Tire pressure light on? It's probably because of the cold

HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) - It's a dashboard warning light you shouldn't ignore: your tire pressure light may be more likely to go on at this time of year, and you should pay attention!

Not all cars have them, but since 2007, new vehicles have been required to have built-in censors to monitor tire pressure.

Hadley Tire owner Stephen Gochinski told 22News that he sees close to ten drivers each day looking to reset the censors. Why the recent increase in complaints? He said that the cold weather shrinks your tires, and as the temperatures dip, so too does your tire pressure.

“Don't always panic, go around and look at your tires and make sure they are not flat. I mean those sensors do work, so if you do have a hole in the tire and it comes on, there may be a reason. So, every time it's not necessarily the cold weather,” Gochinski said.

After his light went on, Kenneth Pollard of Hadley went to get his tires checked out Thursday morning; just to be on the safe side.

“I filled up all the tires to the recommended pressures, and then this morning was particularly cold and then it happened again. So I just want to rule out any serious issues,” Pollard said.

Gochinski says that the best time to check your pressure is in the morning, before turning on your car engine.