TPMS

It sounds like a disease.

And frankly I think it is.

TPMS Symbol

TPMS is the Mad Cow disease on your dashboard that resulted from a government induced vaccine for a problem that didn't exist.

That unfortunate acronym stands for TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM.

And now, there IS a problem.

(This is working exactly the way the politicians intended for it to. They create problems, so THEY can FIX them.  That way, they will never be out of work!  Get it?)

TPMS were mandated by the government to be on all cars manufactured after 2008. The "Crisis" that the government "didn't want to waste" was the Ford Explorer/Firestone Rollover incidents in 2000 which lead to Congress passing the TREAD act.

Attack of the TPMS light

The problem is it's driving this card carrying member of the  "unwashed masses" crazy.

I suspect I have plenty of company.

Say you're on vacation, driving the family to Myrtle Beach....and suddenly the TPMS indicator lights up on your dashboard.

 You pull over and check your tires. They're fine. All are filled to factory specs. No problem.

Except the indicator light is still on.

And, unless you've memorized the manual, you don't know how to turn it off.

And even if you are totally convinced that nothing is wrong with your tires, I can guarantee that you won't be able to convince your wife...or probably even your kids....

You might as well turn around, and drive to the dealer who sold you the car....because chances are your manual doesn't tell you how to turn the indicator light off, or if it does, it will take hours to find it. (Gas Stations no longer do anything but sell gas....so don't even bother to stop at one to see if anyone there knows how to do it)  At any rate, forget about that totally relaxed, stress free vacation you thought you were going to have.

Even if you continue on with no problems, play with the kids and enjoy the time at the beach  you still have to drive back home.....with the TPMS light staring at you!

You finally take it in to the dealer and discover the problem:

The outdoor temperature fell several degrees the morning you started out......and that changed slightly the pressure in one of your tires and set off the meter (the indicator doesn't tell you WHICH tire, of course.)


Or, in my case, one of my tires HAD actually lost a few pounds of air.

My SPARE tire!

(Yes, that will cause the TPMS indicator to light up too!)

Ed's 1972 Pinto

You know, it's times like these that TPMS makes me WIHMPB.

Wish I Had My 72 Pinto Back.

At least it didn't torture you to death.

All it did was BLOW UP occasionally.

-Ed

Your Government at Work