How To Reset Your Tire Pressure Light
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The tire pressure light is a component of the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), which is a warning system that informs the car owner that there’s an unsafe pressure change in one of the tires. The tire pressure light will activate when a 25% drop in pressure occurs, accompanied by an audible warning to notify the driver.
Your car’s tire pressure light is an important safety feature that you can’t afford to ignore, so it’s best to exercise caution and address the issue as soon as possible.
In most cases, if the tire pressure light comes on, inflating your tires will cause the light to go off on its own. However, it’s fairly common for the tire pressure light to stay on even after inflating the tire.
Today, we have a quick guide on how to reset your tire pressure light and everything else you need to know about this issue.
Why Is My TPMS Light On?
The TPMS sensor is the dashboard light indicator that stays on if one or more of your tires have insufficient pressure and are under-inflated. If left unchecked, this can result in faster wear-and-tear and potential tire failure.
Keep in mind that it’s only a concern if the TPMS light stays on after turning on or driving the vehicle. It’s normal for most vehicles to flash all of their dashboard warning lights after startup then quickly go away. If the TPMS or any other indicator stays on, you have a problem.
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Reset Your Tire Pressure Light: A Step-by-Step Guide
Below are the steps on how to reset your tire pressure light:
- Before you try to reset your tire pressure light, ensure that you have the correct tire pressure in the first place. Check your tire pressure using a tire pressure gauge. Please refer to our DIY car repair guide on how to accurately check your tire pressure.
- Find a county road or state highway and drive at or above 50 mph for about 10 minutes to reset the sensor. Some vehicles may require faster speeds, and you may also use the cruise control for a constant speed. This step is for calibrating the sensor the next time you turn on the car.
- Find a safe place to park and turn off your car.
- Without actually starting your vehicle, turn your car key to the “ON” position. Press and hold the TPMS button until the tire pressure light blinks three times, then release. NOTE: Most vehicles with direct TPMS have the reset button underneath the steering wheel. Refer to the owner’s manual to locate the reset button for your car.
- Turn on the car and drive for about 20 minutes until the sensor resets. After 20 minutes, the light should go off on its own.
Other Methods
If, for some reason, the tire pressure light doesn’t go away performing the steps above, here are some other methods on how to reset your pressure light. Keep in mind that these solutions are a bit more involved and time-consuming.
If you’re not confident that you can’t perform the steps below, let a professional at the nearest tire service center do it for you.
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Over-Inflate the Tires
With a pressure gauge handy, over-inflate all of your tires to 3 PSI above the recommended amount, then completely deflate them. You may need to include your spare tire as well since it may have a sensor as well. After deflating the tires, re-inflate them to the suggested PSI.
Inflating and deflating your tires can help recalibrate the TPMS sensors and may fix the tire pressure light issue.
Disconnect and Reconnect the Car Battery
Once in a while, your car’s onboard computer may experience a glitch or two. Resetting the onboard computer is one of the best ways to fix such glitches, and it’s done by simply disconnecting and reconnecting the car battery.
With the vehicle off, pop open the hood and look for the positive terminal of the battery. Unhook the positive terminal to disconnect the battery. Turn the car key into the “ON” position and press the car horn to discharge the residual power. Reconnect the battery and check if the TPMS light went away.
Use a TPMS Tool
Sometimes you’ll have to reprogram the TPMS sensors in the event that they lost their information. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of TPMS tools that you can use to reprogram with a click of a button.
If you’re interested in buying a TPMS relearn tool, places like Amazon and your local auto shop should have them. Also, if you have an OBD2 scanner lying around, you can use it to reset the TPMS light. Make sure that the tool you’re buying is compatible with the make and model of your vehicle.
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How Can I Tell If My Tires are the Problem?
If your TPMS keeps going on and off, there may be something wrong with your tires. How can you know if the tires are the source of the problem?
- If it’s been a while since you got yourself a new set, or you have no idea when to rotate or switch out your tires, there’s a good chance that your tires have succumbed to the good old wear-and-tear.
- Extreme heat and cold or rapid temperature changes can cause the tire pressure to fluctuate rapidly. For every ten degrees drop in temperature, your car tires will lose one or two PSI. If the TPMS light comes on at a certain time of the day, that’s an indication that the change is due to the weather. A good rule of thumb is to always check your tire pressure and keep the PSI as close to the recommended amount as possible.
That wraps up our guide on how to reset your tire pressure light. Whenever your TPMS light comes on, you should check your tire pressure as soon as you can. Addressing low tire pressure isn’t just about tire maintenance, but it’s ultimately for your safety as well. The tire pressure light is a handy safety feature that you shouldn’t ignore at all costs.
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