In the past, the only ways to check your vehicle’s tire pressure were to inspect the tires visually and to check with an analog gauge. Thanks to advances in technology, modern vehicles now come equipped with tire sensors, which will alert you when your tire pressure drops below optimal levels. However, these sensors can break and wear out like everything else, so they will occasionally need to be replaced.
In this article, our team at Modern Mobile Tire MMT will go over a few ways to tell if you need a tire sensor replacement.
- TPMS Light is On – One way to tell if your tire sensors are faulty is to check for the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) alert light on your dashboard. This light will illuminate not only when the sensors detect low tire pressure, but also when the sensors stop responding or sending data.
- TPMS Light is Faulty – Another sign you may need a tire sensor replacement is if the TPMS light is coming on frequently. If your TPMS light is on, but you’ve checked the tire pressure with an external sensor and it’s fine, then your sensors may be giving incorrect readings. We encourage you to get this problem taken care of right away so you don’t learn to ignore your warning lights.
- You Have Trouble Driving – A third sign you need a tire sensor replacement is the opposite of the sign we described above—in this scenario, you will feel changes in the way your vehicle handles but the warning light won’t come on at all. If your car or truck feels lower to the ground, or you notice driving has become more difficult, then we encourage you to check your tire pressure and the tire sensors.
