Why Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems Matter More Than You Think

Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is one of the most talked about features in modern day cars. This is specially true for a market like India that has different road and weather conditions and constant monitoring of tyres increases their durability and longevity. Tyre Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS, as it is widely known is now being provided in almost all car segments, save for the entry level cars and some manufacturers go a step ahead to offer this extremely useful feature across all variants including the base.

Now you may think that a TPMS just tells you if one of your tyres is punctured and you get alerted before causing too much damage to the deflated tyre. Yes, that is its primary job but these systems have a much larger role to play and actually matter more than you think. The system with sensors installed in all the tyres gives real time pressure they’re driving on to tell you the discrepancies between different tyres in the vehicle. It is ideal if pressure in all wheels is similar if not exact to ensure that occupants get the best possible ride.

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Before we tell you why TPMS matters lets understand how it works. It is largely of two kinds — highline and lowline. The former is more desirable as it gives the driver details of exact tyre pressure on all the four wheels so that he knows which wheel needs immediate attention. Its a much safer way of keeping tyres and vehicle secure. Lowline TPMS through an indication on cluster informs you about low pressure in one of the wheels without mentioning the exact pressure. It is an inferior system when compared to highline but is definitely more useful than not having any such system in the car at all.

Now that we know how it functions lets talk bout why TPMS matters. A lot of critical functions in the vehicle depend on accurate tyre pressures. Both low and high tyre pressures can cause serious damage to both the tyres and even the vehicle as a whole. The tyres wear faster, their alignment gets disturbed and this results in inappropriate handling as well as reduced fuel efficiency. More rolling resistance owing to lower pressures means more fuel is burnt while edges wear out faster which reduces the lifespan of tyres. So to ensure optimum fuel efficiency and long tyre life it is imperative to have the correct pressure in all the wheels.

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At high speeds low tyre pressures can also result in a blowout due extra friction and built up of heat in the tyre walls. Then there’s stability which gets affected to an extent due to incorrect pressures in the tyres. The steering doesn’t feel as precise and overall handling isn’t as taut as it would otherwise be. Some other parts like brakes too heat up faster due to this which results in longer braking distances. Overall the impact of low tyre pressure goes just beyond tyres and can cause long term harm to vehicle in the turn making the drive unsafe for occupants.

High tyre pressure has its own perils. Once again the control the driver should have over the vehicle is not maximised. More than inflated tyres result in reduced traction on the road due to less grip on offer. This again increases braking times in certain situations again directly impacting safety. The ride itself feels more bouncy making it a little more difficult to manage turns at high speeds. Tyres are not able to absorb as much impact as they’re supposed to which means more bumps are felt inside the cabin. Here too tyres wear out much faster as only the middle parts bear all the weight of the vehicle.

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All the problems listed above can be negated by having correct tyre pressures. That is why TPMS is a perfect tool to have in any vehicle. If you vehicle is not equipped with one as standard there are various aftermarket options available as well, but remember it will most likely affect the warranty of the vehicle. Tyre pressure is also weather dependent as it drops in cold weather and goes up in summers so its advisable to follow y our vehicle manual and keep the correct pressure going according to the outside temperatures.