Finally got the tire pressure warning to go off -- 39 PSI

A while back I'd posted here that my TMPS warning had come on in my 2010 Jedda TDI when the temperatures started dropping below 40 degrees locally. The pressures when cold still showed 35 PSI. Over time I've been adding about one PSI at a time to see at what point the system would think I had enough pressure in these colder temperatures. It appears that 39 PSI does the trick under current conditions (lows a bit below freezing, highs averaging the high 40s/lower 50s F).

After upping the tires from 38 to 39 PSI, it was on my sixth drive (the previous five all being rounds of my 7 mile, 15-20 minute one-way commute) that the pressure warning finally finally stopped coming on. FYI, I've been setting the pressures using a high-quality dial gauge, not relying on the (highly variable) readings you get from the gauges built into service station air compressors. So it certainly can take a while for the system to shut off the warning.

A friend who also has a 2010 just took his car into the dealer for its 10k service. When he mentioned the TPMS warnings (his had come on at the same time as mine) the dealer's solution was to turn off the warnings altogether. I suspect I'll be using a different dealer for servicing

This is a very timely post for me. We've left the Coast for Holidays and it's -22C (-8F) where we are now. The TPMS warnings came on yesterday which was surprising. I'll borrow a gauge today and bring the PSI up to 39 (when above freezing).

Thanks for the tip; I'll bump up the psi when making ski trips also.

Just curious, what does the tire pressure sticker have for the pressure?

watch out inflating the tires to much with bad weather, could be dangerous

El Dobro said:

Just curious, what does the tire pressure sticker have for the pressure?

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The manual states 34psi front and rear for my 2009 JSW.

Does that agree with the sticker on the pillar? When VW sets the sensors up, they're suppose to be set around the recommended pressure.

Are you getting a low tire indication on the display or is it just the amber warning light on the instrument panel flashing?

If the amber light flashes for about a minute then stays on solid it is indicating a communications fault between the car and one or more of the wheel sensors.

If you have VCDS, you could consider disabling monitoring via the direct sensors and enabling "indirect" sensing via the ABS system. I did that on my '09, and there are articles on how to do it on newer Golf/Jetta with MkVI electronics (such as your '10 Jetta).

When I switched over to my winter tires/rims with TPMS, I simply reduced the threshold for the TPMS to 2.3 BAR with VCDS. It took all of 2 minutes.

While the light is annoying, it's a good safety feature. On my return trip from PDXFest '10, I managed to pick up a nail somewhere in my front left tire. The light came on just after getting back on I90 after taking a little side trip to Roslyn, WA. I used my 12V compressor to top the tire off. About 30 minutes later the light came back on, so I put the spare on. If I had disabled the TPMS system, I may not have noticed the tire getting low and could have had a serious problem.

The door stickers on my 2010 Jetta TDI sedan say that the tires should be at 35 PSI front and rear. That's what they were set at when I bought the car at the end of July, and I had no TPMS warnings until the weather turned colder in November. At that point I got a "bing" from the instrument cluster and a 'Tire Pressures Too Low' message on the MFD. The amber tire pressure warning light came on solid.

The message and the warning light were both constant from that point onwards. It didn't "bing" me any more to bring my attention to it, but the idiot light was on and when I used the side-to-side arrows on the MFD the tire pressure message was always there. I started adding air to the tires in 1 PSI increments about once every week or two. The warning light and message stayed on solid until yesterday, when I had made about six trips since upping the pressures to 39 PSI. While 39 is 4 PSI above the recommended pressure on the door sticker, it's still well below the maximum PSI rating listed on the tire sidewall, so I'm comfortable having the pressure this high. Overinflating by a large amount can prevent the sidewalls of radials from deforming like they're supposed to and reduce your contact patch, but looking at my tires at their current inflation that doesn't seem to be a problem.

It hasn't been that cold yet, only dipping a bit below freezing, so if and when things really do cool down I wont' be surprised if 39 PSI is no longer enough to keep the TPMS happy.

Here you go. If the light comes on and it wont reset by setting the pressures to the proper level do this: Increase pressure to 50psi and then lower it to whatever the recommended amount is. Do this for each wheel and recheck the light. This readapts each sensor to the system as long as it recognizes the sensor. If the light is flashing then the vehicle needs to be driven over 18mph consistently until the sensors recognize the pressure change. This can take less than a mile up up to 10 miles I've seen at times.

