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Why Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)?
 
 
As a part of the TREAD Act, the U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued Docket No. NHTSA 2005-20586 which requires that all new vehicles sold in the United States with a GVWR of less than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kg) be equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system no later than September 1, 2008.
  • 20% of all new vehicles by August 31 will be equipped with RTPM.  
  • 70% of all new vehicles sold by August 31, 2007 will be equipped with RTPM.  
  • 100% of all new vehicles sold thereafter will be equipped with RTPM. 

TREAD Act Performance Requirments

  • Four Tire Detection – One or more tires under-inflated up to a total of 4 tire locations
  • 25% under inflation must be detected
  • Monitoring of spare tire not required
  • Must warn only when tire is under-inflated and ignition in the RUN position
  • System must warn when there is a system malfunction (Replacement Tire Compliance); Can either be separate Telltale or TPMS Telltale
  • Bulb Check required for Telltale on Ignition start
  • Telltale stays on until condition is cleared (Manual Reset switch allowed but Telltale must continue to Illuminate until condition is cleared regardless of reset switch)
  • Owners manual to contain warning about potential incompatible replacement tires
Identification
 
 
There are three sure ways to determine if a vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) 
  1. TPMS symbol temporarily lights up on dash while vehicle is being started (see symbols below)    
  2. Tire pressure is displayed on dash    
  3. Scan tires with an electronic scan tool

The scan tool will not detect indirect TPMS systems.

TPMS_Symbol
 
Direct TPMS System
 
 
There are two types of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS); Direct and Indirect.

The Indirect TPM system uses the vehicle's ABS system to measure tire rotation speed and compares it to the other tires. A tire that is low in pressure will be smaller in diameter and will continually rotate faster than the other tires. A computer calculation determines an estimate of when the tire is 25% low and activates the on-dash alarm.

The Direct TPMS more accurately uses pressure sensing transmitters mounted to the inside of each tire to constantly measure pressure and temperature information and then transmits the data via Radio Frequency (RF) radio waves to a central ECU (computer) to analyze and display tire pressure status on the dashboard. These sensing transmitters may be attached to the rim, tire or tire valve.
 
 

For existing Ceco Customers Only

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