At first glance, it appears that tire pressure sensors are nothing more than an automated system with the sole purpose of alerting drivers when a tire is leaking air. But in reality, these devices are far more advanced than that. In fact, many new vehicles come equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that go beyond simple alerts and can actually detect when a tire is losing air and needs to be repaired or replaced. Keeping your tires properly inflated is essential for handling, performance, fuel efficiency, and most importantly safety. A correctly inflated tire will also extend the life of the tire by reducing the risk of blowouts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that up to 25% of automobile accidents are caused by under-inflated tires. We’ll cover all you need to know about how a TPMS works and what it does so you can keep your car driving safely on the road for as long as possible.
How Do Tire Pressure Sensors Work?
1. Pressure is measured.
The pressure inside a tire is constantly changing and the tire pressure sensors on your vehicle can measure the pressure in real-time. The sensors are able to do this because of the unique design of the sensor itself. Most tire pressure sensors are simple digital devices that have no moving parts and use an electrical current to detect changes in air pressure inside a tire. These devices can be programmed to detect when a certain amount of air has been lost in a specific tire, or they can be set up to automatically alert you when it’s time to check your tires for under-inflation or overinflation.
2. Pressure alerts are sent out via an alert signal.
When a sensor detects that there is less air in a tire than it should be, it sends out a signal that is received by the vehicle’s onboard computer system and then transmitted wirelessly to the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The ECU then takes action by sending out an alert message through your vehicle’s dashboard display screen so you know if you need to add air or have your tires rotated or balanced. If there is excessive air loss, your vehicle will also automatically start up its engine with as little as one pound of extra boost until all four tires are properly inflated again. You will also hear this warning through your audio system so you know right away if you need to get your car checked at a service center right away!
3. Air is added to the tires.
Once the vehicle ECU receives the alert, it immediately takes action by sending a signal to your car’s air conditioning system so that it can add air to your tires at up to ten pounds of boost pressure per tire. This will usually be enough to get you back on the road within a few seconds, but if you need more air, your vehicle will wait for you to add more air until all four tires are properly inflated again before restarting its engine with as little as one pound of extra boost pressure.
4. Alert is sent back out via an alert signal when the pressure has been stabilized.
When the vehicle ECU receives an alert from your TPMS sensors after adding air and stabilizing pressure in all four tires, it sends a signal back out through your car’s dashboard display screen informing you that your tires are now properly inflated again and that they have been properly reset for safe operation on the road again! Your vehicle’s TPMS system will also send out an alert message through your audio system so you know right away if you need to get your car checked at a service center right away!
5. Tire pressure is displayed on the dashboard.
Once the vehicle ECU receives the alert from the TPMS sensors, it displays the amount of air pressure in each tire on your vehicle’s dashboard display screen so you can see for yourself that your tires are now properly inflated again and ready to safely operate on the road! This also means that you can now safely take off for a spin and enjoy your drive!
6. Engine is started up with as little as one pound of boost pressure.
If there is still too much air loss, your vehicle will automatically start up its engine with as little as one pound of extra boost pressure until all four tires are properly inflated again so you have enough power to safely get you back home or back to work! You will also hear this warning through your audio system so you know right away if you need to get your car checked at a service center right away!
How A Tpms Works
1. All TPMS sensors are calibrated before they are installed in the vehicle.
All of the TPMS sensors are calibrated by a technician using a special calibration kit before they are installed in your vehicle. This calibration can be performed during the installation process or afterward. The calibration kit contains a pressure gauge that is used to measure the pressure inside your tires and an air hose that is used to inflate your tires at various pressures until the sensor’s internal electronics measures the proper tire inflation pressure for each of your vehicles’ tires. This will allow all of your TPMS sensors to accurately report their tire inflation pressures to your vehicle’s ECU throughout their useful life.
2. Each TPMS sensor is programmed with information about its own specific tire inflation pressure, so as long as it is properly calibrated, it will always report this information accurately!
Once all four TPMS sensors have been installed in your car, they will automatically begin sending out signals telling all four of them how much air pressure they need at any given time so that none of them will ever lose air again! Since each sensor knows exactly how much air it needs and how much more there should be inside each tire, none of them will ever mistakenly report incorrect information to the ECU and cause you to run out of air in any one or more tires on your car!
What Causes Underinflation?
1. Most underinflated tires are caused by air being lost from leaks in the tire.
Most underinflated tires are caused by air being lost from leaks in the tire. This can be caused by a puncture, a crack, or even just a small hole that allows air to escape through the sidewall of the tire. The most common cause of underinflation is the fact that an inflator is not used properly or not used at all!
2. Underinflation occurs when you do not inflate your vehicle’s tires enough to meet your vehicle’s recommended cold inflation pressures.
Underinflation occurs when you do not inflate your vehicle’s tires enough to meet your vehicle’s recommended cold inflation pressures. This means that your car’s TPMS sensors will report their inflated tire pressure as being less than what is actually needed so they will never tell the ECU how much air you need inside each one of your vehicle’s tires! If you continually drive with this condition, eventually all four of them will lose air pressure because they are reporting incorrect information to the ECU and it will no longer know how much more pressure is needed inside each one of them!
What Causes Overinflation?
Overinflated tires can occur for many reasons such as over-driving, driving on bumpy roads, driving on dirt roads, and even driving with an inflated tire that has a slow leak in it!
Overinflated tires can occur for many reasons such as over-driving, driving on bumpy roads, driving on dirt roads, and even driving with an inflated tire that has a slow leak in it! Overinflation occurs when the amount of air inside a tire is more than what is needed at any given time. Overinflated tires can also occur due to an incorrect tire pressure gauge reading or even when the vehicle’s TPMS sensors have been damaged.
Overinflation occurs when you inflate your vehicle’s tires to more than what is needed at any given time.
Overinflation occurs when you inflate your vehicle’s tires to more than what is needed at any given time. If you do not use an inflator and never inflate your car enough to meet its recommended cold inflation pressures, eventually all four of your tire’s TPMS sensors will lose air pressure because they are reporting incorrect information to the ECU and it will no longer know how much air each one of them needs!
Overinflation occurs when you have a slow leak in your tire, which is causing the tire to lose air pressure.
Overinflation occurs when you have a slow leak in your tire, which is causing the tire to lose air pressure. If you do not inflate your tires enough to meet their recommended cold inflation pressures and they begin to slowly leak air over time, eventually all four of your TPMS sensors will lose air pressure because they are reporting incorrect information to the ECU and it will no longer know how much air each one of them needs!
Overinflation occurs when you drive with an inflated tire that has a slow leak in it.
Overinflation occurs when you drive with an inflated tire that has a slow leak in it. If you do not inflate your tires enough to meet their recommended cold inflation pressures and they begin to slowly leak air over time, eventually all four of your TPMS sensors will lose air pressure because they are reporting incorrect information to the ECU and it will no longer know how much air each one of them needs!
Final Words
We’ve covered all you need to know about how a tire pressure sensor works and what it does, but most importantly we’ve answered the question that was posed in this article. At the beginning of this piece, we asked, “Is it worth installing a TPMS?” The answer is a resounding “Yes!” A tire pressure sensor is a relatively inexpensive device that can help prevent blowouts and extend the life of your tires. It can also help you save money on fuel by reducing wasted energy due to under-inflation. And most importantly, it can save you from injury or even death if you’re ever in an accident with a blown tire.
