Ford Explorer Quiz
Wheels and Tires

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

In this manual: Wheels and Tires
Introduction — 10At a Glance — 3Child Safety — 11Seat Belts — 10Personal Safety System™ — 1Supplemental Restraint System — 10Pedestrian Protection — 1911 Assist — 3Keys and Remote Controls — 10MyKey™ — 8Doors & Locks — 9Liftgate — 7Safety — 3Steering Wheel — 11Wipers and Washers — 5Lighting — 13Automatic High Beam Control — 3Windows and Mirrors — 6Instrument Cluster — 4Information Displays — 4Climate Control — 6Cabin Air Quality — 2Seats — 9Garage Door Opener — 2Auxiliary Power Points — 3Storage Compartments — 2Starting and Stopping the Engine — 5Unique Driving Characteristics — 4Fuel and Refueling — 8Engine Emission Control — 3High-Voltage Battery — 1Infection Transmission — 8All-Wheel Drive Vehicle — 1Brakes — 5Reverse Brake Assist — 4Traction Control — 1Stability Control — 3Hill Descent Control — 3Park Aid — 8Cruise Control — 4Adaptive Cruise Control — 19Driver Assistance — 12Drive Mode Control — 4Loading — 6Tow/Haul — 6Driving Tips — 5Roadside Emergencies — 8Customer Assistance — 9Fuses — 3Maintenance — 21Vehicle Care — 12Wheels and Tires — 8Capacities and Specifications — 16Connectivity — 3Wi-Fi Hotspot — 3Audio System — 6SYNC™ 3 — 14Accessories — 1Ford Protect — 1Scheduled Maintenance — 5Appendices — 4
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Check each tire, including the spare tire (if provided), monthly when the tires are cold and inflated to the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle certification label or the tire pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle certification label or tire pressure label, you must determine the correct tire pressure for those tires.)

As an additional safety measure, your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure warning light when one or more of your tires is significantly underinflated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure warning light illuminates, stop as soon as possible, check your tires and inflate them to the correct pressure. Driving on a significantly underinflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Underinflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.

Note that the TPMS does not replace proper tire maintenance. The driver is responsible for maintaining correct tire pressure, even if pressure has not dropped to the level that illuminates the TPMS low tire pressure warning light.

Your vehicle is also equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to alert you when the system is not operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure warning light. When the system detects a malfunction, the indicator will flash for approximately one minute and then remain on continuously. This sequence will continue on subsequent vehicle starts until the malfunction is corrected.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction indicator after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly.

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules and with Industry Canada license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

  1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
  2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Tire Replacement with Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Always have your tires serviced by an authorized dealer.

Check the tire pressure at least once a month using an accurate tire gauge. Refer to Inflating the Tires in this chapter.

Understanding Your Tire Pressure Monitoring System

The tire pressure monitoring system measures the pressure in your road tires and sends tire pressure readings to your vehicle. You can view the tire pressure readings through the information display. Refer to General Information. The low tire pressure warning light will illuminate if tire pressure drops significantly. Once the light is on, your tires are under-inflated and must be inflated to the tire pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Even if the light turns on and then goes off after a while, the tire pressure must still be checked.

When Your Temporary Spare Tire Is Installed

When one of your road tires must be replaced with the temporary spare tire, the system will continue to indicate the problem to remind you that the damaged road wheel and tire assembly needs to be repaired and reinstalled on the vehicle.

To restore full system operation, have the damaged road wheel and tire assembly repaired and reinstalled on your vehicle.

When You Suspect Your System Is Not Working Properly

The primary function of the tire pressure monitoring system is to warn you when your tires need air. It can also warn you if the system is no longer able to function as intended. See the following table for information about your tire pressure monitoring system:

Inflating the Tires

When you inflate your tires (for example, at a service station or in a garage), the tire pressure monitoring system may not respond immediately to the air added to your tires.

Driving at speeds above 32 km/h may take up to two minutes for the light to turn off after you have inflated the tires to the recommended pressure.

How Temperature Affects Tire Pressure

The tire pressure monitoring system monitors the tire pressure in each pneumatic tire. During normal driving, the tire pressure of a typical passenger vehicle may increase approximately 2–4 psi (14–28 kPa) from a cold start. If the vehicle is parked overnight when the outside air temperature is significantly lower than the daytime temperature, tire pressure may decrease by approximately 3 psi (21 kPa) for every 30°F (17°C) drop in ambient temperature. This lower pressure reading may be detected by the tire pressure monitoring system as significantly below the recommended tire pressure and activate the low tire pressure warning light. If the low tire pressure warning light is illuminated, visually check each tire to make sure none is flat. If one or more tires are flat, repair them as necessary. Check the air pressure in the road tires. If any tire is under-inflated, carefully drive the vehicle to the nearest location where the tires can be inflated. Inflate all tires to the recommended inflation pressure.

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