Honda Civic 2008 - Low Tire Pressure Indicator
vivekian
I recently bought a Honda Civic 2008 in August 2008 which has been
driven 2700 miles.
Yesterday while backing out of the parking lot, i heard a click sound
and the Low Tire Pressure Indicator went on.
I took the car to the nearest gas pump and check the air pressure. All
tires seemed to indicate around 30 psi.
I took the car to the dealer today and they wanted to keep the car for
half the day which i couldn't do as i had to get back to work. Also i
was skeptical if they would charge me for the inspection. I checked
the air pressure again today and it seems to be fine but the Low tire
pressure indicator is still on.
Any advice would be appreciated.
thanks in advance,
vivekian
Tegger
269277...@o4g2000pra.googlegroups.com:
The car is still under the factory warranty.
The dealer is obligated by the terms of their franchise contract with Honda
to fix your car, and Honda will pay them for any warranty repairs to the
TPMS system, so there's no point in charging you for this.
Don't worry until they come back and say there's nothing they can do. At
that point you get Honda involved.
--
Tegger
The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
Tegger
news:Xns9B38C914...@208.90.168.18:
> vivekian <vivek...@gmail.com> wrote in
> news:f8a04af5-f42a-48e5-8bb9-
> 269277...@o4g2000pra.googlegroups.com:
>
>> I took the car to the nearest gas pump and check the air pressure.
>> All tires seemed to indicate around 30 psi.
>>
And, by the way, those gas station air pump gauges are horribly inaccurate.
They get dropped, rained on, driven over, covered in winter snow and salt,
basically beat to death.
You need to go to AutoZone or someplace and invest ten bucks on a proper
gauge.
vivekian
> vivekian <vivekase...@gmail.com> wrote in news:f8a04af5-f42a-48e5-8bb9-
> 269277e54...@o4g2000pra.googlegroups.com:
Thanks for the reply Tegger. That gives me more confidence to visit
the dealer.
I will update you with what happens.
tww1491
"vivekian" <vivek...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:f8a04af5-f42a-48e5...@o4g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
When this happened with the 08 Civic we bought as an alternative to the
Pilot my wife also drives, I checked the tires when cold with a decent
gauge, and then put in the air needed. You need a cheap electric pump or
manual pump and an accurate gauge. The sensor goes off after a little
driving. The manual covers it all.
vivekian
> "vivekian" <vivekase...@gmail.com> wrote in message
This is exactly what happened to my car as well.
I got a gauge from autozone as recommended and measured the air
pressure when the tires were cold.
It showed 28psi on 2 of the tires -- enough for the indicator to go
off i guess.
I took it to the gas pump and filled in just enough.
And as twww1491 says the indicator goes off after a little driving.
Earlier i had been measuring on hot tires and thats why the confusion.
Also for the LX model the recommended pressure is 32 psi.
Thanks for all your help.
Elle
tire pressure indicator system. I have been learning about
one on a friend's 2005 Toyota. Some caveats:
1. Look up info on the system in your owner's manual.
2. What is the correct tire pressure? It should be posted on
the driver's door jamb or in the glove compartment. Only
check tire pressure after the car has sat at least four
hours.
3. There is a reset (calibrate?) button for the low tire
pressure indicator system on some or all newere Toyotas. See
if your owner's manual also talks about one.
4. Remember your spare tire may be monitored, too. So it has
to be at the correct pressure.
"vivekian" <vivek...@gmail.com> wrote
Tegger
@newsfe14.iad:
> What Tegger said. Meanwhile, get acquainted with the low
> tire pressure indicator system. I have been learning about
> one on a friend's 2005 Toyota. Some caveats:
>
> 1. Look up info on the system in your owner's manual.
Excellent advice, which I should have given in the first place.
The Owner's Manual has copious information on both the Low Tire Pressure
warning light AND the TPMS warning light.
I failed to have the OP ascertain whether it was the TPMS or the Low
Tire Pressure light which had illuminated, a distinction of critical
importance. Apparently it was the LTP light, since the lamp has
extinguished with the OP's correction of pressures.
These new government-mandated tire pressure monitoring systems are
extraordinarily needful of correct pressures, so it really pays to read
the relevant sections of the Owner's Manual exceedingly carefully in
order to find out just how to achieve correctness. And it's not as
obvious as you might think...
