What does TPWS mean on a car?
2 Answers
TPWS on a car stands for Tire Pressure Warning System. When a TPWS fault code appears, it means the tire pressure needs calibration. Vehicles displaying this fault code are equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, which continuously monitors the car's tires in real time and alerts the driver to underinflated, overinflated, or leaking tires to ensure driving safety. Below is an introduction to tire pressure monitoring systems: 1. Indirect Tire Pressure Monitoring System: This system detects tire abnormalities by monitoring differences in tire rotation speed. 2. Direct Tire Pressure Monitoring System: This system uses four tire pressure sensors installed inside the tires to automatically monitor tire pressure and temperature in real time, whether the car is stationary or moving. It provides timely alerts for high pressure, low pressure, or high temperature in the tires, helping to prevent traffic accidents caused by tire issues and ensuring driving safety.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System, or TPMS, is a feature I often pay attention to while driving. It uses sensors installed inside the tires to monitor air pressure levels in real time. If the pressure drops below the safety standard, such as the manufacturer's recommended value, a warning light on the dashboard will illuminate to alert me. Once, during a long-distance drive, the system alerted me, and upon inspection, I found a nail in the tire sidewall. Timely repair prevented a potential blowout. These systems come in two types: direct and indirect. Direct systems use sensors to measure pressure directly, offering high accuracy but are susceptible to temperature variations. Indirect systems rely on wheel speed differences to estimate pressure, being simpler and more cost-effective. During maintenance, it's important to recalibrate the system after tire changes to avoid false alarms. This feature is incredibly useful—not only does it enhance driving safety by reducing the risk of loss of control, but it also indirectly improves fuel efficiency by about 5-10%, as proper tire pressure reduces rolling resistance. I recommend that car owners periodically check tire pressure manually and compare it with the system's data to ensure accuracy.
