Back to all

All About Your TPMS in Oswego

June 14, 2020



Oswego drivers know that underinflated tires wear out more quickly. Underinflation is also a major cause of tire failure for Illinois auto owners. More flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances are all results of underinflated tires.

It's hard for many Oswego drivers to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your owner’s manual recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your tire is considered significantly under-inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.

Uncle Sam to the rescue! A recent U.S. federal law required vehicle manufacturer’s to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System - or TPMS system - in all vehicles. Many Canadian vehicles have them as well.  The system is a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below its pressure recommendations.

Obviously, all of this doesn't come free for Oswego car owners. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the system will have a cost, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases. The net cost is estimated to be between $27 and $100.

Illinois service centers have purchased new scanning equipment to work with the TPMS sensors and updated expensive tire change equipment to better service wheels equipped with the new monitoring systems.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego service advisors have been trained on many systems and new tire-changing techniques. All of this adds up to significantly increased cost to the service center to perform what was once a very inexpensive service. So if you've noticed the cost of flat repairs, tire changes, and rotations going up, please keep in mind that it's because of government mandated safety equipment. Your Oswego service center just wants to keep you safely on the road - and it's committed to do so at a fair price. Remember, this change will help you avoid the most common vehicle failure, and possibly a catastrophic accident.

Tuffy Tire & Auto Service Oswego
1555 US Highway 34
Oswego, Illinois 60543
630-898-6220

More articles from Tuffy Oswego

Steering You Right (Power Steering Fluid Service)

November 17, 2024

Its important for safe driving that two of the most important systems in your vehicle work right. One is the brakes. The other is the steering. Nearly all vehicles on the road have some sort of power steering that allows you to direct a very heavy machine with little effort. There are two ty... More

Differential Essential (Differential Fluid Exchange)

November 10, 2024

What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels. The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn). Inside the differential is a f... More

Flat Tire? Three?s the Charm (Tire Repair)

November 3, 2024

For most drivers, at some point youre going to have a flat tire. Depending on how it was damaged, it may have to be replaced. But sometimes, a repair will do the trick, as long as the puncture isnt on the sidewall and the hole is smaller than inch/6.35mm in diameter. Here are the three common w... More