TPMS. A word that a few car owners know. Does your car have one? If it does, you need to learn more about this system as it can effectively reduce any chances of vehicular accidents.
So in this post, I will discuss if you really need a TPMS installed on your car, what is a TPMS and how does it really work for you.
Read on to learn more.
What is TPMS?
TPMS stands for tire pressure monitoring system. And as its name frankly suggests, it helps monitor the tire pressures of all your tires, including your spare tire.
As you know, tires require the correct amount of pressure for it to provide optimum performance. A tire with low pressure can give negative impact on your engine’s performance and fuel efficiency. A tire with excessive pressure can make your ride bumpy and is prone to blow out.
And that’s where TPMS becomes very useful – to help avoid any type of accidents on the road.
A TPMS is composed of a valve and a sensor. Not all TPMS are created the same, so you have to figure out what’s the best type of TPMS for your car.
There are two types of TPMS – indirect and direct TPMS.
Indirect TPMS involves monitoring of tire pressure indirectly by using data from the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system or ABS. Direct TPMS provides warning directly to the driver when there’s a change in the air pressure in any tires.
For cars with existing TPMS, data are provided by a pressure sensing transmitters mounted on each tires and sent to the ECU for display on that dashboard monitor. A warning indicator light on the dash will help notify the driver if there’s a huge drop in pressure.
Same goes with aftermarket TPMS but the data will be sent directly to a TPMS tool that displays the current tire air pressures.
Some TPMS use an internal valve set up, which replaces your tire’s conventional valve. Another type of TPMS uses an external valve where you just need to use it as a cap on your tire’s existing valve. Most modern cars comes with stock TPMS with internal valve system.
How does TPMS Work?
As mentioned above, tire pressure monitoring system works by sending air pressure reading to the ECU or to a TPMS tool.
For direct and indirect TPMS, if a tire is detected to be underinflated by 25% or more, it will give a warning indicator light on your dashboard display. But direct TPMS, it warns the driver sooner as the readings are displayed for each tire in real time.
According to reports, one of the disadvantages of having indirect TPMS is that, it cannot detect when all four tires are low in air pressure in real time. This means that you have to manually check the tire pressure yourself regularly.
Is a TPMS Worth the Upgrade?
If your car doesn’t come with a stock TPMS, would it be better to install one in your car? Is a tire pressure monitoring system worth the upgrade?
Well of course yes!
First, an aftermarket TPMS is not expensive and very affordable. You can buy either an internal or external-based TPMS online via Amazon.
Second, TPMS is a good addition to your dashboard as an added aesthetics. Yes, that digital gauge that is either installed in the windshield or on your dash gives your old car a modern look. Just like other gadgets like turbo timer and throttle controller.
Heck, some TPMS are even solar-powered so it won’t drain your battery too.
And lastly, a tire pressure monitoring system will help give you peace of mind when driving. It tells you if you need to re-inflate your tires if there are under pressure which prevents any unwanted accidents on the road. It basically makes the road safer for all motorists.
Summary
So, do you really need a TPMS on your car? Well definitely yes!
There are no reasons why not to install one. If your car still don’t have a tire pressure monitoring system, then hopefully this post has encouraged you to get one.
Better if you install a TPMS by yourself. Here is my own DIY video on how to install an aftermarket TPMS on your car. The video is in Tagalog language but has English subtitle. Enjoy.
