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As outside temperature decreases by 10 degrees Fahrenheit, tire pressure decreases 1 psi. However, in very cold temperatures of -10 degrees Fahrenheit, the vehicle TPMS indicates low pressure but the tire pressure is at the normal pressure. Has water vapor inside the tire condensed and frozen on the TPMS tire sensor making it unreliable?

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Some tire pressure monitors use sensors to measure air pressure directly. Other systems measure changes in wheel speed as an indirect measure of pressure, if a wheel increases the number of revolutions per distance traveled it means the diameter of the wheel has decreased which is a sign that the pressure in the tire has dropped.

  • If your car has actual pressure sensors then ice is a possibility, or the cold temperatures have cause some other glitch
  • If your car uses wheel speed then it's a sign that the pressure in one of the tires has dropped enough to trip the threshold. This may not be that much, I've seen a drop of 6 psi cause a pressure drop warning. It could also be an issue with a wheel speed sensor, however that's pretty unlikely
GdD
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