Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)

• Having TPMS fitted to your vehicle improves your safety as the system checks tyre pressure every few seconds reducing your chance of a blow out or accident related to incorrect tyre pressures. TPMS can also save you money as having the correct tyre pressure maximises tyre life and also helps improve fuel efficiency.
• New vehicles fitted with TPMS and registered from 1st January 2013 will also have their TPMS system tested as part of the first MOT test carried out. This means if your vehicle falls into this category and the TPMS is not functioning correctly, you could fail your MOT test.
• If you don’t have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System fitted as standard to your vehicle, but would like one, there are a number of retro-fit solutions available, get in touch to discuss the options
  

What are the benefits to fitting TPMS?

The rationale behind fitting TPMS is to provide an early warning system for the driver when there is a change or loss of tyre pressure. This saves you time and energy in routinely checking tyre pressure manually, as advised by all car and tyre manufacturers for your safety.
Having TPMS improves your safety as it constantly monitors pressure, helping to avoid potential blow outs or accidents linked to a change in tyre pressure.
Having the correct pressure also helps save you money. Incorrectly inflated tyres causes uneven tyre wear and tyres need to be replaced sooner than normal. By having tyres correctly inflated at all times, they won’t have to be replaced as often. The correct pressure improves fuel efficiency too, since under inflated tyres mean more tread is hitting the ground, causing friction (this is known as rolling resistance) and so more power – and therefore fuel – is required to drive the car forward. By having the correct tyre pressure, rolling resistance and also the amount of fuel used is reduced, saving you money. This in turn is beneficial to the environment as it cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions too.

TPMS legislation

New EU legislation requires all new models of passenger cars sold in the EU to have a TPMS system installed from November 2012, and every new car from 2014. New vehicles fitted with TPMS and first registered from 1st January 2012 will have their TPMS system tested as part of the first MOT test the vehicle has carried out.
TPMS facts and figures
Data analysis shows that a new tyre will leak 3psi – 8psi over a year which results in around a 2% increase in fuel consumption and a 25% reduction in tyre life.

How does TPMS work?

On the majority of vehicles, TPMS works via a sensor valve fitted in each wheel which sends a low frequency signal to the car’s Engine Control Unit (ECU) giving information on tyre pressure and temperature. If the tyre pressure drops by more than few pounds (PSI), the sensor valve is damaged or the sensor valve battery has expired, a warning normally lights up on the dashboard to alert the driver.
Why do TPMS sensor valves need to be replaced? – A sensor valve normally requires replacing after around 5 years or up to 100,000 miles, although this can vary depending on vehicle use. High mileages and frequent low pressure alerts can reduce this considerably and given the position of the sensor valves in the wheel, they are also vulnerable to damage and corrosion which means they may be required to be replaced sooner.

TPMS @ Kingswinford Tyres

Kingswinford Tyres is equipped with the digital, diagnostic and hand tools necessary to Supply fit or replace the TPMS sensor valves on every make and model of car. We would be delighted to explain the system in more detail and take you through the steps of having a TPMS fitted to your vehicle.

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