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momscar08

Low Tire Pressure Light

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We just had the first real cold 5 degrees and some snow and ice on the road, my 08 fusion se was good until the stop sign and the antilock brakes kicked in. Immediately after that the low tire pressure light came on. I pulled over visually checked the tires and went on my way. When I got home I got out my digital air pressure gauge from the race tool box and all tires were at 34 psi.

Any help woul be appreciated.

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We just had the first real cold 5 degrees and some snow and ice on the road, my 08 fusion se was good until the stop sign and the antilock brakes kicked in. Immediately after that the low tire pressure light came on. I pulled over visually checked the tires and went on my way. When I got home I got out my digital air pressure gauge from the race tool box and all tires were at 34 psi.

Any help woul be appreciated.

 

Hi momscar. :D Several possibilities (sorry if you know this stuff, but we have to start somewhere):

 

First, assuming your tires were properly filled when the TPMS system was calibrated, it is entirely possible that your digital air pressure gauge is incorrect.

 

Second (and assuming your air pressure gauge is reading correctly), tires are supposed to be checked for "cold pressure", and it sounds as though you checked them when they were "hot" (yes, even at 5 above they are still considered hot after driving on them for any distance over a mile). In other words, they should preferably be checked before driving at all, and definitely before driving any more than a half mile or so. This is due to the fact that driving heats the tires, which heats the air inside them, which gives a higher pressure than when they are cold. So while they read 34psi when you got home, they could have been as low as 30psi when you left home. Although that still should not normally be low enough to set off the TPMS warning, combine it with a possible margin of error for your air pressure gauge and it could be the answer.

 

Then there is always the slimmer possibility of a TPMS system error.

 

Also, keep in mind that the TPMS warning does not illuminate immediately. It takes a pre-determined amount of driving before it will issue a warning.

 

I would double check the pressures with another gauge. Then keep an eye on things and see if it illuminates again. If your tires are inflated properly and it does light up again, then take it in for service.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Of course, these are just a couple of educated Internet guesses as to what the most immediate (but not only) causes of your concern may be.

Edited by bbf2530

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I had something similar occur on my wife's altima. We went thru some slushy roads and the light came on then flashed after a while and then solid again. As soon as it warmed up I think the ice around the sensor melted and it was able to get the signal. Perhaps that is the problem inparticular since you had cold and snow

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Hi momscar. :D Several possibilities (sorry if you know this stuff, but we have to start somewhere):

 

First, assuming your tires were properly filled when the TPMS system was calibrated, it is entirely possible that your digital air pressure gauge is incorrect.

 

Second (and assuming your air pressure gauge is reading correctly), tires are supposed to be checked for "cold pressure", and it sounds as though you checked them when they were "hot" (yes, even at 5 above they are still considered hot after driving on them for any distance over a mile). In other words, they should preferably be checked before driving at all, and definitely before driving any more than a half mile or so. This is due to the fact that driving heats the tires, which heats the air inside them, which gives a higher pressure than when they are cold. So while they read 34psi when you got home, they could have been as low as 30psi when you left home. Although that still should not normally be low enough to set off the TPMS warning, combine it with a possible margin of error for your air pressure gauge and it could be the answer.

 

Then there is always the slimmer possibility of a TPMS system error.

 

Also, keep in mind that the TPMS warning does not illuminate immediately. It takes a pre-determined amount of driving before it will issue a warning.

 

I would double check the pressures with another gauge. Then keep an eye on things and see if it illuminates again. If your tires are inflated properly and it does light up again, then take it in for service.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Of course, these are just a couple of educated Internet guesses as to what the most immediate (but not only) causes of your concern may be.

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Hi momscar. :D Several possibilities (sorry if you know this stuff, but we have to start somewhere):

 

First, assuming your tires were properly filled when the TPMS system was calibrated, it is entirely possible that your digital air pressure gauge is incorrect.

 

Second (and assuming your air pressure gauge is reading correctly), tires are supposed to be checked for "cold pressure", and it sounds as though you checked them when they were "hot" (yes, even at 5 above they are still considered hot after driving on them for any distance over a mile). In other words, they should preferably be checked before driving at all, and definitely before driving any more than a half mile or so. This is due to the fact that driving heats the tires, which heats the air inside them, which gives a higher pressure than when they are cold. So while they read 34psi when you got home, they could have been as low as 30psi when you left home. Although that still should not normally be low enough to set off the TPMS warning, combine it with a possible margin of error for your air pressure gauge and it could be the answer.

 

Then there is always the slimmer possibility of a TPMS system error.

 

Also, keep in mind that the TPMS warning does not illuminate immediately. It takes a pre-determined amount of driving before it will issue a warning.

 

I would double check the pressures with another gauge. Then keep an eye on things and see if it illuminates again. If your tires are inflated properly and it does light up again, then take it in for service.

 

Let us know how you make out.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

 

PS - Of course, these are just a couple of educated Internet guesses as to what the most immediate (but not only) causes of your concern may be.

 

 

Thanks I will check with an analog gauge when I get home, car did't leave garage today

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I had something similar occur on my wife's altima. We went thru some slushy roads and the light came on then flashed after a while and then solid again. As soon as it warmed up I think the ice around the sensor melted and it was able to get the signal. Perhaps that is the problem inparticular since you had cold and snow

 

Thanks I will check on the wheels today .

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