I've seen previous threads about this, but just needed to vent. The tire pressure sensor dashboard light went on this morning and won't go off. Tire pressure seems fine. Tried the reset button, and that's not doing anything.

I've had my '08 TCH less than 2 weeks and already a problem like this. I'm certainly not going to bleed air out of all the tires and then re-inflate them, as one message mentioned. Dealer service is closed til the morning, but guy on the phone at the dealership said sometimes this happens when the season changes. I hope this isn't what I have to look forward to every few months in perpetuity, that I have to take my car to a dealer every time the weather changes.

I was really liking the car so far until this. But while the ride and gas mileage are both superior to my old car, reliability and trouble-free ownership are more important to me than anything else. That's why I got a Toyota, because of the reputation for quality. Hoping I didn't end up with a lemon.

Words of either comfort or commiseration most welcome.

 

Check the spare. Mine was really low. Once the tire pressure was increased, the light went off.

 

The spare? Interesting, thanks. I specifically did not look at the spare because the manual says "The compact spare tire is not equipped with a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter."

 

It's not. At least it wasn't on my 2007 TCH, and it's not on my 2009 TCH.

In 3 years and virtually 60,000 miles on my 2007 TCH, the light came on 3 times. Once when driving in the mountains, (seems the pressure decreases at high altitude) once when I had a nail in the tire, and once when i hit a piece of metal in the road and had an instant flat requiring a replacement tire. The light went off by itself when I returned to lower elevation, but required resetting after the 2 other incidents.

 

How did you check it?

 

Thats a good point! The low tire pressure light will come on way before the tire looks low. In fact, you will have to check each tire to see which one is low. (It's usualy the last one you check...LOL)

 

Hi, see my private email. If the pressure on the four tires is steady, my guess is that the previous owner set the warning level for the TPMS to be something like 40. Inflating the tires to 32 (again, which your private email says you did) would put it on the threshold of setting off the alarm.

If you're on the threshold, then the colder weather could push you over the edge.

Try resetting the TPMS system per the owners manual (see my email). Recommend you consider a higher pressure than 32 before you do so. If it doesn't go out, there's a system problem. If it does, then monitor your tires the old fashioned way for a while until you gain confidence in the system.

BTW, the most popular tire pressure on this forum seems to be 40. But obviously, you need to see what your tires are rated for.

In three years' experience between our two TCHs, the only time the system went off was when my wife's tire was legitimately low. Nail in sidewall in first month... :-(

 

Thanks everyone.

We checked the tires with a gauge, not visually. I talked to the dealer, they said they set the tires at 32. And that's what they still were. I'd like to think they would have understood the repercussions of setting a low pressure regarding what the sensor might require, and set the sensor accordingly. But maybe not.

I'll take a visual look at the tires to see if there's a nail in them. Otherwise off to the dealer it goes to check the sensor. After less than 2 weeks.

 

Did you check the pressures cold? Excuse 20 questions, just trying to eliminate possibities.

Also, maybe run them all up to 36 psi, and see what that does.

 

Yes, the car had only gone a couple of miles and then sat in the driveway for over an hour, so pressure was cold.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Oddly, after the sensor was on for several days, it turned itself off again - just a day before we were going to bring it into the dealer. If it stays off, I guess I'll just chalk it up to change of seasons. Two other people I know -- one with a non-hybrid Toyota and one with another brand of non-hybrid -- told me their sensors went on for awhile this week also.