A good percentage of vehicle owners don't regularly check their tires' air pressure, whether it's because they don't know how, or they just assume that their mechanic will do it when they get their oil changed; this is a major concern, as tires with improper inflation not only cause vehicles to waste gas (which we all know is costly), but they also wear out prematurely and on a more serious note can fail, leaving the driver to change the tire in an inconvenient location or call a tow service or local garage for help, which results in unnecessary and unplanned costs.

The bottom line is this: if you constantly run your tires with low air pressure, it will cost you money.

In November of 2003, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  made it mandatory for vehicle manufacturers to install tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in vehicles, starting with a small percentage of 2004 models, and increasing each year to 65% of 2007 models (I'm not sure yet what the required percentage is for '08 or '09).

So what is this TPMS technology, and how does it work?

Basically, there are two types of TPMSs:  pressure sensor-based (PSB), which is referred to as the "direct method", and wheel speed-based (WSB), which is referred to as the "indirect method".

The PSB type of tire pressure monitoring is comprised of a device that is part of the valve stem and contains a transmitter and tiny lithium battery; the transmitter sends information to a receiver, which in turn sends the info to the vehicle's computer. The transmitters transmit at about the same frequency as a cell phone, which ensures that turning wheels and metal parts won't disrupt the signal.

The WSB type of tire pressure monitoring involves the vehicle's wheel ABS sensor -- a signal is sent when the radius of the tire changes due to loss of air pressure, which causes the tires to turn faster in an effort to keep up with the other tires. The WSB system is much less expensive to install than the PSB system, because the biggest cost is installing a light in the dash to alert the driver of air pressure loss.

Are TPMSs failsafe? Yes and no. While they will alert you when you have air pressure loss in one or more of your tires, they will do so only when there is significant loss, which may prevent a flat, but they won't let you know when the pressure is slightly low, and even slightly low can be enough to waste gas and wear out tires prematurely. We are in a day and age when we need to conserve fuel and protect the environment, and if every driver made a point to keep their tires properly inflated, several million less tires would need to be purchased, and over a billion gallons of gas would be saved.

If you want to learn how to check your vehicle's tire pressure, or if you just want us to check it, please don't hesitate to stop by our shop. We would be happy to do so (free of charge) in an effort to do our part for fuel conservation and the environment.

Want more information on TPMSs ?
Visit the NHTSA website:

 

Please don't hesitate to call or e-mail us with any questions!
 

Hervey's Tire Company  ~  22 Union Street Rochester NH 03867  ~  (603) 332-5420
 

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