How to Determine if a Tire Pressure Warning is a False Alarm?
4 Answers
Check the tire pressure data for each wheel, carefully identifying any leaks or problematic tires (slow leaks from small nails puncturing the tire are common). Repair or replace the problematic tire (if a single wheel patch exceeds 5 grams, a dynamic balance is required). Reinflate all four tires to 2.5Bar, then recalibrate via the central control screen. The New 8 series (both old and new models) comes standard with indirect tire pressure monitoring.
A few days ago, the tire pressure warning light in my car suddenly came on, which made me quite nervous. After parking, I checked the tires and they seemed fine, so I used the tire pressure gauge from the trunk to measure. All four tires were at 2.4 bar, close to the 2.5 bar indicated on the door label. I tried resetting the tire pressure monitoring system, and after driving for two days, the warning didn’t reappear—probably a false alarm. If there were a real issue, the light would definitely come back after repeated resets. I remember a similar false alarm last winter, and the repair shop said it was due to a sudden temperature drop causing the tires to contract, making the system overly sensitive. When driving, always keep an eye out for nails in the tires or false alarms triggered by not resetting the system after a tire repair.
Last month, my car's tire pressure warning went off three times, and I've summarized some lessons: First, don't rush to reset it. After parking, kick the tires to feel their firmness—normal tire pressure should rebound quickly. Then use a pressure gauge to test, and remember to check the spare tire as well. If the readings are normal, consider whether the tire pressure sensor is dirty or if the rim has been damaged. Once, after a tire repair, the mechanic forgot to reset the system, causing a false alarm on the highway. Additionally, temperature changes have a significant impact. In summer, touch the tires after parking to see if they're overheated, as testing in an overheated state can also be inaccurate.
Last week when the tire pressure warning light came on while I was on the highway, my immediate actions were: slowing down promptly and safely pulling over to inspect. First, I checked for any obvious air leaks or tire deformations, then used a flashlight to examine the sidewalls for cuts or damage. Next, I referred to the vehicle manual to confirm the standard tire pressure values. My car uses an indirect monitoring system, which is more prone to false alarms. It turned out that the sensors hadn't been recalibrated after a recent wheel replacement. In such cases, it's best not to push your luck—head straight to the dealership to have them scan for specific trouble codes with professional equipment. Their diagnostics will pinpoint exactly which wheel's data is abnormal.
