What is a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System ?

The tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is a device installed in your vehicle that warns you that at least one or more car tyres Falkirk is significantly underinflated, creating an unsafe driving situation. The TPMS low tyre pressure indicator is a yellow symbol that illuminates the dashboard instrument panel as a tyre cross-section with an exclamation point. 

This indicator light in your vehicle has its past. It’s a history rooted in years of uncertainty about proper tyre pressure and a series of serious vehicle accidents that might have been avoided had drivers known their tyre pressure was low. 

Even now, it is estimated that most vehicles are involved in road accidents each day with underinflated tyres. But, proper tyre maintenance with the aid of TPMS can and does help stop many serious accidents.

Before the TPMS indicator light became common in vehicles, to check whether your tyre pressure had sufficient tyre pressure levels, you needed to get out of the vehicle, crouch down, and use a tyre gauge to check the tyre pressure. In a few exception cases, this was the only pressure-checking device ordinary consumers had at their disposal.

In response to a huge number of accidents due to underinflated tyres, the US government passed the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act. One of the results of this legislation is that most vehicles sold in the US since 2007 include a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) system.

However, not every tyre pressure monitoring system works the same way. The illumination of the low tyre pressure indicator shows the final step in the process of either a direct TPMS or an indirect TPMS. 

What is Indirect TPMS?

An indirect TPMS uses wheel speed sensors and an anti-lock brake system. These sensors calculate the rate of revolution each wheel is making and can be used by onboard computer systems to compare with each other vehicle operation data such as speed. 

Based on the rate of revolt of each wheel, the computer can interpret the relative size of the tyres on your vehicle. When a wheel starts spinning faster than the expected speed, the computer calculates that the tyre is underinflated and notifies the driver accordingly.

An indirect tyre pressure monitoring system doesn’t measure tyre pressure. Instead, an indirect tyre pressure monitor simply measures how fast your tyres are rotating and sends information to the computer that will activate the indicator light when something in the rotation seems amiss.

Advantages of Indirect TPMS

  • It is relatively inexpensive if compared to a direct TPMS
  • It requires less programming and maintenance over the years than a direct TPMS
  • It requires less overall installation maintenance compared to its direct counterpart

Disadvantages of Indirect TPMS

  • It may become inaccurate if you buy a smaller or bigger set of tyres
  • It may be unreliable when the tyres are worn out unevenly
  • It must be reset after every routine tyre rotation

What is Direct TPMS?

Direct TPMS relies on pressure monitoring sensors within each tyre that monitor specific pressure levels not just wheel revolution data from the anti-lock brake system. 

Sensors in a direct TPMS may even give tyre temperature readings. The direct tyre pressure monitoring system sends all this information to a centralized control module where it’s analyzed, and interpreted and if the tyre pressure is lower than its normal range, it should be transmitted directly to your dashboard where the indicator light illuminates.  

A direct tyre pressure monitor usually transfers all of this data wirelessly. Each sensor has a unique serial number and using this system not only differentiates between itself and systems on other vehicles but also among pressure readings for each individual tyre.

Many automobile manufacturers opt for proprietary technology of these systems, so replacing a TPMS in a way that’s consistent and compatible with your vehicle will need an experienced and skilled technician.

Advantages of Direct TPMS

  • Shows the actual tyre pressure readings from inside the tyre
  • Not giving any inaccuracies due to tyre rotations or tyre replacements
  • Simple resynchronization after tyre replacement or tyre rotation

Disadvantages of Direct TPMS

  • It is more expensive overall compared to an indirect TPMS
  • Resynchronisation may require expensive tools
  • If the battery is drained, the whole sensor needs to be replaced
  • Proprietary systems need installation, service and replacement and becoming confusing for customers and workshops
  • Sensors are prone to damage during mounting and demounting.

Tyre Pressure & Safety

Although the process may be different, both systems offer the same purpose and activate the same indicator light. Even though a TPMS can provide accurate warning lights when properly maintained, it’s not a replacement for manual air pressure checks, consider it as another item in your vehicle maintenance toolbox.

Now one wants to have a flat tyre while driving in a remote place. This is why you should use Runflat car tyres Falkirk which are engineered to keep you moving for up to 50 miles at speeds up to 50 mph without any problem. 

The direct tyre pressure monitoring system sends all this information to a centralized control module where it’s analyzed, and interpreted and if the tyre pressure is lower than its normal range, it should be transmitted directly to your dashboard where the indicator light illuminates. 

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