What Is TPMS and Why Is There an Error on My Dashboard? | Hometyre Mobile TPMS Repair, Service or Replacement Service

TPMS or Tyre Pressure Monitoring System in full, is a system that continually monitors the pressure of your tyres. First used on the Porsche 959, TPMS first hit the mainstream on the 1991 Chevrolet Corvette. Using Run-Flat tyres, the driver of the vehicle would not be able to identify if they had encountered a pressure loss so would need a visual indication, thus TPMS was installed. Now mandated on vehicles manufactured after 2012 (2007 in the USA), TPMS is still a subject very few people know about, let alone know how it works.

There are two different kinds of TPMS, Direct and Indirect.

- Direct systems have the sensor mounted directly to each wheels' valve in the tyre and can monitor the pressure of that wheel every millisecond allowing the driver to be notified immediately in the event of a pressure loss.

One of the down sides to this system is that because of the location of the sensor, over time the unit will be worn down and needs to be changed over. Purely due to the immense pressure and environment that the sensor sits in, some of the components might start to fail. In addition, these sensors are operated off of a battery which lasts (typically) 5-7 years before needing to be changed.

- Indirect systems connect directly to the wheel's ABS ring which relays back to a central computer in the car. These types of sensors are significantly cheaper than the direct sensors but don't allow the driver to monitor each tyre's pressure. These are collated and if one tyre goes down, won't tell the driver which one.

If you've seen the below on your dashboard, there could be a genuine issue with the vehicle or there could be an error in the TPMS. Firstly, if you're in a safe location, inspect the tyres to ensure that their pressures are all OK. If not, give us a call on 0333 444 5454 and we will try our hardest to get someone out to help!

Alternatively, if the tyres are fine and not showing any signs of pressure loss, there is probably a problem with the system. As there are many ways to reset these systems depending on the model of car, the brand and the country, it's not something we can easily write about or generalise. We would advise having one of our TPMS expert technicians coming out to you and inspecting the car! Fancy booking a slot? Give us a call on 0333 444 5454 or 0131 341 3424 !