How to Reset a Tire Pressure Light (TPMS)?

So, you are thinking about how to reset a Tire Pressure Light (TPMS) on your own? Well, it is not as simple as it looks. That's why here's a guide you can follow to reset the tire pressure light on your own.

Knowing the TPMS Better

A TPMS, more commonly known as the Tire Pressure Monitoring System, has become a crucial part of a car's monitoring system.

The TPMS detects if there is any kind of fluctuation in the tire air pressure which can cause any sort of unfortunate accident in the future.

According to verified reports, the TPMS has indeed played a crucial role in bringing down the average ratio of accidents all around the globe. Especially the ones caused due to sudden tire bursts or malfunctions. A TPMS uses indicators to mention any fluctuation in the tire pressure.

Resetting the TPMS Light

1. Using the car's TPMS reset button

   The reset button is included in most cars with built-in TPMS. All you need to do is click the reset button, and the indicator light will go off. But this will only be possible if you have diagnosed the issue with the air pressure.

   Suppose you will keep trying to use the reset button repeatedly without even diagnosing the issue in the first place. The light will stay on every time you rest the TPMS.

2. Making sure that the pressure readings are correct

   Even after so much improvement in technology, some areas of the TPMS need a lot of improvement. For example, the TPMS can indicate any fluctuation in the air pressure readings. But in taking these readings, the TPMS also considers the spare tire.

   Let's try to understand this through an example. The TPMS indicates that one of the car's tires is low on air pressure. But when you check, all the tires have sufficient air pressure. But the issue here lies with the spare tire. So, as long as you won't check the spare tire as well, the indicator light won't turn off.

3. Reconnect the battery

   If you are a driver with moderate experience with cars and how they actually work, this idea might have come into your mind already. Removing the battery and then connecting it again is considered the best possible way of fixing any kind of error with a car's monitoring or digital systems.

   There is no proper explanation for why it happens, but it seems to work every time. Doing this will reset the TPMS as well. But this will also rest any other digital system of your cars like the display clock or the car panel.

4. Maintain a drive speed of 50 mph

   Another method has proved to work every time without proper explanation or scientific proof. It is said that if you drive your car for some time at a speed level of 50 mph, it will completely reset the TPMS of your car and switch off the indicator light.

   But the important thing to note here is that this will only work if you have diagnosed the real issue in the first place. If one of the car's tires is low on air pressure and you are driving it at a 50-mph speed, hoping it will rest the TPMS, it won't.

5. Replace any potentially damaged sensors

   The TPMS is considered one of those systems of the car that are heavily dependent upon sensors and the data acquired from them. Any kind of damage to one of the sensors will ultimately impact the operations of the TPMS in more than one way.

   That's why you just can't rule out the possibility of a sensor error if the TPMS indicator light remains on for a long. What's the best thing to do, then? You can simply identify the damaged sensor and then replace it to get everything back on track.

Is the TPMS Prone To Error?

Depends upon the type of TPMS that is installed on your car. Suppose we look at the two major models of TPMS available in the market. You will either have an analog TPMS or a digital one. What's the difference between both?

Well, the analog one is more dependent upon analog sensors and the value it receives through the analog sensors. At the same time, the digital TPMS is more focused on digital systems and processing data gathered through sensors. According to our conclusion, the digital TPMS is less prone to error than an analog one.

Switching off the TPMS Completely

Yes, you can switch off the TPMS completely. Quite some people do this as they get annoyed by the constant or frequent blinking of the TPMS indicator. Even when the tire pressure of the car is at a safe and acceptable level, these are some areas where the TPMS developers still need to focus a lot.

But switching off the TPMS completely isn't as simple as it sounds. There will be a lot of details you will have to look for. It is better to hire someone professional for procedures like these so it won't affect others' systems of your car.

Should you Install a TPMS in Your Car?

This particular section is for those who have manual or automatic cars belonging to an era when cars didn’t use to have a TPMS built-in. It is not something that is decades old or something. Even 4-5 years ago, built-in TPMS was quite a remote and scarce concept.

But the point is, should you install a TPMS in your car? And the only answer we have is, why not? Just make sure that the installation is done by someone professional with experience in what he/she is doing. If everything gives you a positive signal, then surely go for it.

Final Note

Does this conclude our guide on how to reset a tire pressure light? We hope you have taken an in-depth look at the topic and have all your related questions answered. If there's still something, you want to ask us, feel free to contact us here.