How To Fix Tire Pressure Sensor Fault?

Is there a message “Tire pressure sensor fault” showing up on your dash? You are driving and you see a message appeared on your dashboard. It’s a message indicating that there is something wrong with your tire’s pressure. Well, many people know what this warning indicates and still sometimes ignore it. But this is not something to be ignored as there’s a high risk that it can cause your tire to blow out. As it can lead to a major accident, try to slow down and stop your vehicle.

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What Does “Tire Pressure Sensor Fault” Mean?

This is a light indicating that there is a problem with one or more of your car’s tire pressure sensors. This light indicates that your car’s tire air pressure is either too low or too high. This message will show up also when there is a failure of any of your car’s tire pressure sensors, Tire pressure monitoring system(TPMS), or because of any faulty wiring.

What Is Tire Pressure Sensor?

A tire pressure sensor is a small programmable electronic device mounted in your car’s every wheel. A tire pressure sensor is supposed to measure the air pressure in each tire. This sensor is programmed as such if air pressure drops 25% below the recommended pressure, there will be a warning light or message showing up on the dashboard.

These sensors are mandatory to be inbuilt on all the vehicles in the US since 2008. These small sensors are components of the tire pressure monitoring system(TPMS). This TPMS is an electronic system designed to monitor and report real-time tire-pressure information to the user.

Why Does This Message Appear?

The “Tire Pressure Sensor Fault” message appears on the dash when there’s an issue with any of your car’s tire pressure sensors. So if any of your car’s tire pressure sensor fails or if TPMS itself fails this message will show up. Here are some common causes you need to know about:

Many of these tire pressure sensors have a battery in them that lasts for at least 5-7 years, after this, they may fail. Also depending on how much your car has driven, your car’s tire pressure sensor’s wear may get damaged or worn out. Sometimes the reason for these tire pressure sensor’s failure can be corrosion, faulty wiring, or failure of the Tire pressure monitoring system.
Sometimes tire pressure sensors and tire pressure control modules lose communication with each other. As they lose communication, sensors won’t be able to transfer real-time information about the tire’s air pressure to the computer.
If you change your vehicle’s tires and forgets to reset the TPMS after changing this will cause a problem. So, every time you change your tires you need to reset TPMS.
Sometimes this warning shows up just because your car’s tire pressure is low or less than recommended.

What To Do When Tire Pressure Sensor Fault Appears?

Here are some easy ways to check and fix this issue:

1. Check Tire’s Air Pressure:

The very first thing you should do if you see the sensor fault light is that you check the tire’s air pressure. You can check your tire’s air pressure using a tire pressure gauge. If you don’t know the right pressure, you can check it on a manual or pressure label. Also, you can simply get it checked at the gas station. Then inflate your tires to the right pressure. If your tire is punctured then don’t drive because it will damage the tire and you will have to replace the whole tire. If you have a spare tire then change it otherwise head to the nearest repair shop and get your puncture repaired.

2. Reset The TPMS:

When you are done inflating your tires, or done changing your tires you need to reset the Tire pressure monitoring system. Turn your car on then press and hold the TPMS reset button until the light blinks three times. You can find the TPMS button right beneath your steering wheel. Now start your car and drive for about 10 miles at 50 mph speed. Also disconnecting and reconnecting your car’s battery may fix the TPMS warning light. Remove the negative terminals from your battery, drain all the power by pressing the horn, and then reconnect them.

3. Read Error Codes:

For this, you will need a diagnostic scanner. If you have an OBD2 scanner that can read error codes, read the TPMS error codes. If there’s any communication problem or failed tire pressure sensor then you will be able to detect it using an OBD2 scanner.

4. Replace The Faulty Tire Pressure Sensor:

Check the error codes to find the faulty tire pressure sensor. Once you find it get that sensor replaced. After this, you will have to reprogram the sensors again. So, take your vehicle to a repair shop and get it replaced as it’s not something you can do on your own. Nowadays these sensors are attached to the valve stem inside the rim so if you don’t have the tools required you can not replace it. Also if one sensor fails, replace all sensors at the same time as they are likely to fail too.

You should contact a professional and let them check and find the issue. If it’s low pressure you can get your tires inflated quite easily but if the problem lies within sensors or tire pressure monitoring system then show your vehicle to the repair shop.

How Much Does It Cost?

The tire pressure sensor’s replacement may cost you around $250-$750 depending on the vehicle type. If you want to buy a tire pressure sensor alone, it may cost you around $180-$650 also depending on the vehicle type.
It may cost you around $10 per wheel for reprogramming of tire pressure sensor.
As for the tire pressure monitoring system, a reset may cost you around $40.

Frequently Asked Questions:

So,here are some of the frequently asked questions about what does tire pressure sensor fault mean on a car, how to fix a broken tire pressure etc?-

What Does Tire Pressure Sensor Fault Mean On A Car?

How To Fix A Broken Tire Pressure Sensor?

To fix the tire pressure sensor, you need to scrutinize the pressure. If after examining and regulating the tire pressure to the suitable specifications still fails to repair the problem, then it may warrant you to change the tire pressure sensor.

What Does It Mean When Your TPMs Says Fault?

If you ever see the Tire Pressure Sensor Fault message, it indicates that there is trouble with the TPMS. The tire might be overinflated or underinflated and it is affecting the air pressure of the tire. No matter what happens, we do not recommend you driving while the tire pressure sensor fault message is there.

How Do I Reset My Tire Pressure System?

Once you have inflated your tires to the correct pressure, you often have to manually reset the system. Some cars have a reset button, and in some cars, you should drive for around 15 minutes until the lights go out. Refer to your repair manual to reset the TPMS system on your vehicle.

Conclusion:

Do not ignore the message “Tire pressure sensor fault” as it can be very dangerous if your car’s tire just blows out. You don’t wanna face a blowout, right. So it’s better to show your vehicle to the repair shop or do run some checks and see if it can be solved at home. Also if your car’s tire’s air pressure is less than recommended or is punctured, please stop your vehicle and don’t drive it further. If you have a spare tire change it or ask for help.

Stay safe. Thank you.