It got a bit colder yesterday in Texas, and suddenly I got this dashboard alert… two of my tire pressure sensors went off. I understand tire pressure drops when it’s cold, but I figured driving on the highway would warm them up and make the alerts disappear. Nope. Even though the pressure was about the same for all four tires (around 29-31 psi), only two tires kept triggering the alert. This morning, those same two sensors are still showing as low pressure. Did both sensors’ batteries die at the same time? Do I need to reset something manually? Anyone here have an EV6 or another Kia and had a similar issue with their TPMS?
Thanks in advance.
When you get those alerts… Try airing the tires up to at least 36 psi to get the warning off.
Peyton said:
When you get those alerts… Try airing the tires up to at least 36 psi to get the warning off.
Thanks, that’s helpful. Whenever I go to the tire shop, they just say drive around a bit and the sensors will reset. But if it’s that low, 5psi under, I can see why the alert would stay on.
Peyton said:
When you get those alerts… Try airing the tires up to at least 36 psi to get the warning off.
But now I’m curious why only those two triggered the alert. Could the limit be around 28 psi, and they didn’t quite reach that?
@Bailey
It’s possible! Sometimes the display shows a rounded number, like 30, but in reality, it could be something like 30.1, 30.3, 29.8, etc. Maybe the alert triggers when one of them actually dips below 30.
@Bailey
For me, it was 27 psi when mine went off. Took a while to figure out I had to inflate them past 36 to get the warning to clear.
You should set your tire pressure to 36 psi before you start driving.
Blake said:
You should set your tire pressure to 36 psi before you start driving.
Ah, got it. I’ve been a bit lazy this summer with a new car and haven’t done much maintenance. Odd that they’re all around 30 psi, but only two of them triggered the warning. I’m used to keeping tires around 35 psi, but I thought maybe 30 would be fine for these EV tires.
@Bailey
I had the same issue. I filled them to 36, but the warning wouldn’t go away. Then I heard from someone here that going up to 37 psi clears the warning.
30 psi is pretty low. Most folks here say 36 psi is the correct pressure, and that’s when it’s cold. Tires lose around 1 psi per month, but I find my EV6 only needs topping up every couple of months. I use a small air compressor at home to keep them at 36. And don’t forget to check the spare too!
@Farley
Good info, thanks! I don’t remember having to top off tires this often, so I’ve probably been neglecting it. Seems like the stock tires might lose air faster than others I’ve had. I might need to get an air compressor to keep near my charging setup.
@Bailey
Nah, they don’t lose air faster than any other tire, really. Losing 1 psi a month is normal. It would take around 6-7 months of neglect for the TPMS to pick it up if it’s dropping that slowly. Maybe your car came with less than 36 psi when you got it. You can check the recommended pressure; it’s usually on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame.
@Bailey
I have this handy tire inflator in my garage that works well for topping off.
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@Bailey
The tires that come with the car don’t really have more issues than any other brand. I’ve had mine a couple of years now and rarely need to add air. The temperature changes probably play a bigger part in the pressure fluctuations than anything else.
@Mai
Makes sense! I used to check pressure regularly, probably because it got done at oil changes. But with the EV, I’ve slacked off a bit. Here in Texas, summer temps don’t vary that much, so I assumed I’d be fine. Totally on me for not keeping up with it, though.
Once you hit the low threshold, the pressure has to go above the acceptable range to clear the warning. There’s a bit of a gap between the warning and acceptable range, so if a tire never hit the low point, it won’t show an alert.
@Parker
Haha, the perks of skipping gas stations with an EV, right? I haven’t been to a gas station in ages, so I never even thought to check my tires. Probably got too comfortable with the ‘low maintenance’ idea of EVs. Lesson learned, thanks!
I keep my tires around 40 psi here in Texas.
Vesper said:
I keep my tires around 40 psi here in Texas.
Interesting! I’ve never gone that high. Is there a specific reason for 40 psi, especially here in Texas? Wouldn’t that make the ride a bit stiffer?