Q: Why might the Low Tire Pressure light come on in the dash?

Your car’s tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is designed to alert you when a tire’s pressure drops below a specific threshold. However, it might not mean that you have a flat. Here are a few things you need to know about the TPMS system and the Low Tire Pressure light:

• Your tires lose air naturally over time. If it’s been some time since you checked and adjusted the air in your tires, one or more could be low due to natural causes, making the light turn on.

• The Low Tire Pressure light will turn on if you have a flat tire and install the spare (even though the spare has a tire pressure sensor). It will turn off when you replace the regular wheel and sensor.

• The Low Tire Pressure light may not come on if you’re using tires without sensors, if the sensors aren’t registered with the system, if the tires are inflated to 73 PSI or if there is interference from strong nearby radio signal sources. Snow and ice accumulations on the wheel will also affect the signal and may disable the TPMS system.