Tire pressure Idiot light really works

spinjunkie53 · 09-12-2006, 03:00 PM

Got in my Prius, idiot light that I thought was the brake light (parentheses with exclamation point in the middle) was on. I read manual and it seemed to indicate if the red brake light was also not on, the yellow brake light may stay on a while (and that was okay). I figured I would take to Toyota the next day if it was still on. Well, I drive 25 miles, light stays on. Get back in car after the errand and light is still on; not good. Drive another 10 miles or so and I get a flat tire. Only then did I go back to the manual and saw the tire pressure light on the following page and I realized that is what the car was trying to tell me; I had a slow leak... arrghh... idiot driver driving a smart car and I dont listen to it.

glenk · 09-12-2006, 03:44 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(spinjunkie53 @ Sep 12 2006, 02:00 PM) [snapback]318489[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Got in my Prius, idiot light that I thought was the brake light (parentheses with exclamation point in the middle) was on. [/b]

I thought the TPMS indicator was separate from the braking system indicator and it was a icon of a cross section of a tire?

I've never really paid attention to my display, I'd better take a look.

galaxee · 09-12-2006, 03:50 PM

the two lights can easily be confused- i don't think they look different enough.

spinjunkie53 · 09-12-2006, 08:50 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(glenk @ Sep 12 2006, 03:44 PM) [snapback]318521[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I thought the TPMS indicator was separate from the braking system indicator and it was a icon of a cross section of a tire?

I've never really paid attention to my display, I'd better take a look.
[/b]

The TPMS indicator is separate from braking system indicator. However, when your vision is not perfect (I am both nearsighted and farsighted!) they look very similar. NOW I know the difference for the next time.

cjmebm · 10-22-2006, 07:12 PM

Thank you for posting this! I was just doing a search for what the brake light meant as my car is only 2 months old. I, like you, confused the lights. The tire warning light is the same as the brake warning light, except there are tire treads on the bottom- very confusing.

Thanks!

8AA · 10-22-2006, 10:08 PM

I need some information on the TPMS. Before you start flaming me with RTFM comments, I have a 2004, so it's not covered in my manual. My Dad is having conniptions over the warning light on his 2006 Prius. He has tried pushing the reset button as it says in the manual, but it doesn't seem to be working for him. Am I correct in my understanding that the reset button is intended for when you get new tires, and that you have to tell the system to anticipate the wheels to rotate more rapidly than they had been? I've also told him to check the tire pressures, because it might just be a slow leak and one of the tires is actually low.

Thanks for your help.

**Tideland Prius** · 10-22-2006, 11:15 PM

I'm under the impression that the reset button is to tell the computer that whatever the current pressure in your tyres is, that's what you want it to be set at and therefore when the pressure is 25% below your set pressure, the LTP warning light will come on. That way, some people can have their Integritys at 35/33 and others can have it at 42/40.

10-22-2006, 10:08 PM	#6
8AA Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 492 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I need some information on the TPMS. Before you start flaming me with RTFM comments, I have a 2004, so it's not covered in my manual. My Dad is having conniptions over the warning light on his 2006 Prius. He has tried pushing the reset button as it says in the manual, but it doesn't seem to be working for him. Am I correct in my understanding that the reset button is intended for when you get new tires, and that you have to tell the system to anticipate the wheels to rotate more rapidly than they had been? I've also told him to check the tire pressures, because it might just be a slow leak and one of the tires is actually low. Thanks for your help. __________________ '04 Salsa Red BC9 CN mudflaps (front only) • Back window fresnel lens • Inverted Homelink mirror • F37/R35 Lifetime MPG 51.6

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09-12-2006, 03:00 PM	#1
spinjunkie53 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 37 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Got in my Prius, idiot light that I thought was the brake light (parentheses with exclamation point in the middle) was on. I read manual and it seemed to indicate if the red brake light was also not on, the yellow brake light may stay on a while (and that was okay). I figured I would take to Toyota the next day if it was still on. Well, I drive 25 miles, light stays on. Get back in car after the errand and light is still on; not good. Drive another 10 miles or so and I get a flat tire. Only then did I go back to the manual and saw the tire pressure light on the following page and I realized that is what the car was trying to tell me; I had a slow leak... arrghh... idiot driver driving a smart car and I dont listen to it.

09-12-2006, 03:50 PM	#3
galaxee resident lab rat Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: boilermaker territory Posts: 9,675 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: N/A Package: #5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 94 Times in 37 Posts Friends: 26	the two lights can easily be confused- i don't think they look different enough.

10-22-2006, 07:12 PM	#5
cjmebm Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 8 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Thank you for posting this! I was just doing a search for what the brake light meant as my car is only 2 months old. I, like you, confused the lights. The tire warning light is the same as the brake warning light, except there are tire treads on the bottom- very confusing. Thanks!

10-22-2006, 11:15 PM	#7
Tideland Prius Moderator of the North Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 19,625 My Car: 2010 Prius Model: N/A Package: Technology Package (Canada) Thanks: 229 Thanked 345 Times in 244 Posts Friends: 23	I'm under the impression that the reset button is to tell the computer that whatever the current pressure in your tyres is, that's what you want it to be set at and therefore when the pressure is 25% below your set pressure, the LTP warning light will come on. That way, some people can have their Integritys at 35/33 and others can have it at 42/40.