Nice design

[CRNG]

My wife had to rent a car a few days ago. They gave her a 2014 GMC Terrain with about 27k miles. By time she got back home, the right front tire pressure warning light was indicating low at 27psi. I checked the other tires and they were about 32psi, so I put 33psi in the supposedly low tire.

The pressure sensor is obviously defective. The light (it actually a

2"x3" message box that covers half if it's instrument area) still remained on indicating 27psi. Other cars have just a small 1/2" diameter light that can be covered with a piece of tape if you don't want to let the dealer rip you off with a new sensor. But I guess GMC caught on to that and wanted to prevent that.

Nice design. Too bad they can't channel their creatively into making a reliable vehicle.

Have any other manufacturers gone to mega-large useless warning messages designed to generate revenue for their dealers?

[philoÂÂ]

I would sure hate that.

Last week the "check engine" light on my car went on.

I found that pretty useless as it did not say "what to check on the engine"

Yes, I could spend money and get a module to read the codes...but since it came on not too long after I got gas...I just tightened the gas cap.

That was all that was wrong...but it took 24 hours to reset.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, You can read your OBD II message with simple USB OBD II jack interface. There are many freeware out there to do this. I have a laptop to do this. I can even read real time mpg, air/fuel mixture, etc. while driving.

[philoÂÂ]

Wow, thanks for the great info... I saw one on Amazon for $5

I should get one to avoid guess work

[Rob_Lowe]

Advance Auto , Pep Boys and AAMCO (and others0 will read the fault code for free. I am unaware of any that will reset the fault light though.

[Unquestionably Confused]

That's what happens when the government mandates various "Idiot Lights;" in order to keep things simple, the manufacturer has an idiot design them!

FWIW, most every TPMS I've seen (whether the kind the provides a readout of the actual tire pressure or merely a low pressure warning) must be driven a certain distance after you re-pressurize the tire. Varies from vehicle to vehicle and, most likely, the phase of the moon and your astrological sign.

If she drove/drives the car a couple miles and the TPMS warning remains on THEN you have a problem.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

AutoZone has both read the code and reset it for me. Further, on our

2002 Chrysler, there is a "key dance" technique that will display the fault codes in the odometer window -- and pulling one of the fuses will reset the check engine light; perhaps other makes are similar in this regard.

Perce

[bob_villa]

Some stores (because of liability) will tell you how to reset the "check engine"...but not do it themselves. (OReilly) I bought a hand-held for $18 that some stores sell for $80.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Our Japanese brand cars reset the display as soon as air is filled. Other trouble code needs to be reset by dealer like oil change code. They reset it after work is done.

[bob_villa]

On my GM car (Buick) if you step through gauges (oil pressure, tire pressure, oil interval, etc.) When "oil interval" percentage is shown, you need to hold the "reset" for a much longer time (than others) to get it to reset!

[micky]

It means "check if the engine is there."

[John Albert]

I've got a Toyota RAV4 that has the tire pressure sensors.

I've got one tire with a -very- slow leak.

If I let it go too long, enough air will leak out (from

31psi to around 25psi) so that the tire pressure warning comes on.

Refilling the tire does NOT reset the sensor, at least on mine.

I have to use a button on the dash to reset the light, then hold it in for a period of time until the entire pressure monitoring system "recalibrates" itself.

After that, it's ok.

[G. Morgan]

You can get them with a Bluetooth interface too for wireless monitoring on a tablet or phone while driving.

[Jerry.Tan]

With all the technology we have and all the computer stuff running modern cars, you'd think they could at least give a little more detail what the problem is. Even if it's just saying something real basic to pinpoint the problem.

I never knew a loose gas cap would signal anything on the dash!

I had an old Chevy from 1989 that suddenly broke the speedometer cable while I was on the highway. A few minutes later the "Check Engine" light came on, and stayed on till I shut off the car. The next time I drove it, a few minutes after I started to drive that light came on again. A few days later I replaced the speedo cable, and that light never came on again. I later found out there is a sensor in the speedo head that sends a signal to the engine. With the cable broken, it didn't work. I never did learn what the signal did, but the car ran just fine while the cable was broken. And that was an early car computer, it even still had a carburetor (last year they made them with a carb). But who would have suspected the speedo cable would trigger that light.... I only knew the two seemed to happen at nearly the same time, and I needed to replace that speedo cable anyhow.

[notbob]

Modern cars with fuel injection require a pressurized fuel system. If the gas cap leaks, no pressure. In CA, stricter smog checks use a computer connected gas cap to check your fuel system's integrity.

nb

[bob_villa]

Small point, pressure comes from the fuel pump and doesn't pressurize the fuel tank. The gas cap seal is to prevent vapor lost to the atmosphere, IIRC.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Imagine if fuel tank is pressurized, LOL! Cap has vent if vent is plugged fuel pump will have hard time delivering fuel to the engine.

[Tekkie®]

Tony Hwang posted for all of us...

Yeah it's tough, you hold the odometer reset in and turn the key twice, just like the manual says.