Ensuring adequate tire pressure is vital for vehicle handling, MPG, and tire health. The TPMS (short for tire pressure monitoring system) helps motorists care for their cars and their tires by leveraging sensors to alert them to drops in tire inflation levels.
Its easy to overlook the importance of your TPMS, but its a vital vehicle component included in the majority of cars you spot on the road today! In fact, the TPMS is so consequential that U.S. law requires car manufacturers to add it to every new vehicle sold in the country ever since 2012.
There are two main types of tire pressure monitoring systems: direct and indirect; the former monitors pressure within the tire, while the latter measures tire rotations to detect imbalances in your tirescircumference.
If your Nissan has a direct TPMS, it utilizes a Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor installed inside each tire to continuously measure tire pressure and alert the driver when pressure drops below a specific threshold. Like other vehicle components, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor may glitch if subjected to impact, rough use, age, or if its incorrectly installed following a tire replacement or service.
Typically, the same dashboard light that alerts you to low tire pressure levels will light up if there are issues within the tire pressure monitoring system itself. Sometimes a system reset can be a quick fix, but in many cases, a new sensor needs to be installed.
Unless youre a seasoned at-home mechanic, removing and installing a new Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor can be a complicated repair. Doing so usually includes allowing the tire to become flat, dismounting the tire bead from the rim to remove the bad sensor, and mounting the replacement one. Once the replacement sensor is mounted, the tires need to be inflated to appropriate pressure levels and, (usually) balanced again, to boot! Also, depending on your Nissan model and year, you may need to to take extra steps to make sure the new sensor is properly calibrated.
Whether you choose to visit your local Nissan experts for TPMS-related services, or if you plan on attempting this service at home, one thing is for sure: getting authentic Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor parts is your best bet. Select your Nissan model and year to find parts that fit your Nissan Pathfinder 2013-2019, Nissan Altima 2013-2018, Nissan Maxima 2009-2019, Nissan Quest 2011-2017, and Nissan Murano 2015-2019. See the What This Fits tab for more information.
SENSOR UNIT-TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING