Tyre Pressure warnings....danger of crying wolf too often

[madasafish]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/85474/best-tyre-pressure-gauge-2016-group-test

tells all...

[culzean]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/accessories-tyres/85474/best-tyre-pressure-gauge-2016-group-test

tells all...

Being an engineer I am well aware of the saying that 'digital readouts give an illusion of accuracy' - there is no doubt that a digital display with its bold display is attractive and reassuring - but it is only as good as the accuracy of its sensor and the resolution of the analogue to digital converter chip in the device,  as well as how good the battery voltage is.   This test shows there is still a place for analogue devices in a digital world.  And nothing worse than pulling out the tyre gauge and finding batteries are flat (and some of the coin batteries can cost more to replace than the gauge is worth).  Truth is if its got t!ts, tyres or a battery its gonna give you problems 

[Skyrider]

I have checked and topped up my tyres this morning, it is the first top up since my false alarm. I have reset the TPMS and will be driving for more than half an hour tomorrow. I will let you know the result.

[andruec]

I've just got back after my golf and a round trip of 30 miles. Not a peep from the TPMS so it looks like it wasn't a flat, just a general loss of pressure all round. So well done to TPMS for altering me to that.

Repeated my trip of Saturday night but with no alert this time so that tends to confirm that it was a valid warning.

[Skyrider]

No TPMS alarms today, I suspect my false alarm was self inflicted by initialising with the handbrake off.

[guest6316]

Recently had second experience of 'possible false alarm'. After doing around 70 miles on motorway on it comes again. Previously had pumped tyres up at garage (256 miles before) re-initialised alarm.
The only thing I can remember is that I did unfortunately find a significant pot hole about 15 miles before alarm came on..
Trouble is in Kent there seems to be more potholes than road, slight exaggeration, but you know where I'm coming from. 

[andruec]

The only thing I can remember is that I did unfortunately find a significant pot hole about 15 miles before alarm came on..

That's interesting. When mine triggered on the A34 it was after I'd gone over several potholes. None of them felt severe but they were deep enough to make the car lurch. On my second trip I was wise to it and found that by hugging the rumble strip I could avoid them.

[Downsizer]

Had first service last Monday after 12 months and 10,000 miles.  On Friday, after another 300 miles, the tyre pressure warning comes back.  Pressures OK, so I assume service did not recalibrate after checking pressures!

[ColinS]

I had my front tyres changed about a week ago and did my first long journey yesterday.  A total of 250 miles and I had to calibrate the warning 3 times.

I've not driven it today but wondered if this could be because the rears are well worn and the fronts are new.  Just a guess.  Anyone have ideas?

[Downsizer]

I had my front tyres changed about a week ago and did my first long journey yesterday.  A total of 250 miles and I had to calibrate the warning 3 times.

I've not driven it today but wondered if this could be because the rears are well worn and the fronts are new.  Just a guess.  Anyone have ideas?

I don't think the difference between front and rear would trigger it.  Perhaps the new tyres are "bedding in"?  I had several false alarms when the car was new, and once after the pressure check at the first service, but nothing since.  Second service due in Feb.....

[culzean]

I had my front tyres changed about a week ago and did my first long journey yesterday.  A total of 250 miles and I had to calibrate the warning 3 times.

I've not driven it today but wondered if this could be because the rears are well worn and the fronts are new.  Just a guess.  Anyone have ideas?

I don't think the difference between front and rear would trigger it.  Perhaps the new tyres are "bedding in"?  I had several false alarms when the car was new, and once after the pressure check at the first service, but nothing since.  Second service due in Feb.....

Difference between diameter of tyres is exactly what triggers TPMS (ABS system)  - one of the few times I have had a TPMS warning was when I had a couple of new tyres fitted and alarm pinged on the way home - quite a few miles into the journey as well.  Once the system 'knows' (via re-calibration) that the rears are smaller diameter and are rotating slightly faster than fronts it should be happy enough.  Last time I had more than one TPMS warning on the Civic was when I had 'under-bead' corrosion on a rear alloy,  cause by Honda using 'knock-on' wheel balance weights that effectively damaged the paint on wheels from new and allowed corrosion to get under tyre bead - any decent tyre garage will use adhesive weights.

[Downsizer]

I had my front tyres changed about a week ago and did my first long journey yesterday.  A total of 250 miles and I had to calibrate the warning 3 times.

I've not driven it today but wondered if this could be because the rears are well worn and the fronts are new.  Just a guess.  Anyone have ideas?

I don't think the difference between front and rear would trigger it.  Perhaps the new tyres are "bedding in"?  I had several false alarms when the car was new, and once after the pressure check at the first service, but nothing since.  Second service due in Feb.....

Difference between diameter of tyres is exactly what triggers TPMS (ABS system)  - one of the few times I have had a TPMS warning was when I had a couple of new tyres fitted and alarm pinged on the way home - quite a few miles into the journey as well.

Doesn't the need for repeated recalibration suggest that something is changing?

[andruec]

I would check the tyres carefully. In two years I've only ever had that warning twice. Once after I inflated the tyres and forgot to reset it and once when (I think) a pothole on the A34 triggered a pressure drop. I've never had any false alarms despite my first set of tyres only lasting about 13k miles.

[ColinS]

Thanks for the replies.  I think it must be a bedding in thing as I can't see anything wrong with the tyres.  There clearly isn't a genuine deflation or I would notice by now.

I've only ever had it once before and that was when the car was about two weeks old.

It's due in for a service next week so I will carefully monitor it in the mean time.

[Skyrider]

I have only had two false tyre warnings, one my calibration failure, the other a cars calibration failure, (alarm 30 minutes driving after a calibration reset).