Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
Vehicles are now equipped with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to help drivers monitor their tyre pressure. The air pressure in your tyres is critical to their performance, affecting factors such as speed capability, load carrying capacity, handling response, wear rate, and safety. Under-inflated tyres can also increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, making it important to ensure that your tyres are properly inflated according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. While TPMS is an important safety feature, it should not replace regular manual tyre safety checks.
There are two types of TPMS systems: direct systems, which use radio sensors in each wheel to measure the pressure directly, and indirect systems, which calculate the pressure indirectly by comparing the rotational speeds and vibrations of the tyres using the vehicle’s existing ABS sensors. Both systems work with the vehicle’s main Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to warn the driver of any pressure loss or variance issues via dashboard warning lights.