Exclamation Point Light in Your Car? What the Tire Pressure Warning Means
What Car Owners Need to Know
- Tire pressure warning lights have been required in new vehicles since the 2008 model year.
- The warning light only comes on when a tire has significantly less than the recommended pressure.
- Improper tire pressure impacts fuel economy, tire wear and performance.
The U-shaped symbol with an exclamation point in the middle on the instrument panel pictured above indicates a problem that shouldn’t be ignored but is often free to address: It’s the tire pressure warning light.
Related: How to Properly Check and Put Air in Tires
Why Is My Tire Pressure Light On?
The tire pressure light illuminates when the tire pressure monitoring system detects one or more of your tires drop 25% below the manufacturer’s recommended pressure. For example, the light will come on at 26 pounds per square inch when the recommended pressure is 35 psi. The recommended tire pressures are usually printed on a sticker on the driver’s door jamb but may also be found on the door itself or inside the fuel door. They will also be in your owner’s manual.
Your low tire pressure light may come on due to a puncture in a tire, a damaged wheel or simply because it’s cold outside. Since air contracts when it is cold, people who live in seasonal climates may notice their tire pressures dropping as winter approaches. Many tire manufacturers use the rule of thumb that tires lose 1 psi for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change of outside temperature.
The first step when your tire pressure light illuminates is to ensure that all four tires are adjusted to the proper pressure. If they all maintain that pressure, then you’re all set. There could also be a fault with the TPMS itself, including one of the sensors.
Related Video:
Solid Vs. Flashing Tire Pressure Light?
Most often when the TPMS light comes on, it will stay on (a solid light). As discussed, this means low pressure in one or more tires. If the light flashes repeatedly when you start the car and then stays on, that indicates a potential tire pressure sensor fault or another component of the TPMS, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Can I Drive With the Light On?
You could drive your car with four flat tires or no tires at all on your rims, but that doesn’t mean you should. If your TPMS light comes on, pull over as soon as it is safe to do so and make sure none of your tires are critically low. Usually, a tire that is dangerously low on pressure will be visibly flatter than a properly inflated one. If you drive on underinflated tires, you may notice the vehicle pulling to one side or otherwise behaving oddly.
While it may be safe to drive a short distance on an underinflated tire, even pressures that are not low enough to illuminate the TPMS light can negatively impact fuel economy, tire wear and handling. And if you’ve ever swerved around a chunk of truck tire on the highway, you’ve seen firsthand one potential result of driving on severely underinflated tires. Low tire pressure can cause tire blowouts, and more than 500 Americans died in tire-related crashes in 2024, according to NHTSA.
What Other Warning Lights Have Exclamation Points
The TPMS light looks like the cross-section of a tire, with tread at the bottom and an exclamation point between the (slightly bulging) sidewalls. However, you may also see an exclamation point in your car related to the power steering, transmission and braking system.
How Do I Put Air In My Tires?
Correcting the pressure in your tires is simple. You need an air compressor with the appropriate nozzle and an air pressure gauge. (If you don’t have these, any tire shop will.) The valve stem is a short stalk that pokes out of your vehicle’s wheels. Every wheel will have one. Unscrew the cap at the end of the stem and push the air compressor nozzle against the valve inside the stem. Air will flow into the tire.
1. Check tire pressure when the tires are cold, like when the car has been sitting overnight.
2. Verify the recommended tire pressure on the driver’s side door jamb or owner’s manual.
3. Find the tire valve stem on the tire, remove the cap.
4. Firmly place the tire pressure gauge on the exposed valve stem until the gauge shows a reading.
5. Remove the tire pressure gauge, and check the reading.
6. Follow the instructions of the air compressor to fill the tire.
7. Regularly check the tire pressure to make sure you don’t overfill.
How Do I Turn Off or Reset the Tire Pressure Light?
Most TPMS will reset automatically and extinguish the warning light within a few miles of driving once the tires are all set to the correct pressure. In some vehicles, you may have to manually reset the system within the instrument cluster display or infotainment touchscreen. If your light stays on after you’ve inflated your tires, look in the owner’s manual for how to reset the system.
What Is the Right Tire Pressure?
The recommended tire pressures are usually printed on a sticker on the driver’s door jamb, but they may also be found on the door itself or inside the fuel door. They will also be in your owner’s manual. As noted above, even if your tires are not low enough to trigger the TPMS light, pressures lower than the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations may negatively impact handling, tire wear and fuel economy. Also, though, do not simply inflate your tires to the pressure noted on their sidewalls. That figure is the maximum inflation pressure; your vehicle’s manufacturer recommended pressure will result in a better balance of ride comfort, tire life and safety.
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- What Service Do Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems Need?
- What Are Run-Flat Tires?
- How to Check Tire Tread
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