Most new vehicles have tire pressure monitoring systems that monitor your tire pressures.  Basically the systems will turn on a tire light on the dashboard if the pressure falls below a certain range.  Usually these systems will also monitor pressure in the spare tire to make sure it is usable.

If your tire pressure light comes while you are driving you should safely pull over as soon as possible to visually check your tires and make sure you do not have a flat.  If you do have a flat we strongly recommend you do not use canned tire repair as the gunk it sprays into the tire will make a mess, not fix your flat, and probably gum up your tire pressure monitor in that tire.  Call AAA or whatever service provider you have and have them change the tire.

If the tire pressure monitor light is on when you first start your car you should again visually inspect the tires to make sure you do not have a flat.  During the winter months these lights may come on first thing in the morning because the cold air will reduce the tire pressure which then sets off the monitor.  After driving some and heating up the air in the tire, the light will probably go out.

Some monitoring systems are wheel specific so if you rotate the tires and do not reset the monitoring system the tire light will come on since it does not recognize where the data is coming from.

If your tire pressure light is on continually and your tire pressure seems to be fine, you may have a faulty sensor that needs replacement or the system may need to be reprogrammed.  At Wayne’s Automotive Center we do have the equipment to perform this service for most makes and models.