Back to all

All About Your TPMS in Ocala

October 20, 2019



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

It's hard for many Ocala 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 Ocala 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.

Florida 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 Ocala 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 Ocala 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 Ocala
2105 Southwest College Road
Ocala, Florida 34471
(352) 690-6111

More articles from Tuffy Ocala

Road Ready (Trip Inspection)

April 21, 2024

Maybe you've been cooped up for a while and are yearning for a change of scenery. Or maybe you need to visit a relative who lives far away. You choose not to fork out the big bucks for airline tickets, so it's time for a road trip. Make sure you're road ready by having your vehicle professiona... More

Let?s Shift Gears (Transmission Fluid Replacement)

April 14, 2024

If you have a vehicle with an automatic transmission, you probably never think about gear shifting. When motor vehicles were invented, all of them had to be shifted manually. But that wonderful self-shifting transmission, referred to these days as simply an automatic, changed everything. Automa... More

The Little Valve that Could (PCV Valve Replacement)

April 7, 2024

It's easy to get letters like PVC and PCV mixed up. PVC is a plastic that's used in a lot of things, especially plumbing pipes. And PCV is a valve that helps your engine burn off excess fumes rather than having them pollute our atmosphere. PCV stands for positive crankcase ventilation. When y... More