readings. The car's tire pressure monitoring system provides safe and effective protection for driving. Any deviation from normal values indicates a fault in the car's tires. When the system detects an issue with tire pressure, it transmits the data via sensors to the tire pressure indicator light. The illuminated tire pressure indicator alerts the driver to check the car's tire pressure. There are two types of tire pressure monitoring systems: direct and indirect. The direct system uses pressure sensors, while the indirect system measures differences in air pressure and wheel speed.
As someone who pays close attention to car details, I find tire pressure monitoring quite intuitive. Every time I start the vehicle, I first check if the yellow tire pressure warning light on the dashboard is illuminated—it looks like a U-shaped tire with an exclamation mark in the middle. My car is equipped with a direct display system, so I can see the exact pressure values for all four wheels on the dashboard. The ideal cold tire pressure should be maintained between 2.3-2.5 bar. Last week, the system suddenly showed the left front tire dropping to 1.9 bar, and sure enough, I found a nail when I stopped to check. If I hadn't noticed it in time, it could have been dangerous on the highway. When driving, if I feel the steering wheel is unusually light or shaky, I always glance at the tire pressure data—this habit has helped me avoid several potential safety hazards. Tire pressure also fluctuates with significant temperature changes; I remember the readings tend to be lower on winter mornings, while they can get higher during long summer drives.
I've worked in a repair shop for ten years and often teach car owners how to read tire pressure monitoring. The simplest way is to start the vehicle and look for the display interface on the dashboard, then use the buttons to switch and check the tire status. The system will automatically alert when values are abnormal, and some cars even have specific location markers. When you see an alert, don't rush to inflate—first determine whether it's a real leak or a false alarm: after parking, observe if the suspicious tire looks noticeably flat; compare the system's displayed value with a manual tire pressure gauge reading in a cold state; if possible, reset the system and take a short test drive. Many car owners don't realize that the sensor batteries can deplete in five or six years, leading to inaccurate data. Once, while helping a customer change a tire, I discovered the sensor was covered in mud, causing delayed readings, so regularly cleaning the wheel hubs is also important.
