Back to all

All About Your TPMS in Aurora

August 13, 2022



Aurora 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 Aurora 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 Aurora 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 Aurora 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 Aurora 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 Aurora
3190 N. Aurora Rd.
Aurora, Illinois 60502
630-898-6688

More articles from Tuffy Aurora

In the Red (Why a Vehicle Overheats)

October 12, 2025

Heat is one thing that can damage a vehicle, especially if a problem isnt taken care of soon. Be on the lookout for signs that its getting too hot in some parts of your vehicle, starting with the most obvious one: the heat gauge/warning light on your instrument panel. When you see that heat gaug... More

Losing Your Cool (Why is My Air Conditioning System Not Working?)

October 5, 2025

When you turn on the air conditioning in your vehicle, you expect cool air to come out of the vents. You depend on it, especially in hot weather, but it can also be important in humid weather when you need it to help defrost your windows and windshield. The air conditioning system has a lot of p... More

If You Drive Like a Maniac (Aggressive Driving is Bad for a Vehicle)

September 28, 2025

When someone mentions driving like a maniac, they're not talking about you, surely? Besides the safety issues of aggressive driving, you should know that your vehicle will last a lot longer if you'll just mellow out a little. Here are four traits good drivers follow if they want their vehicles t... More