TPMS Light Coming On in Cold Weather? Here’s Why

If your TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) warning light goes on during a cold snap, it may not mean your tire has a leak.

tire pressure light

screenshot/leeschwab.com

Tire pressure can decrease about 1 PSI (pound per square inch) for every 10 degrees the temperature drops. It’s not that more air is escaping your tires, but rather the air inside the tire condenses, taking up less space when it’s cold. It’s similar to how a cake, just out of the oven, flattens out a bit as it cools.

Tires also lose about 1 PSI per month just from seepage of air around the edge of the rim and through the tread itself.

These two factors combined can cause the air pressure in a tire to go 25 percent below the recommended fill pressure. This is what triggers the sensing transmitters inside your tires to illuminate your TPMS dash light. Whenever your TPMS light comes on, have your air checked and bring your tires up to the proper pressure.

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