Kia Optima: Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) / Low tire pressure position telltale

When the tire pressure monitoring system warning indicators are illuminated, one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.

If the telltale illuminates, immediately reduce your speed, avoid hard cornering and anticipate increased stopping distances. You should stop and check your tires as soon as possible.

Inflate the tires to the proper pressure as indicated on the vehicle’s placard or tire inflation pressure label located on the driver’s side center pillar outer panel. If you cannot reach a service station or if the tire cannot hold the newly added air, replace the low pressure tire with the spare tire.

Then the TPMS malfunction indicator and the Low Tire Pressure telltale may turn on and illuminate after restarting and about 20 minutes of continuous driving before you have the low pressure tire repaired and replaced on the vehicle.

In winter or cold weather, the low tire pressure telltale may be illuminated if the tire pressure was adjusted to the recommended tire inflation pressure in warm weather. It does not mean your TPMS is malfunctioning because the decreased temperature leads to a proportional lowering of tire pressure.

When you drive your vehicle from a warm area to a cold area or from a cold area to a warm area, or the outside temperature is greatly higher or lower, you should check the tire inflation pressure and adjust the tires to the recommended tire inflation pressure.

When filling tires with more air, conditions to turn off the low tire pressure telltale may not be met. This is because a tire inflator has a margin of error in performance. The low tire pressure telltale will be turned off if the tire pressure is above the recommended tire inflation pressure.

WARNING - Low pressure damage

Do not drive on low pressure tires. Significantly low tire pressure can cause the tires to overheat and fail making the vehicle unstable resulting in increased braking distances and a loss of vehicle control.

TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) malfunction indicator

The low tire pressure telltale will illuminate after it blinks for approximately one minute when there is a problem with the Tire Pressure Monitoring System. If the system is able to correctly detect an underinflation warning at the same time as system failure then it will illuminate both the TPMS malfunction and low tire pressure position telltales e.g. if Front Left sensor fails, the TPMS malfunction indicator illuminates, but if the Front Right, Rear Left, or Rear Right tire is under-inflated, the low tire pressure position telltales may illuminate together with the TPMS malfunction indicator.

Have the system checked by an authorized Kia dealer as soon as possible to determine the cause of the problem.

• The TPMS malfunction indicator may be illuminated if the vehicle is moving around electric power supply cables or radios transmitters such as at police stations, government and public offices, broadcasting stations, military installations, airports, or transmitting towers, etc. This can interfere with normal operation of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
• The TPMS malfunction indicator may be illuminated if snow chains are used or some separate electronic devices such as notebook computer, mobile charger, remote starter or navigation etc., are used in the vehicle. This can interfere with normal operation of the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).