Your Audi’s dashboard contains a number of warning lights that tell you the status of your vehicle. Tire Pressure Monitoring Light (TPMS) has an exclamation point, surrounded by something that is supposed to represent a tire. If your Audi computer turns on this light, it’s telling you that one or more of the tires are under-inflated – or that there is a problem with the TPMS sensor system.
What is TPMS?
The TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System became a mandatory component on U.S. vehicles since 2008. Its main function is to alert you of notable change in air pressure occurring in the tires. In other words, the system monitors your tires to inform you whenever they are either overinflated or under-inflated.
Tire-related problems are one of the highest causes of accidents in the world and this system was designed to address this issue. By alerting you to unusual pressure in the tires, TPMS helps to prevent problems such as flat tires, uneven wear, poor handling performance, permanent tire damage and more.
While TPMS doesn’t substitute for inspecting your tires from time to time, it serves to alert you to improper air pressure in one or more of the tires. It helps to call your attention to tire pressure issues you probably didn’t notice via routine visual check.
What does a TPMS warning light mean?
TPMS warning light doesn’t necessarily mean a major problem but it’s a sign you want to attend to as soon as possible. A few issues could be the likely culprits for a glowing TPMS light:
Low tire pressure
If the TPMS light comes on when you’re driving, it could be that the tire pressure is too low. Driving when the light comes on could cause your car to pull to one side due to low tire pressure. If possible, pull over, check the pressure of all tires and inflate accordingly – most gas stations will have air pumps (if you drives take you away from civilization, keep in the trunk a little air pump powered from the cigarette lighter) .
Faulty tire pressure sensor
Sometimes, the tire pressure may be just fine whereas the tire pressure sensor is to blame. In other words, a faulty tire pressure sensor can cause the TPMS light to illuminate.
Environmental changes
Changes in the temperature of the environment may cause the tire pressure sensor to communicate different measurements to your car’s computer. The light may come on when the weather is cold and go off when it’s warm. Always check the pressure with a pressure gauge before you decide on the next action to take.
.If your TPMS light comes on even after you have tried to adjust the air pressure accordingly, you should have a professional mechanic inspect your Audi – if the air pressure is correct in all four tires, it could be a problem with the tire pressure monitoring system itself, problem with one of the sensors, or with the spare tire – let the professionals at Toole’s Garage in Valley Springs investigate, find the root cause, and fix the problem. Call us to make an appointment, on make appointment on our website.
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