I bought a 2008 Mazda 6 sedan yesterday, and the tire pressure light was turning on and off after I drove it off the lot. I took it back to the dealer’s service department and they topped off all the tires and told me that the sensors can detect when a tire is even five pounds low, so it doesn’t necessarily mean I need to worry. However, after I drove away the light was turning on and off again! It’s not a steady blinking; more just an intermittent turning on and off.
I’ve asked the dealership to check the service records specifically for leaks in the tires and valve stems. But I’m wondering if anyone familiar with such sensor systems has any input. My previous car was a 1997 Dodge Neon, so I don’t have any experience to go on here.
Read your owner’s manual looking for a “reinitialization” procedure.
These systems have two modes of “reset”. One is when a tire strays too far from it’s “baseline” (the reference setting from which the system measure change), and the other for resetting the baseline itself. In my system it’s called “reinitializing”.
Some of these systems also detect low pressure in the spare tire. If the service dept did not check your spare, then I would suggest that you do so.
If you do not have a tire pressure gauge–get one. Every car owner needs to have a tire pressure gauge, even if the car is equipped with a TPMS.