Cold air and car tires

[hidden_waldo]

Here in parts of the Midwest we got down to about 17 degrees overnight and didn't get above 32 today.

Driving to work, the tire sensor pressure monitor went off in my car. Figured it would go off as I drove, but it did not.

Get ready to leave work tonight and break out the air pressure gauge. All the tires were down to 26 psi, crap.

Broke out the VIAIR air compressor, turned on the car and started airing them up.

Check your automotive air pressure early and often.

Picture of air compressor

[Bill Foster]

Agreed, Hidden Waldo (where are you anyway?)
When the leaves start falling, so goes the temperature and the tire pressure. The auto shops get flooded with Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) lights on. Some cars also have a monitor in the spare. The first couple of years of this, mechanics were having a heck of a time checking all four tires and couldn't make the light go out, forgetting about the spare in some vehicles. The manufacturers responded by removing the spare tire monitor, making the lights go off and the cost of the car go down, but not helping the consumer. So don't forget to check your spare from time to time.

Bill's tip of the day: After filling the tires, on some vehicles you must drive the car for 10-20 minutes waiting for the light to reset. Some, but not all, have a reset button on, or about your knees on the driver's side.

Second tip: If you have other wheels and tires on the vehicle, and you don't have the TPMS monitors switched over to the new wheels, and you don't want to have the light on all of the time, break down the spare and put all of the sensors in the spare. They are radio controlled and they don't know where they are, just that the pressure is correct.

[tech]

Regarding your second tip - this may or may not work. Some (many) require the sensor to rotate above a certain rate before they'll "wake up" and register. If you DO do this, don't forget that if you use the spare, it will be out of balance and the chances are real good you'll need four new sensors (from being smashed into one another.)

But yes, even a monthly check on tire pressure is a good idea and will help with tire life and safer handling.

[protus]

my tps turned on after temps reached the low 40's high 30's lol.

i went to test/fill but the air gauge we have sucks so i didnt want to over inflate. tires arent soft or bulging so...............

[Machrism82]

It's still in the 60s to low 50s at night so I haven't had this issue yet. It is coming though. My car has TPMS and no spare.

[cpt_sfc]

Thanks for the heads up. 29 degrees here and the tires were down to 27 from 35.