> 2. What is the correct tire pressure? It should be posted on
> the driver's door jamb or in the glove compartment. Only
> check tire pressure after the car has sat at least four
> hours.
It's very wise when checking pressures to make sure some tires have not
been subject to conditions not seen by the others, such as one side of
the car having been in full sun while the other side was in shade. This
would affect pressure readings.
> 3. There is a reset (calibrate?) button for the low tire
> pressure indicator system on some or all newere Toyotas. See
> if your owner's manual also talks about one.
Unless I've missed it, the '08 Civic's doesn't.
> 4. Remember your spare tire may be monitored, too. So it has
> to be at the correct pressure.
The spare in the '08 Civic is not monitored.
And for the record, the '08 Civic has a sensor in each wheel.
Elle
> These new government-mandated tire pressure monitoring
> systems are
> extraordinarily needful of correct pressures,
One thing I learned today while reviewing a factory service
manual excerpt on newer Toyota Tundra systems: The system's
computer looks for a threshold pressure in each tire.
Anything above it, and the warning light will not come on.
Nor, from my reading, does it seem to detect large
differences in pressures between two tires, as long as they
are both above the threshold pressure.
> so it really pays to read
> the relevant sections of the Owner's Manual exceedingly
> carefully in
> order to find out just how to achieve correctness. And
> it's not as
> obvious as you might think...
>> 2. What is the correct tire pressure? It should be posted
>> on
>> the driver's door jamb or in the glove compartment. Only
>> check tire pressure after the car has sat at least four
>> hours.
>
>
> It's very wise when checking pressures to make sure some
> tires have not
> been subject to conditions not seen by the others, such as
> one side of
> the car having been in full sun while the other side was
> in shade. This
> would affect pressure readings.
Absolutely so. I was checking my friend's tires today, with
one side facing east in the morning and the other west. I'd
just set the pressures the other day in a shady area at a
high elevation in the mountains, so the temperature was low.
Today we were at low elevations, and it was hot out. The
pressure was up about the same on all four tires, but there
was also a clear one psi difference between sides.
>> 3. There is a reset (calibrate?) button for the low tire
>> pressure indicator system on some or all newere Toyotas.
>> See
>> if your owner's manual also talks about one.
>
>
>
> Unless I've missed it, the '08 Civic's doesn't.
I just checked the '08 manual and agree. It seems like a
design flaw, though. What about those folks who sacrifice
ride quality for fuel economy and so drive with overinflated
tires and so want to know when one goes lower than the
personally preferred pressure?
>> 4. Remember your spare tire may be monitored, too. So it
>> has
>> to be at the correct pressure.
>
>
>
> The spare in the '08 Civic is not monitored.
>
> And for the record, the '08 Civic has a sensor in each
> wheel.
The other interesting thing I learned is the Toyota systems
use a transmitter (at each wheel), antenna, and receiver to
send tire inflation pressure info to the system's computer.
I figure that it takes time for the information to transmit
and process, and this is why a person has to drive a few
miles before the warning light goes out.
I can say so far I like the Toyota design and have not found
it cumbersome to work with. Undoubtedly it saves fuel.
I am assuming the sensors etc. do not break easily, though
or are not expensive to replace when they do break.
Tegger
@newsfe03.iad:
> "Tegger" <inv...@invalid.inv> wrote
>> These new government-mandated tire pressure monitoring
>> systems are
>> extraordinarily needful of correct pressures,
>
> One thing I learned today while reviewing a factory service
> manual excerpt on newer Toyota Tundra systems: The system's
> computer looks for a threshold pressure in each tire.
What is that threshold? And what is the /specified/ pressure?
Or are the two the same?
Elle
> "Elle" <honda....@gmail.com> wrote
>> "Tegger" <inv...@invalid.inv> wrote
>>> These new government-mandated tire pressure monitoring
>>> systems are
>>> extraordinarily needful of correct pressures,
>>
>> One thing I learned today while reviewing a factory
>> service
>> manual excerpt on newer Toyota Tundra systems: The
>> system's
>> computer looks for a threshold pressure in each tire.
>
>
>
> What is that threshold? And what is the /specified/
> pressure?
> Or are the two the same?
