United Tire and Service News

Tire pressure sensors are an important part of modern vehicles, but few people actually know how they work. There are many misconceptions about where tire pressure sensors are located and how they communicate with your vehicle's ECU (the computer). Also, many people don't know what to do when their tire pressure sensor senses low readings or when the sensor malfunctions. Read on for answers to these questions on how tire pressure sensors work. 

 

Obviously, tire pressure sensors are located in close proximity to the tires themselves. But where are they located exactly? When a pressurized tire is fitted to a wheel, there is a small pocket of space between the wheel and the tire. This is where the sensor is located. This location enables it to be in constant contact with the tire, which is vital so that you can get up-to-date readings on the status of your tires. However, the sensor is firmly fixed to the wheel. This ensures security and stability, even during spirited driving.

 

It is reasonable to assume that tire pressure sensors communicate with your vehicle's computer (the ECU) through a wired connection, which is how many different sensors communicate with the ECU. However, the tire pressure sensor actually sends data to the ECU with low-frequency radio waves. The tire pressure sensor's location on the wheel would make it pretty much impossible to wire it up to the ECU, which is why radio waves are used. The ECU in your vehicle, in turn, communicates this data to a display in your vehicle's instrument cluster. This is how the little tire light either lights up for low tire pressure or a malfunction or stays off when the tire pressure is within the acceptable range.

 

As you no doubt already know, your tire pressure sensor will light up an icon on your dashboard. However, you should know that your tire pressure sensor will not light up this icon unless your tire pressure is dangerously low. The threshold differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, but it is generally around 25% below the normal tire pressure reading. This is low enough that you should go to your nearest United Tire location immediately. Our professionals will quickly and accurately fill up your tires to ensure that they are at a safe level.

 

Unfortunately, tire pressure sensors do malfunction from time to time. If a tire pressure sensor breaks, it is supposed to set off the warning light. This can be a little confusing, because you might get your tires filled up and see that the light is still on. If this is the case, then your tire pressure sensor is malfunctioning. You should have it fixed as quickly as possible so that you actually know if you have low tire pressure or not.