Question re "Check Tire Pressure" dash light

Have been driving a 2006 TL since September and for the most part really like the car, but find it odd that ever since the weather changed for the colder the "Check Tire Pressure" indicator on my dash has been lit up. Checked with the dealer the first time it came on and he assured me that it was a "quirk" of the car for this model/year, just to "ignore it." For the most part I do, and now that it is wintery outside (Ohio) the light stays on constantly (in earlier fall it would go out after about 20 minutes of driving), but I find it strange that my google search of this forum turned up no previous inquiry about this "quirk." So, is it in fact true that this is just something I should ignore, or is the quirk specific to MY car? TIA for any guidance, LA

Reply to
LauraA
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I don't have a 2006 TL, so I can't speak from experience, but.... I'll assume you've read the applicable entries in the users manual. It's an almost new car, still under warranty. You've got an idiot light stuck on, for whatever reason. Have the dealer either show you how to make it turn off, or have them fix it. If it's a "quirk", it's not an acceptable one - have them fix it. You shouldn't have to "ignore" idiot lights on a new car. Wait til it's 12 years old, and then that's acceptable, but new, no.

Reply to
Yoda

How does the tire pressure, measured with a manual gauge, match the behavior of the light, and what range does the manual specify as OK, and the light to be off?

Reply to
Martin

"LauraA" wrote in news:1165634748.040496.52280 @n67g2000cwd.googlegroups.com:

It's not a "quirk", it's behaving as desgned: it's telling you at least one of your tires' pressure is below minimum.

Air pressure drops by one PSI for every ten degrees Fahrenheit, so pressures drop the deeper you get into winter.

Check your tires with a manual gauge and add air where it's needed. The light will go off when the pressures are set as per the sticker on the driver's door frame.

Reply to
Tegger

That is pretty funny, I've been meaning to get on here to ask a similar question. I've had my '06 TL since Feb (no pressure problems then) and since it's dropped into the thirties this week in CT my check tire pressure light has been on also. Have you checked your pressure? You can do that right on the dash. My two fronts were down to 28-29 PSI when I'd start it cold. After a little driving they warm up and the pressure goes up turning off the light. I went ahead and added a few psi and the light hasn't bothered me but now after driving the pressure goes up to about 37 PSI. My question is am I better off just dealing with light or keeping the pressure up there a bit?

Reply to
Jim Tiberio

Why? I'm just curious since it is only happening on very cold mornings. The tires are supposed to be at 32 PSI, I keep them there but on colder mornings it seems to drop on the fronts. I've increased the pressure beyond

32 PSI to account for that but want to know if it's better for the car to leave them as is and let them warm up a bit on colder mornings.
Reply to
Jim Tiberio

Tire pressure is meant to be measured when the tires are cold. Cold, in this case means that the tires are at outside ambient temperature and that the tires have not been driven for a few hours. Measure your tires when they're cold and match the pressure to specifications from Acura as shown on your door frame.

As has been stated previously, as outside temperature decreases the "cold" tire pressure at ambient temperature will decrease too. The opposite is true when temperatures go up in the spring. You (and everyone else) needs to adjust their tire pressure as the seasons change accordingly. Don't worry about what the tire pressure does after you drive them for awhile (it WILL go up).

Reply to
Lee Florack

Thanks, I understand all of that. My only concern was that it was only in the early morning that pressure dropped. When I got in the car later in the day the pressure was fine. I'm not concerned about over-inflating within the tire's limits, I just don't want handling/traction/tire wear affected by adding a few pounds to account for early morning rides which account fo maybe ten percent of my driving..

Reply to
Jim Tiberio

"Jim Tiberio" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net:

Sometimes the logic that controls warning lights is set too far on the sensitive side. It's worth checking with a dealer to see if there are any TSBs or other documentation regarding tire pressure warning lights and possible ECM reflashing.

If it were truly a "quirk", Honda would eventually issue a fix, even if it's just a mention in Honda ServiceNews.

And a good point was made earlier: Check the tire pressures COLD (before driving). Also, the tires should be out of the sun, so check before the sun touches your tires in the morning. And never use a gas station pump- mounted gauge to check the pressures. If I need to add a couple of pounds, I just use a bicycle pump while in my driveway.