On the 2005 Toyota Tundra and some other Toyotas, one can
use the reset button to specify the current pressure in the
tires as the threshold pressure. So the manufacturer's
specified tire pressure and threshold pressure may be
different on this Tundra.
From my reading, and by contrast, these two pressures are
always the same on the '08 Civic. It really does not seem
reasonable. I am wondering if the factory service manual
gives a way to reset the threshold in the '08 Civic.
Tegger
@newsfe03.iad:
> "Tegger" <inv...@invalid.inv> wrote
>> "Elle" <honda....@gmail.com> wrote
>>> "Tegger" <inv...@invalid.inv> wrote
>>>> These new government-mandated tire pressure monitoring
>>>> systems are
>>>> extraordinarily needful of correct pressures,
>>>
>>> One thing I learned today while reviewing a factory
>>> service
>>> manual excerpt on newer Toyota Tundra systems: The
>>> system's
>>> computer looks for a threshold pressure in each tire.
>>
>>
>>
>> What is that threshold? And what is the /specified/
>> pressure?
>> Or are the two the same?
>
> On the 2005 Toyota Tundra and some other Toyotas, one can
> use the reset button to specify the current pressure in the
> tires as the threshold pressure. So the manufacturer's
> specified tire pressure and threshold pressure may be
> different on this Tundra.
So, theoretically, you could set the tires to 10psi, press the reset
button, and 10psi would become the threshold? That's a bit...odd.
>
> From my reading, and by contrast, these two pressures are
> always the same on the '08 Civic. It really does not seem
> reasonable. I am wondering if the factory service manual
> gives a way to reset the threshold in the '08 Civic.
>
If I (as a Canadian resident) were able to purchase a subscription to
American Honda's Techinfo site, I could find that out in a flash.
Unfortunately, AMH will only sell subscriptions to buyers with US mailing
addresses, so I am SOL. And Honda Canada offers nothing at all online
outside of dealerships.
Elle
> "Elle" <honda....@gmail.com> wrote
>> On the 2005 Toyota Tundra and some other Toyotas, one can
>> use the reset button to specify the current pressure in
>> the
>> tires as the threshold pressure. So the manufacturer's
>> specified tire pressure and threshold pressure may be
>> different on this Tundra.
>
>
> So, theoretically, you could set the tires to 10psi, press
> the reset
> button, and 10psi would become the threshold? That's a
> bit...odd.
I was thinking only in terms of setting it higher than the
manufacturer's recommended pressure for fuel economy
reasons, so I do not know.
Is there any reason a person would want to go as low as 10
psi and drive on this for a long time?
>> From my reading, and by contrast, these two pressures are
>> always the same on the '08 Civic. It really does not seem
>> reasonable. I am wondering if the factory service manual
>> gives a way to reset the threshold in the '08 Civic.
>>
>
>
> If I (as a Canadian resident) were able to purchase a
> subscription to
> American Honda's Techinfo site, I could find that out in a
> flash.
> Unfortunately, AMH will only sell subscriptions to buyers
> with US mailing
> addresses, so I am SOL. And Honda Canada offers nothing at
> all online
> outside of dealerships.
Maybe I will look it up via Mitchell On Demand next time I
am at the library.
Tegger
@newsfe12.iad:
> "Tegger" <inv...@invalid.inv> wrote
>> "Elle" <honda....@gmail.com> wrote
>
>>> On the 2005 Toyota Tundra and some other Toyotas, one can
>>> use the reset button to specify the current pressure in
>>> the
>>> tires as the threshold pressure. So the manufacturer's
>>> specified tire pressure and threshold pressure may be
>>> different on this Tundra.
>>
>>
>> So, theoretically, you could set the tires to 10psi, press
>> the reset
>> button, and 10psi would become the threshold? That's a
>> bit...odd.
>
> I was thinking only in terms of setting it higher than the
> manufacturer's recommended pressure for fuel economy
> reasons, so I do not know.
>
> Is there any reason a person would want to go as low as 10
> psi and drive on this for a long time?
No reasonable reason I can think of. I was just considering possible
extreme stupidity on the part of owners, which I'm /quite/ certain Toyota
was NOT trying to encourage.
xprton54
tools @ pepboys or autozone, because the ones that are @ the gas
stations are very inaccurate.
--
Learn to Save Gas Money $
http://gastips2savemoney.blogspot.com/
Timothy Stoughton
anthony nm 88021