The system must be recalibrated each time a new filling pressure is set
25 Jun 2026Safety on the road / Mobility StoriesSince November 2014, all newly registered passenger cars in the EU have been required to be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems. According to estimates by the Federal Association of Tyre Retailers and Tyre Repairers, more than 70 per cent of passenger cars in Germany are now fitted with such systems. From July 2024, this requirement will also apply to lorries, buses and heavy trailers. Once set up, TPMS automatically monitors tyre pressure and alerts the driver via a dashboard display if the pressure deviates from the set value.
So does the tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in vehicles make regular tyre pressure checks redundant? It’s not quite that simple, say the experts at DEKRA: anyone who thinks they no longer need to look after their tyres is mistaken. “In principle, tyre pressure monitoring systems work accurately and reliably, but they have a system-related tolerance before a warning is triggered,” explains tyre expert Christian Koch. This tolerance is necessary, he says, as otherwise the system would very often display a warning due to unavoidable, temperature-related pressure fluctuations in the tyres. The prescribed warning threshold is 20 per cent of the tyre pressure when the tyre is warm.
Furthermore, with so-called ‘indirect’ systems, the exact tyre pressure of individual tyres cannot be read directly. For these reasons, the expert recommends regularly checking tyre pressure even when a TPMS is fitted. This check should ideally be carried out alongside an inspection of the tyres for embedded objects such as nails or screws, the wear pattern and any other damage.
It should be noted that the system must be recalibrated whenever the tyre pressure is adjusted – for example, due to an increased load or more passengers on holiday journeys. Tyre pressure should always be measured when the tyres are cold – that is, before setting off. Regardless of this, it is advisable to check the tyres at least every four weeks.