Tire Pressure Monitor Systems

     Tire Pressure Monitor Systems have been in the works for over a decade now, but until 2008 they were not federally mandated by the National Highway Transit Safety Association.  Tire pressure monitor systems help save lives, fuel, tires and vehicle maintenance costs.  We all remember the issues that followed the Ford Explorers around the late nineties & early 2000's models.  To the surprise of most, it was not a problem with the tire, but rather tire pressures.  In order to make the Explorer feel less top heavy, someone at Ford decided to lower the air pressure.  The lower tire pressures subsequently created excessively higher tire temperatures, which destroys the tires from the inside.  As the tire deteriorates on the inside it becomes weak and eventually it fails or "blows out" specifically.  As more of these tires failed on those vehicles, a campaign was issued on those tires.  This was an attempt by the tire manufacturer to preserve their business relationship with the vehicle manufacturer.  After extensive studies, the NHSTA concluded that TPMS should be installed on all vehicles in order to make consumers more aware of - and more likely to set - their tire pressures.

     By now, the majority of 2008 through current model year vehicle owners have been graced by the presence of the Tire Pressure Monitor System light.  Some of us were aware of what that little symbol meant(See above).  Those who were not aware of what it stood for checked their owner's manual while others called the service department for an explanation.  In a lot of cases, the person behind the wheel was completely unaware that such a system existed.  The benefits to this system will be around for a long time, and we all need to be familiar with them. 

      It can sometimes be an annoyance for a Manufacturer's Illuminated Warning Light to come on while we're driving.  We should just view the light in the same way that we viewed that conscientious neighbor who was always eager to offer his personal assistance to of our vehicular conundrums - Mr. Handy.  On any given day, Mr. Handy would catch us just before pulling out of the drive way.  "Looks like those tires could use some air," he'd commonly say.  As he made his way around all four corners of the vehicle, checking & setting your tire pressures, you probably thought he might be a little eccentric.  However, his over-zealous fixation with tire pressures merely was his way of showing concern to a very important and highly overlooked issue - low tire pressures are responsible for the majority of tire failures.  So the next time you see the TPMS light illuminated in a steady fashion, the first step would be to check & set your tire pressures. If the light is flashing, or if it does not turn off after setting the pressure and driving a few miles, call the service department at 1(800) 411-4551 for an appointment.       

 - Gary Christiansen, Certified Subaru Service Consultant