St. Johns drivers may know that all 2008 model year and newer cars, mini-vans and light trucks in St. Johns come with a tire pressure monitoring system. Many slightly older vehicles around Jacksonville 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 automobile manufacturer’s recommended pressure, the sensor sends a signal to a monitoring unit that causes a warning to light up on the dashboard. When Jacksonville drivers see the warning light, they know it’s time to put some air in the tires.

There are many benefits to St. Johns auto owners who drive with properly inflated tires around St. Johns . 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 economy. St. Johns auto owners 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 St. Johns motorists. 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 St. Johns with properly inflated tires.

Local St. Johns consumer groups, law-makers and 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, St. Johns drivers 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 Florida, ice and salt are frequent causes of failure.

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

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

Since there is no uniformity among automobile manufacturers, service professionals need to be trained on several TPMS systems. These behind-the-scenes costs are very real to St. Johns service center managers like Ben Thorington at Tuffy St. Johns.

That’s why the team at Tuffy St. Johns is anxious for Jacksonville motorists to understand the essential financial impact of TPMS systems. In the past, we've been able to quickly and cheaply provide tire services to drivers, and then pass the low cost on to Jacksonville customers as an expression of our good will. But now even these simple jobs take much longer and require expensive 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 Florida, please keep in mind that it’s because of this critical new safety equipment. The team at Tuffy St. Johns 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 St. Johns for more important information about Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.