Lake In The Hills motorists may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in Lake In The Hills come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around Lake In The Hills have these systems as well. A tire pressure monitoring system – called TPMS – consists of sensors on each wheel that measure tire pressure.

If tire pressure drops 25 percent below the car maker’s recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When Lake In The Hills motorists see the warning light, they know it’s time to put some air in the tires.

There are many benefits to Lake In The Hills motorists who drive with properly inflated tires around Lake In The Hills. First is cost savings. Running at the correct air pressure improves MPG. Driving on under-inflated tires is like driving through sand – it drags down your fuel efficiency. Lake In The Hills motorists will also see longer, more even tread wear so your tires’ll last longer.

Another important benefit of properly inflated tires is increased safety for Lake In The Hills drivers. Under-inflated tires become hotter and that heat can actually lead to tire failure – possibly resulting in an accident. Your car and the tires themselves will just perform better and more safely around Lake In The Hills with properly inflated tires.

Local Lake In The Hills consumer groups, law-makers and auto manufacturers advocate TPMS systems hoping that they will save lives, property damage and inconvenience. While you can’t put a value on saving a life, Lake In The Hills auto owners should keep in mind that TPMS systems aren't free.

The systems themselves are added into the price of the car. The batteries in the sensors will have to be replaced from time to time. Parts will break and need to be replaced. In colder climates around Illinois , ice and salt are frequent causes of failure.

In addition, there are other behind-the-scenes costs we want Lake In The Hills car owners to be aware of. Every time a tire is replaced, repaired, rotated or balanced, the tire technician has to deal with the TPMS system.

Lake In The Hills service centers such as Tuffy Lake In The Hills must purchase expensive equipment used to scan and reactivate the TPMS system after every tire service. Because older tire change equipment can damage TPMS sensors, your Lake In The Hills service center may need to buy expensive, new tire changers.

Since there is no uniformity among car makers, service specialists need to be trained on several TPMS systems. These behind-the-scenes costs are very real to Lake In The Hills service center managers like Laurie Geer at Tuffy Lake In The Hills.

That’s why the team at Tuffy Lake In The Hills is anxious for Lake In The Hills auto owners to understand the essential financial impact of TPMS systems. In the past, we've been able to quickly and cheaply provide tire services to auto owners, and then pass the low cost on to Lake In The Hills customers as an expression of our good will. But now even these simple jobs take much longer and require pricey equipment.

Sensors will need to be removed and reinstalled. Even a tire rotation will require that the monitor be reprogrammed to the new location of each tire. When a car battery is disconnected, the TPMS system will need to be reprogrammed.

So when you start so see the cost of tire changes, flat repairs and rotations going up in Illinois , please keep in mind that it’s because of this important new safety equipment. The team at Tuffy Lake In The Hills just wants to keep you safely on the road – and we're committed to doing it at a fair price.

It’s essential to remember that the TPMS warning only comes on when a tire is severely under-inflated. You’ll still want to check your tire pressure regularly. At every fill-up is best, but you should check pressure at least once a month. Here’s wishing you safe travels.

Contact Tuffy Lake In The Hills for more important information about Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.