What Does This Light Mean?

One of the most popular phone calls that the service department handles usually references a light that has illuminated on the dashboard. Join us on Wednesdays as we cover the basic, and not so basic, lights on your dashboard, what they mean and what to do about them!

The first light on our long list of dashboard lights is the tire pressure light. Here is what the tire pressure light looks like.

Tire Pressure Light

See those four rectangles on the bottom? Those represent tire treads. Who knew?

Anyways, the tire pressure monitor system warns the driver when there is a significant loss, or gain, in tire pressure in any of the four tires.  This light will stay on until the tire pressure is corrected. The proper tire pressures for your specific vehicle can be found on the Tire and Loading Label which is located just below the door latch on the driver’s door.

During colder weather, your tire pressure light might come on at the start of your drive and then turn itself off during your drive. This could be an early indicator that your tires could use a little more pressure.

If your tire pressure light comes on and stays on, your tires will need your attention sooner rather than later. The easiest thing to do is to swing by a gas station that has an air pump and add a little bit of air to your tires. If you are unsure about adding your own air to your tires, like me, then you can always swing by a dealership and ask them for a little assistance.

It’s important to note that the tire pressure monitor system, aka the tire pressure light, can alert you about low tire pressure, but it is not a replacement for normal, monthly, tire maintenance. It is the driver’s responsibility to maintain correct tire pressures. Tires with low pressure causes increased treadwear on the outsider edges of the tire and can reduce your fuel economy because your vehicle is having to work harder to get down the road.

Stay tuned on Wednesdays for our weekly post “What Does This Light Mean?” brought to you by our awesome service department!