Back to all

All About Your TPMS in Batavia

August 19, 2022



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

It's hard for many Batavia 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 Batavia 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.

Illinois 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 Tire & Auto Service Batavia 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 Batavia 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 Tire & Auto Service Batavia
301 S. Randall Rd
Batavia, Illinois 60510
630-879-9941

More articles from Tuffy Batavia

That Squeal is Telling You Something (What Causes Squealing While Steering)

September 14, 2025

If you hear a squealing noise when you turn your vehicle, it's trying to tell you something is wrong. After all, it never made that noise before, right? The sound you hear may becoming from a few sources. Let's take a look (or a listen) to some of the possibilities. First, you almost certainl... More

It's (Not) Complicated (Engine Air Filter)

September 7, 2025

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important. It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter. The ca... More

Round and Round (Wheel Balancing)

August 31, 2025

In a perfect world, all wheels and tires would be perfectly round and weigh exactly the same at every point of the wheel. Unfortunately, they're not, and if they're out of balance, they can reduce the lifespan of your tires, make your vehicle shake like a carnival ride, and maybe even damage a f... More