How Do I Reset the Tire Pressure Light in a Jeep?
Say goodbye to that pesky light with these tips.
Jeep
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Proper tire inflation is important. In 2007, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) first mandated that all new passenger cars, light trucks, and vans must be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). These systems are a great help, but they can be tricky to maintain, aren't always reliable, and can require resetting. Here's how to reset the tire pressure light in your Jeep.
What Is a TPMS?
These systems use sensors to monitor tire air pressure and trigger alerts if the pressure goes too low. If the air pressure is low, a signal is sent from the sensor to the vehicle's central computer, and a warning light appears on the instrument panel. The warning light could be alerting you to a genuinely low tire. Or it could come on in cooler temperatures, such as in the early morning before the temperature rises. Or the light could be an error caused by a faulty sensor or an issue with the vehicle's battery.
What Should I Do When the TPMS Light Comes On?
First, check the tire to see if it's low, damaged, or leaking air. If it appears undamaged but low, check the owner's manual or the door jam label for the optimal tire pressures for your Jeep and add air. This is best done in the morning when the tires are cool, but especially not immediately after a drive, since this warms the tires — and the air inside them — which increases the pressure in the tires.
If you've replaced the original tires with a different set, you'll need to consult secondary sources of information to set tire pressures. For example, a larger diameter tire or a tire made for extreme off-roading will have different optimal tire pressures than the original tire. Also, if your Jeep rides on aftermarket tires and you haven't recalibrated the TPMS, this could trigger the warning light — even if the tires are properly inflated.
Jeep
How Do I Reset the TPMS Light in My Jeep?
The first step is to check the owner's manual to see if your Jeep has a TPMS reset button — not all current Jeep models have such a button. On some models, this button is located beneath the steering wheel.
With your Jeep turned off, place the ignition key in the "On" position (but don't start the car) and hold the reset button until the TPMS light blinks three times. Release the button and wait for 20 minutes; this should cause the warning light to go away.
If not, there are a few other tricks you can try.
You can inflate all the tires to 3 psi above the recommended pressure, deflate to below the recommended pressure, then reinflate to the correct pressure. You could also drive at over 15 mph for 20 minutes, which should give the tires enough time to warm up and reset the TPMS light. If you're confident that your tires are in good shape, other experts recommend driving above 50 mph for 10 minutes — the same general idea here to warm the tires up.
As a last resort, turn off your Jeep, disconnect the battery, and honk the horn for three seconds to discharge any residual power stored. When you reconnect the battery, the light should be out.
If all of these steps fail to produce the desired result, you're likely dealing with a faulty TPMS sensor that would need to be repaired or replaced.
