Why does the tire pressure alarm not go off when the tire is flat?
2 Answers
Tire pressure alarm not going off when the tire is flat may indicate an issue with the tire pressure sensor. The tire pressure monitoring system is not a real-time monitoring function. When an abnormality occurs in the tire, the dashboard will automatically display a message. The display does not show specific numerical values, only indicating which tire has a problem. The working principle of the tire pressure monitoring system is: It uses pressure sensors installed in the tires to measure the tire pressure and wireless transmitters to send the pressure information from inside the tire to a central receiver module. How to reset the tire pressure alarm: There is a tire monitoring indicator button on the center console. After the system issues a low tire pressure warning, the vehicle must remain stationary for about one minute. Do not move the car or turn off and restart the ignition switch until the button is pressed to recalibrate the tire monitoring indicator. Find the tire pressure reset option in the settings on the center display. If none of the above works, you will need to go to a 4S shop to reset the tire pressure alarm. What to do if the tire pressure is insufficient: If no damage is visible, you can simply inflate the tire to the normal pressure and reset the tire pressure system. If inspection reveals that the tire has been punctured, drive to a tire shop promptly to have it repaired and then reinflate it. If the tire pressure warning reappears some time after inflation but there is no puncture, it may be due to air leakage caused by a deformed wheel rim. It is recommended to check the wheel rim and replace it if necessary.
The other day while driving, I noticed the front tire was a bit flat, but the tire pressure warning light on the dashboard didn't come on at all, which really puzzled me. Later, I figured it might be an issue with the tire pressure monitoring system—perhaps the sensor's battery had died. I'd been late replacing the battery before, and as a result, it stopped alerting me. It's also possible the tire was leaking too slowly, and the system's sensitivity couldn't keep up, missing the minor short-term changes. Additionally, if the car had recently had its tires replaced, the sensors might not have been installed properly or were misaligned, causing them to fail. I've also heard that sudden temperature drops can slightly reduce tire pressure, but if the system isn't properly calibrated, it might miss the alert threshold. When facing such issues, it's best to get it checked at a professional shop as soon as possible—driving with underinflated tires is unsafe, increasing the risk of losing control or a blowout. Nowadays, I've made it a habit to manually check the tire pressure every month to avoid any unnecessary worries.
