What is the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)?

Tyres play an important role in driving your car. They are the only entities which make contact between your car and the roads. Let’s suppose you are going with your family on a tour in a car and suddenly your tyre gets punctured or you have an important meeting regarding your business. At the same time, along the route, your accident occurred due to underinflated tyre bursts. All these fictitious situations may occur to anyone in real-world life. TPMS not only improves our safety, but it also extends tire life, saves energy, and improves fuel economy.

Tyre pressure plays a prominent role in the proper functioning of the car. Tyre pressure is badly affected by temperature, speed, weather, moisture, road quality, etc. There are many road accidents that occur due to underinflation. According to research studies, approximately 75% of tyre burst accidents occur due to underinflation. 

What is the solution to this problem? A tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is the only solution to this threat. TPMS checks the air pressure of tires and shows the results on the dashboard of a car. It alerts the driver if the tyre is under-inflated as under-inflated tyres offer less stable rides. A tyre cross-section with an exclamation point-like symbol which resembles a horseshoe is indicated on the dashboard of a car when any wheel has low air pressure & this symbol stands for TPMS.

Benefits of TPMS

What are indirect and direct TPMS?

Direct and indirect TPMS are two types of tyre pressure monitoring systems. An indirect TPMS as the name suggests, these sensors indirectly measure the tyre pressure. Its operation is based on measuring air pressure using the rate of wheel revolution. The sensors are programmed in such a way that on the revolution of each wheel the computers could interpret the relative size of the tyres. When the wheel’s revolution exceeds the expected value, sensors send a signal on the dashboard of the car that the tyre is under-inflated and needs sufficient air pressure. It does not measure the absolute tyre pressure. 

 A direct TPMS is a device which is directly attached to the tyres and gives real-time air pressure. It is superior to the indirect TPMS as it measures the exact tyre pressure. Direct TPMS is installed by professionals in cars. It is costlier than indirect TPMS. It also provides the temperature of each tyre. When the air pressure inside tyres is low, a signal pops up on the dashboard of a car. It works on a battery, and the battery life lasts about a decade. Then afterwards, there is a need to change batteries.

What are the available tyre pressure monitoring systems in India?

In our country, people were initially not very concerned about the tyre pressure monitoring system, and road safety was not a matter of discussion. But nowadays, people have started taking road safety as a subject to think about. As of now, almost all luxurious cars come with a tyre pressure monitoring system. People are buying it on their own to increase their own and family members’ safety, save fuel, and increase the efficiency of cars. Here are given below some popular tyre pressure monitoring systems in India.

Key Features :

• It can be used for a variety of models like cars, SUVs, vans, touring cars, and commercial cars.
• Solar power charging, and a durable battery.
• Wireless sensors
• Bright and sharp digital display.
• Indicate the temperature and pressure of the tires.
• Patented silicon integrated structure for external tire pressure sealing to prevent air leakage.
• made of high-quality nylon chemical fiber to stop corrosion.
• Generate a loud alarm sound warning.
• Hexagonal nuts anti-theft patent.

Product Specifications –

Brand	BESTVECH
Dimension	17*13*4 cm
Setting temperature range	60-110 °C
Working temperature	20-80 °C
Air pressure setting range	0.1-8.0BA
Weight	68 grams
Battery	Lithium battery
Input voltage	5V DC
Charging mode	Solar Power/USB
Other features	LCD display, loud alarm warning, precise reading, reasonable price, nylon shell, anti-corrosion coating, etc.

Price and availability –
The product is available on online shopping platforms like Amazon, Indiamart, etc.
Amazon Buying Link

2. Skyshop® Solar Internal Tyre Pressure Monitoring System

The Skyshop tyre pressure monitoring system vividly provides a variety of features and is one of the most demanding TPMS by users. The device not only provides information on the air pressure of the wheel but also displays the temperature of the tyres. It can be used for both tubeless and tube tyres. Its installation can be done by any technician, and it starts working immediately after installation. Auto-sleep, wake-up, dual charging options by solar panel or USB, six-alarm modes, etc., all these features make it the best user choice.

Key features –

• Suitable for 99% of Indian cars.
• Six-alarm modes: high-pressure alarm, high-temperature alarm, sensor fault alarm, sensor low battery alarm, fast leak alarm, slow leak alarm.
• 24*7 customer care service.
• Auto-sleep and wake-up functions.
• Water-proof and durable battery.
• Accurate air pressure readings
• Pressure in Bar/PSI.

Product Specifications

Brand	Skyshop
Dimension	15*13.5*6 cm
Sensor working voltage	2-3.6 V
Display working voltage	3.5-5 V
temperature display units.	°C/ °F
Pressure display units	Bar/Psi
Compatibility	99% Indian cars
Monitoring temperature range	-40 to 125  °C
Monitoring pressure range	0-6 Bar
Pressure accuracy	0.1 Bar
Weight	180 grams
Warranty	1 year
Other features	Theft-proof, temperature and pressure measurements, good customer care service, six-alarm modes, auto-sleep etc.

Price and availability –
The product is available on online shopping platforms like Amazon, Indiamart, etc.
Amazon Buying Link

Commonly asked questions

Q) What is the main difference between direct and indirect TPMS?
Ans– Direct TPMS is fixed within the tyres and it measures air pressure based on inputs from four sensors. It gives accurate air pressure. On the other hand, indirect TPMS measures air pressure on the basis of the rotation of wheels, data from accelerometers, and other devices. It is not as accurate as direct TPMS.

Q) Cost of TPMS sensor for BMW f30 320d in India?
Ans– The prices of TPMS vary from brand to brand. You can get the ABS sensor parts of BMW starting from Rs. 10K to Rs. 1L (the speed sensor of BMW comes at about Rs. 80-90,000).

Q) Is TPMS saving fuel?
Ans– According to studies, an under-inflated tyre leads to high fuel consumption and up to 4% of fuel cost is saved if properly inflated tyres are used. TPMS’s main work is to determine the air pressure and send an alert message to the owner. Thus, TPMS is saving fuel.

Q) Which is the first car to provide a tyre pressure monitoring system?
Ans– The history of tire pressure monitoring systems goes back many decades ago. The tyre pressure monitoring system was first incorporated into passenger cars in the 1980s by European nations. The first vehicle that TPMS was used on was a Porsche 959 in 1986. In 1996, Renault used it in the Michelin PAX system for the Scenic, and in 1999, PSA Peugeot Citroen adopted TPMS as a standard feature on the Peugeot 607. In the United States, TPMS was first used in 1991 by General Motors.

References

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire-pressure_monitoring_system
• https://www.carid.com/articles/what-is-history-of-tire-pressure-monitoring-systems.html
• https://www.swindonsilicon.com/tyre-pressure-monitoring-systems-tpms-past-present-and-future-production/
• https://tyres.cardekho.com/news/top-5-car-tyre-pressure-monitoring-system-in-india
• https://www.bharatviews.in/best-tire-pressure-monitoring-systems-in-india/
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/most-searched-products/automotive/automobile-accessories/tire-pressure-monitoring-systems-for-cars-and-motorcycles/articleshow/80096132.cms?from=mdr
• https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07C5W458M?psk=1&tag=toi_bestproducts_org_web_txt_ls-21&th=1
• https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08HDQNGMB?tag=toi_bestproducts_org_web_ls-21&linkCode=ogi&th=1