Things you need to know about the new tire pressure-monitoring systems on 2007 vehicles

Dearborn November 13, 2006; Customers who purchase any 2007 light truck or car in North America will find a new feature courtesy of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act.

As required by the TREAD Act, any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 lbs. sold on or after September 1, 2007, must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The TPMS is designed to alert the driver if the air pressure in one or more of their tires requires attention. What this means for consumers, is that they’ll be paying a lot more attention to their tires, which is a good thing. Improperly inflated tires not only reduce fuel economy and tire life, they can also compromise handling and safety.

Tom McInerney, Technical Service Engineer for Ford Motor Company is well versed on the system and offers up some tips on proper tire inflation and some advice for customers who will be experiencing this technology for the first time.

“The most important thing that customers need to realize,” says McInerney, “is that changes in outdoor temperature will increase or decrease tire pressure by approximately one PSI (pounds per square inch). For example, if you park your car in a heated garage and it’s minus 30 degrees outside, you’ll need to add about seven pounds of air to the tires to compensate for the change in temperature.”

Ford Motor Company recommends that customers check the air pressure in all tires, including the spare, at least once a month. McInerney says that tire pressure should always be checked when the tires are cold, and suggests that customers should purchase a good digital or dial tire pressure gauge as the stick type gauges are highly inaccurate.

2007 Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles are equipped with a direct system. Each of the four road tires has a sensor mounted in the valve stem. This sensor reads the air pressure of each tire, transmitting data every minute once the vehicle reaches 20 mph and every hour when the vehicle is traveling at less than 20 mph or at rest. When a sensor detects that the tire is under-inflated it sends a signal that illuminates a warning light on the vehicle’s instrument panel. A solid light indicates that one or more tires need air. A flashing light indicates a system fault, requiring that the vehicle be brought into the dealer for service.

“By law, the light has to come on when the tire is 15 percent below the certified pressure, (the tire pressure number that’s printed on the vehicle certification label located on the driver’s door jamb). Ford’s system comes on a little sooner, at 14 percent,” says McInerney.

The warning light will reset itself, (go off) once tire pressures are set to recommended specifications and the vehicle has been driven above 20 mph for at least two minutes.

McInerney reminds customers not to drive on a flat tire if at all possible as it could damage the tire pressure sensor. Damage to the sensor is not covered under warranty. Sensors can also be damaged if the repaired or replacement tire is improperly mounted.

“You might want to remind the people at the tire store that your vehicle is equipped with a TPMS and that there is a proper procedure for removing and replacing the tires on the wheels,” says McInerney. “Copies of the procedure are available free at www.motorcraft.com.”

The temporary spare is not equipped with a TPMS sensor.

“It’s normal to see warnings from the system when the spare is in use,” says McInerney. “Replacing the road wheel as soon as possible will restore the system to its full functionality.”

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems are required by the federal government and cannot be disabled by the dealer. Aftermarket wheels and tires are not recommended as they may cause the system to malfunction. As always, if you have any questions, contact your dealer or refer to your owner’s manual.