“Warning lights are there for a reason – to let us know something is wrong with our car,” says John Nielsen, the AAA’s national director of auto repair and buying. “While not all warning lights indicate disastrous consequences are about to occur, no illuminated warning indicator should ever be ignored.”
Cold weather can result in tire deflation; the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light comes on when one or more tires are significantly underinflated. “This may be the result of gradual pressure leakage over time, or an object that has punctured a tire,” he notes.
If the system displays individual tire pressures, check the dash display. If the pressures are all within a few pounds of one another, the warning is probably from gradual leakage over time; check and adjust the tire pressures as soon as possible, according to Nielsen.
If one pressure is significantly lower than the others, a puncture is likely. A severely deflated tire will affect handling and may cause the vehicle to drift to one side. Pulling off the road at the first available safe location and calling for assistance is the best technique in this situation.
“Where the tire pressure monitoring system does not display individual tire pressures, pull off the road at the first available safe location and check the tire pressures,” he says. “If you don’t have a pressure gauge, listen for leaks, feel for objects in the tire treads, and look for a tire that is obviously low on air.” If a problem is apparent call your motor club for help. Otherwise, drive at reduced speed to the closest repairer to have the tires inspected and the pressures adjusted.
“In most cases, the illumination of a warning light on the dashboard should result in a trip to a repair facility for further inspection,” says Nielsen, calling attention to other indicators such as oil pressure, engine temperature, charging, system, brakes and check engine.
To assist drivers seeking quality shops they can trust, the AAA established the Approved Auto Repair program as a free public service. The organization inspects and approves nearly 8,000 repair centers across the U.S.
“To become an Approved Auto Repair facility, a shop must meet and maintain tough professional standards for training, equipment, cleanliness and customer service,” Nielsen reports. Customers are surveyed on an ongoing basis, and approved facilities must maintain a 90 percent or better satisfaction rating.
For more information, visit www.aaa.com.
