FTM lamp on dash came on red, then yellow, then gone....

[Washburn]

So today I started driving from work, and after a min or 2 the RED flat tire monitor lamp came on RED on the dash, with a beep - car still drove normal (although I have been noticing an increased pull to the right and a noise/hum from driver side front wheel recently), and i pressed and held the FTM button on the panel in front of the shifter and the FTM light turned YELLOW and then after 1 min or so it went away.

Now I don't know if it just turned yellow and then off by itself OR it did because I pressed and held that FTM button. (I was still driving slowly when all this happened)

As I didn't FEEL like there was a flat tire, I continued driving and slowly got to highway speed and there was a vibration in the steering wheel above 70 mph that I had not felt before.
So i am thinking perhaps that noisy tire IS low on air, and the noise and the pull were signs of it?

The light didn't come back on. I got home and turned the car off.
(didn't start the car again to see if the light comes back on - perhaps I should have...).
I looked at that front driver's side tire in the dark kind of, and didn't really see it flat or anything...but you never know with such low profile tires...
and my tires are the oem ones, still original - with 23k miles, but 6 yrs old...

I guess I should just check the pressure of tires and see if one/more are off ... and then try to recalibrate the sensor? The manual seems vague about the process - does anyone have the correct steps?

Now according to the manaul, if the FTM light comes on red - flat tire (page 83)
if it comes on yellow - FTM system is malfunctioning (page 84)

in my case, it came on RED, not yellow. It turned yellow AFTER THAT - while i was pressing the FTM button (or by itself) - what could all THAT mean?
Was / is one of my tires so low in pressure that it 'thought' i had a flat tire? then why the yellow? because it thought i was trying to reset/recalibrate?

Any light anyone can shed on the situation?

I must also mention that it has been very hot, above 90F all the time, and I drove off after rain - I wonder if the wetness/cold/rain caused a big difference in the tire pressure on one of them?

[kayger12]

You probably just had low tire pressure. Happened to me when I first got the ZHP as well.

When you push and hold the button it recalibrates the monitor.

I would just check the pressure when the tires are cool and then recalibrate after that. Iirc, you recalibrate by pushing and holding the button during the first minute or so of driving the car on cold tires. I'd double check the procedure though- I'm not positive.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[static667]

I don't have any experience with the TPM. It would be a good idea to check the pressure in your tires anyway. You may be surprised at how different the pressures can be from tire to tire.

[Washburn]

Thanks guys - will drive other car to work today, just in case.

I am also tending towards you guys' suspicions - i am off tomorrow, so I can check tire pressures and inflate them to correct PSI if needed, and then recalibrate the sensor.
I admit that I was too lazy to check tire pressures as often as i should have... ;(

Here's the owner's manual part describing the calibration steps: (it really should say " the yellow light on dash will turn off after a few minutes of driving" as STEP 4, but omits that for some reason - that's what i found online-for some reason the manual says it turns off BEFORE driving off, already on step 3)

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/nishang/tpm.png

[kayger12]

Ahhh-- yep, that's the way I did it.

[billschusteriv]

Good stuff Wash. Thanks for posting the additional information.

Let us know how it works out.

[Washburn]

Ahhh-- yep, that's the way I did it.
the way the manual says exactly?

[kayger12]

the way the manual says exactly?

Yes, sir.

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[Washburn]

Well - went out this morning, and the rear driver side tire is FLAT - nail visible in tire. :(
must've been a slow leak as it looked pretty normal last night, and must have relaly leaked out while stitting overnight...
called AAA and they put on the spare tire, as I had to go work (used my other car)..so now the zhp is sitting there looking all sad with the spare tire.

I was going to get nbew tires after the summer. These have 23k on them (OEM michelin pilot sports-summer) . I don't know if I should just try to get it repaired or just go ahead and get the new tires I was planning to get (conti DWS)

[billschusteriv]

I could go either way as I've had both good and bad luck having tires repaired.

Might be worth a shot to repair and get a few more miles out of the tires until the end of summer.

I used to consider it a safety thing and not get tires repaired, but I think as long as it Is a repairable puncture - the repair is okay.

[Washburn]

Tire place plugged it - i am going to drive around for a bit and see how it holds up before driving far/fast. If it loses air again or feels weird, i am going to get new tires.

If it gets me through the next 3 months or so though, it would be perfect...then the new tires are due anyway, like i had planned.

Going to go out and re-initialize the FTM as in the manual - will update on how that goes

[kayger12]

Plug should be fine.

[Washburn]

Set air pressure and initialized as above per manual. No more FTM lamp. drove around a bit, feels/drives fine.
will take it easy and watch it well until i get new tires, though...will see how well the plug holds up.

[MrMaico]

Personally, I would replace the tires. 6 years is a long time for a set if tires regardless of the miles on them.

[Washburn]

Yeah I know, and agree....
i think I am just desperate for getting the max out of this set...there's a certain kick in that I guess...hope I won't regret - at least i know that at the next sign of trouble i can just order the Conti DWS - I am going to need an alignment, too, I think...