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Your vehicle’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Your car’s TPMS can save lives and fuel - but it needs to be maintained. If your vehicle was made after 2002, chances are pretty good that it has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Mandated by the Federal Government as a standard safety feature on all 2008 cars, vans, or light trucks, millions of TPMS equipped cars are already rolling on US roads. This system constantly monitors your car’s tire pressure and alerts you if it falls below a preset limit. This way you can make sure your tire pressure stays within the safety limits and you are immediately aware of a drop in pressure below that limit. Accurate tire inflation keeps you in control
According to Steve Landis, TPMS Product Manager at Continental Corporation, “TPMS is a good idea for both safety and economics. With properly inflated tires, your steering, brakes and suspension can do their job properly to keep you in control. You’ll also prevent your tires from wearing out prematurely and get better gas mileage. TPMS offers an extra benefit for cars with “run flat” tires. These tires are built so well that a pressure drop could go unnoticed. TPMS can help prevent tire damage or a serious accident.”

Proper service keeps TPMS on the job
Landis also notes, “Sooner or later, either the TPMS or your tires will have to be serviced, and certain parts will have to be replaced. That means your repair shop needs to understand the system and must have the right equipment and parts to do the job. Standard tire valve service will not work on TPMS-equipped tires and should not be used. So, make sure that your technician knows that your vehicle has TPMS.”

Your tire pressure monitoring system needs to be serviced whenever you have a flat or slow leak repair, replace tires, switch over to snow tires, or change wheels, especially if you upgrade to a custom tire and/or rim size. If the sensor fails or is damaged during tire removal or mounting, it will have to be replaced.

Your repair shop should check the TPMS to make sure it is working properly before returning the car to you. It is against the law to disable TPMS. Always consult your owner's manual for vehicle-specific information.

Continental Corporation offers a complete line of TPMS Replacement Parts. To learn more about Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems and Replacement Parts, visit: www.continental-corporation.com.