Reply to
Tegger

Thanks so much to all for your input! I am recently on my own, and having exclusively leased cars in the past 15+ years (the dealer just took care of EVERYthing), I have to admit (embarassed) I don't know how to check tire pressure with a gauge (yet). I bought the TL after extensively researching the price range for the best value/most reliable car I could buy, and I am really enjoying it -- guess I'll have to learn to take care of these little things. Admittedly, I never learned how to use a device to check the pressure because, if they were low, well, I don't know how to add air (really embarassed). You go to the gas station, and they have a hose with an "out of order" sign on it, right, lol? Still, I thank you and will bring up this "quirk" to my dealer again, asking that he provide a solution to having to drive with the somewhat disconcerting message on display. Your input helped a lot. Laura

Reply to
LauraA

Be sure to check your spare tire. Our tacoma has a sensor on he spare tire also. Scott

Reply to
zonie

Tires should be inflated sso that they spend zero minutes at low pressure. In other words, if the spec pressure is 32 PSI, then the tires should be at 32 PSI when your car is sitting in the driveway. As tires roll, they heat up and the internal air pressure goes up, but the important thing is that the tire not be run underinflated for that first 10 or 20 minutes of your drive.

Unless there's an unusual circumstance, the pressure increase from driving won't cause any problems. It's usually pretty small unless you're racing (usually less than 10 PSI).

z> Be sure to check your spare tire. Our tacoma has a sensor on he spare tire

Reply to
pmkeating

I have a 06 TL and also been having same problem; just took car in for service today.

Seems like the TPM were not designed for colder climates.

My dealer told me that the simple fix for this is to put in NITROUS AIR into the tires; cost $50 + taxes. Not sure if this really solves the problem, but so far so good.

Anyone have any input on this? Did this really fix my problem, or did they simply turn the sensors off?

"LauraA" wrote: > Have been driving a 2006 TL since September and for the most > part > really like the car, but find it odd that ever since the > weather > changed for the colder the "Check Tire Pressure" indicator on > my dash > has been lit up. Checked with the dealer the first time it > came on and > he assured me that it was a "quirk" of the car for this > model/year, > just to "ignore it." For the most part I do, and now that it > is > wintery outside (Ohio) the light stays on constantly (in > earlier fall > it would go out after about 20 minutes of driving), but I find > it > strange that my google search of this forum turned up no > previous > inquiry about this "quirk." So, is it in fact true that this > is just > something I should ignore, or is the quirk specific to MY car? > TIA for > any guidance, LA

Reply to
tl2006black

tl2006black wrote in news:971252_ snipped-for-privacy@autoboardz.com:

You are referring to NITROGEN, not "nitrous air". No such thing as "nitrous air". Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air you breathe every day.

It probably made things better.

You can thank these contributors for your problem:

1) The federal government's NHTSA 2) Ralph Nader's "safety lobby" organization, whatever it's called... 3) Liability exposure (the lawyer lobby).

All of these ensure that your car will complain quite loudly when the tire's air pressure is not 100% right.

Reply to
Tegger

Tegger wrote in news:Xns98C8E75862C4Btegger@207.14.116.130:

Nitrogen-filled tires lose pressure far slower than air-filled tires.

Google and you will find out a lot about nitrogen and tires.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns98C966EE0A7ECjyanikkuanet@

64.209.0.86:

More exactly, nitrogen-filled tires are less susceptible to temperature- derived pressure changes. They enjoy more stable pressures, in other words.

If you have a rim leak, valve leak or puncture, nitrogen will escape from your tires just as fast as regular air.

Reply to
Tegger

Tegger wrote in news:Xns98C9749449C14tegger@207.14.116.130:

the O2 in ordinary air combines with rubber compounds and thus the pressure reduces. It also degrades the tire gradually.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

I missed the original post. Cold weather causes tire pressures to drop. Driving causes pressures to increase. I fill the tires on my 2006 RL in a warm garage to 32# front and 30# rear. A few days ago the ambient temperature was 6 degrees and my tires were 28# and 26#. After driving for a while they worked their way back up to 30# and 28#.

Sounds to me like your initial pressures might be too low and cold weather makes them drop out of the safe band, whatever that is. I would not ignore the warning. Check your tire pressures. They are probably too low.

I know a lot of garages under-inflate and a lot of manufacturers recommend pressures that are too low because they make for a softer ride. You should never inflate to less than factory recommendation and I prefer a couple of pounds more. I also like to check tire wear. Under-inflation causes the outside edges to wear faster. Over-inflation wears the center faster.

Reply to
Robert Peirce

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