Question re "Check Tire Pressure" dash light

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?


On 8 Dec 2006 19:25:48 -0800, "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
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

"LauraA" wrote in message

> 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
>

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?
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

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

> 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
>


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.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

"karinhall" wrote in message

>
> "Jim Tiberio" wrote in message
>
>>
>> "LauraA" wrote in message
>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>
>> 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?
>>
> Un-freakin'-believable! (: (
>

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.
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

It was 12/9/2006 10:45 and Jim Tiberio wrote:
> "LauraA" wrote in message
>
>> 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
>>
>
> 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?


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).
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

"Lee Florack" wrote in message

> It was 12/9/2006 10:45 and Jim Tiberio wrote:
>> "LauraA" wrote in message
>>
>>> 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
>>>
>>
>> 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?
>
>
> 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).

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..
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

"Jim Tiberio" wrote in


>
> "karinhall" wrote in message
>
>>
>> "Jim Tiberio" wrote in message
>>
>>>
>>> "LauraA" wrote in message
>>>
>>>> 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
>>>>
>>>
>>> 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?
>>>
>> Un-freakin'-believable! (: (
>>
>
> 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.
>
>


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.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

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
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

Be sure to check your spare tire. Our tacoma has a sensor on he spare tire
also. Scott
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

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).


zonie wrote:
> Be sure to check your spare tire. Our tacoma has a sensor on he spare tire
> also. Scott
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

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?
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

tl2006black wrote in
156f6998432b468696f9b3ca40d6f429 RemoveThis @autoboardz.com:

> 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.




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.


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


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.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light 

Tegger wrote in


> tl2006black wrote in
> 156f6998432b468696f9b3ca40d6f429.TakeThisOut@autoboardz.com:
>
>> 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.
>
>
>
>
> 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.
>

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

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


--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net
 >> Stay informed about: Question re ""Check Tire Pressure"" dash light