Does cold weather affect TPMS? You betcha

AKRON (Feb. 18, 2015) — As snow and frigid arctic cold blanket wide swaths of the Midwest, Northeast and East Coast, vehicles — and specifically tires and related systems — are taking a beating.

Published reports have shed light on a problem some tire dealerships are experiencing as temperatures plunge to single digits or below zero in some areas: Motorists are stopping by to report that their vehicle's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) dashboard warning light is on.

A recent item in Consumer Reports (CR) magazine — titled “Do Tires Really Go Flat in Cold Weather?” — highlighted the issue of errant TPMS lights in cold weather. “…Colder temperatures mean that the air in your tires becomes more dense while the car is parked on winter nights,” CR said. “Getting a warning light on a chilly morning doesn't necessarily indicate a problem.

“Once you drive a few miles and the tires warm up, the light should turn off. If it doesn't, check the pressure with a gauge and add air, or ask your mechanic to have a look.”

Even with vehicles equipped with TPMS, the magazine advised motorists to “use a gauge to check the pressure in all of your tires at least once per month, no matter what the weather is like.”

And a Feb. 17 story in the Akron Beacon Journal noted that because the sensors are designed to issue a warning when tire pressure falls four pounds below the recommended level, some Akron-area tire dealerships said alarmed motorists have been coming in with TPMS lights aglow.

With the cold weather and potholes taking a toll on vehicles in general, the Beacon Journal reported that tire stores were doing a brisk business in snow tires, and TPMS problems “have added to the rush.”

Chuck Hamad of Hamad Tire Inc., which has two stores in the Akron metropolitan area, told the newspaper that the TPMS issue has generated a lot of wintertime business for the dealership. “When it gets cold out — I think every 10 degrees the temperature drops and you lose 1 pound of air pressure — it constricts the air,” Mr. Hamad said. “So when people see those lights on the dashboard…they bring in their cars.”

He added that traction issues also are driving more motorists to his tire shops.

Barry Steinberg, Barry Steinberg, owner of Direct Tire and Auto Service, which operates four locations in Watertown, Mass., told a Tire Business reporter that, this time of year, “we get TPMS light calls every single day and the first thing we say to them: ‘Do you park your car outside?'”

More often than not the car in question has been left out in the cold overnight, Mr. Steinberg said, so the dealership advises the caller to drive around for a while, and the warning light should go off as the tires warm up.

Has your dealership or auto service shop seen an increase in TPMS-related calls — and more snow tire sales? Let us know what your experiences have been so far this winter. Email your comments to us at [email protected].