Honda Fit TPMS: Instead of directly measuring the pressure in each tire, the TPMS on this vehicle monitors and compares the rolling radius and rotational characteristics of each wheel and tire while you are driving to determine if one or more tires are significantly under-inflated. This will cause the low tire pressure/TPMS indicator to come on.

As the result I was driving on a flat tire (surely it was under inflated) caused by a nail that was dead center on the thread. I realized that the driver side tire was flat when I saw continuous sidewall rubber streaks on my concrete driveway after coming home from 6 miles RT drive to a store. Also, the car was drifting very slightly to the left, which indicated an issue, but I did not think it was an alignment issue at the time because the car tracked well earlier. Because the side wall was damaged, I had to buy a new tire at 20,941 miles. The only way to verify TPMS failure is to purposely reduce the air pressure of at least one tire!

 

Interesting. My TPMS light came on yesterday, I checked and refilled all tires. They were all 36-38 PSI. I inflated them to 38 PSI. I didn't think 36 was low.

 

the tmps on the GK is garbage. sometimes it works, sometimes it gives off errors. not sure when its a false or true alarm

 

 

yes.

 

YMMV... I've got a slow leak (maybe that's it) in right rear. Each Saturday it comes on and the tire is 10 psi low...

 

How fast were you driving? I've been told, the TPMS won't activate if going < 25 MPH by ezone.

My experience was when I hit a pothole and instantly felt the flat. I was less than a mile from the house so I limped home versus changing it on the side of the road. TPMS never indicated the flat. I had to buy a new tire since hole was less than an inch by the sidewall and needed an alignment since the toe was way off.

 

For me the TPMS light went on a few times with no real issue when the car was newer but once about a year out it was because I caught the head of a railroad spike on a rear tire. I put maybe 30 miles on the spare before getting the tire patched and it's been fine every since, two years out. And come to think of it I haven't seen the TPMS light in several months now.

 

I had found a technical description under conditions of data rejection, and that was among several conditions listed.
The owners manual just says at "low speed" without further detail.

 

I was driving about 45 mph for about 6 miles to and from the store. I was sure it was flat before I backed out of the driveway because I can see the curved streak marks made by the side walls. That is not the path I would take coming home. I am surprised that the tire did not come off the wheel.

 

I had a tire with a slow leak when I first bought my '16 LX, and TPMS caught it every time. Seemed to engage when the tire hit 22 lb. pressure, measured directly from a digital gauge.

Driving on the freeway a couple weeks ago, TPMS light came on again. Got to a service station and found one tire low - at 22 lb. Filled the tire to 38, reprogrammed the TPMS, nary a problem since.

The GK uses indirect TPMS via the ABS system if memory serves. The GD and GE used embedded sensors in the wheels. I did not like the embedded sensors on my GD, because when one TPMS embedded sensor battery dies, the system no longer functions and gives a warning light on the dash. I think the cheapest sensor replacement I saw was $50/tire at Costco.

Tangential true story: When I had that slow leak tire replaced with a new one last year, the tire change place tried to charge me for a TPMS sensor I didn't have! I'm looking at the quote and there's an extra charge for one TPMS sensor, a few bucks. I dispute this immediately, saying my car doesn't have embedded sensors. They protest and show me their screen which says it does!

I tell them, looks like you have two choices here: Give me my tire without charging me for a sensor I don't need, or lose my business completely and let's tell a few million of my internet friends about my customer service experience here. They chose the former.

 

Looking at all the problems I am so glad that the Canadian Fits don't come with TPMS. I'm happy to keep my eye on my tires the old fashioned way.

 

I check my tire pressure regularly, and adjust as needed....have never had a low pressure light on any of our vehicles, other than when my wife's Kia had a nail in her rear tire, needing a top off every day 'til I could get it fixed. I have no problem with the indirect system the Fit now uses

 

Yeah, I've mentioned it in several threads, but not too impressed with my Honda Fit "indirect" TPMS monitoring system.
So far, mine WILL give an alert on EVERY long drive. I've have a small digital tire gauge I keep with me in the car, just so I can check it for the inevitable TPMS light that will alert.

I suppose the good news is for the majority of mixed driving I do, the light does not illuminate. BUT...not too surprised to hear that the OP found it did NOT illuminate.

I've said it before but what good is a TPMS system you can not trust?

I don't care if my system is direct TPMS...actually reading the PSI in the tires..or indirect TPMS. I do care if it works or not. My experience is the Honda FIt's system is a hit or miss proposition.
I would recommend any/all owners of these generation Honda Fits invest into good tire gauges. It is incumbent upon us as owners to monitor our own tire pressure because the TPMS is crap.

 

My mistake. In my case I didn't go over 25 as I was nearly to my neighborhood when the flat happened so I guess I made a mental note on the speed.

 

Well, that should go without saying, but, in today's tech world, I guess folks are getting used to relying on electronic nannies. I'm an old school bastard

 

This has been discussed before. Unless you check your pressure daily, having TPMS is helpful.

And it's also rather hard to check your pressure while driving. So having the system warn you is a good thing.

 

Note to Self:
Stop car before checking tires.

 

I'd probably do a function check by filling up all tires to recommended pressures and resetting the TPMS. Then dropping the tire where you had the flat about 10-15 PSI and driving to see if an issue is detected.

The few times I've had a flat while driving, I can feel the car behaving very differently and it was pretty apparent something was not right. I pulled over and sure enough I saw the flat. I try not to ignore my instincts as they're usually right

 

After I installed the wheel with the new tire, the TPMS finally came back to life, showing the amber icon. Went back to Discount Tires to inflate all 4 tires to 34 lbs and reset the TPMS. Now, after spending $68.71 needlessly for a new tire (nail in thread is repairable, damaged sidewall is not), everything seems OK.