Tire Systems Adding to Maintenance

By Mindy Long

The automatic tire pressure monitoring systems on all light vehicles add extra duty for fleet maintenance shops.

The tire-pressure monitoring systems now included with all new light-duty vehicles aim to increase safety and air pressure awareness, but the added technology and a lack of standardization amount to a steep learning curve for service technicians and an extra level of maintenance responsibility for fleets.

Passed by Congress in 2000, the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentations Act, or TREAD, required all new vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 pounds and sold in the United States after 2008 to be equipped with tire-pressure monitoring systems.

In its TPMS final rule, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that underinflation was the cause in 20% of failed tires and that more than 10,000 accidents and 414 fatalities occurred annually because of tire-related problems.

Tire-pressure monitoring systems communicate information to the driver through sensors installed in the tire-wheel assembly. The sensors send air pressure readings to the vehicle’s computer, and a dashboard display flashes a warning if the pressure in a tire falls more than 25% below the manufacturer’s recommendation.

The law phased in installation of the systems, beginning with 20% of 2006 model-year vehicles, 70% of 2007 models, and 100% of 2008 and newer models.

Sensors can vary by vehicle make and model and can be damaged if they are not properly cared for during tire maintenance.

Therefore, training and education are required to ensure whatever system a fleet’s vehicles have are functioning properly.

“There is no question that if a fleet has a lot of vehicles under 10,000 GVWR, they are going to have different systems to deal with,” said Kevin Rohling, senior vice president of training for the Tire Industry Association. Different systems mean different procedures for each vehicle, depending on where the tire-pressure monitoring sensor is located on the tire, he said.

Careful Maintenance

Before working on a vehicle, a service technician needs to know if it has a tire-pressure monitoring system and where the sensors are located.

“As you are mounting and demounting the tires, it becomes important not to damage the sensors,” said Don Baldwin, product marketing manager for commercial truck tires for Michelin North America. <

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