Good luck

Its very common for sensors to randomly lose their adaption.

I found the same issue when I had new winter tires put on. Costco put them at 32 psi. The light stayed on all the way home. My first thought is they messed up one of the sensors. I then check the door and it said 34psi and then the manual said 39 psi. I inflated them to 36 and the light went out.
Good tip on using the vcds to change the setting. I would like it to match the piller at 34. Also a good tip on increasing the pressure to 50 psi.

Wow, I run 44 psi in mine. If I go bellow 40 the tires get quite loud.

Also, in Vag-com or type software you can change what the sensors recognize as the "proper inflation pressure." Most cars should read what the door sticker reads, usually 2.3 to 2.6 bar (depending on vehicle). Some cars fault and are set at 5.5 bar which will always keep the light on. Though you can change the setting in the Adaption channel values 5-8.

Toeball...44 PSI You are an accident just waiting to happen

I can't pull myself to do 39 as the manual says so I went to 36. I can't imagine 44 psi! Toeball, you must wear the centers out of the tires pumped up that much.

You are supposed to go by what the interior door jam label states and not the manual. If anyone puts more than 35-36 psi into their tires, they are asking for trouble. 44 is insane and, if I am not mistaken, 44 psi is the max pressure the tire is manufactured for and when you begin driving and your tires heat up due to friction, you gain anywhere from 2-5 psi just by driving.

I have been driving with 35 psi for the past year and a half and see ZERO reason to go to a higher pressure. Why would you do that

securityguy said:

You are supposed to go by what the interior door jam label states and not the manual. If anyone puts more than 35-36 psi into their tires, they are asking for trouble. 44 is insane and, if I am not mistaken, 44 psi is the max pressure the tire is manufactured for and when you begin driving and your tires heat up due to friction, you gain anywhere from 2-5 psi just by driving.

I have been driving with 35 psi for the past year and a half and see ZERO reason to go to a higher pressure. Why would you do that

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Max tire pressure stated on the tire itself for its load/speed rating is 51psi. Yes, the centers may wear slightly quicker although altering pressures for summer/winter and rotating them often will help treat the issue.

Increasing the pressure will help out your fuel mileage greatly (if you want better mpg). The ride may seem slightly rougher although I really don't notice a thing and I'm at 45psi. Volkswagen wheels bend really easily too, so a higher pressure can aid it making sure that wont happen, especially if you live in Michigan where the roads are terrible!

Nope, they wear even, bit of a stretch fit but not much of one, inside Bridgestone's acceptable range anyway, running 225's on 18x8 wheels. Checked hot pressure, they're only hitting about 48 hot. Sidewall says they're good to 51 psi cold. I generally don't go by what the car manufacturer says except as a baseline from which to find where the vehicle is happiest. Monitor the tires, the feel, the handling, the fuel economy and so on, and find what works best for you. I generally prefer to get feedback over a mush ride, and responsiveness so I tend to run my tires on the high side of what works well. This also has the added benefit of getting longer life out of the tires and better millage.

Of course if you'd rather just follow the numbers provided and be cyber-pissed at me for being "an accident waiting to happen" go right ahead. I'm not offended, nor am I worried, I'll just smile and nod, and think for myself and all that good stuff. Those number work quite well for some places, some people with some tires who aren't me, here and these, but that is why they're recommended. Running your tires at a lower pressure than I do won't hurt a thing.

I had a similar problem when the temperature started dropping. The funny German guy on VW's TDI website warned us about only following the sticker on the inside door. For my 2010, I think I had to put in 36 before it left me alone.

I had this issue and when i checked the air pressure it was ok. I just so happen to misplace my gauge so i bought another one and guess what? It was inaccurate! Yeah, I could not believe it! I actually had about 34 psi in the tires. I filled the tires to 42 psi and No more light.

Chris Rehtorik

2009 TDI PSI 40 front 35 rear

Replaced the original Bridgestone tires (37Kmiles) with Michelins and then the front tires looked low compared to back tires. All were at 35 psi as on the VW door sticker.

After having the alignment checked I concurred with the alignment tech to put 40 in front and 35 in back. My brother accused me of cornering too fast because of the tire wear on the outside edges when the real reason was the heavier diesel engine in front.

I did not notice the tire difference with the Bridgestone tires. It probably depends on the sidewall design and # of plies in the tire.

The Michelins are 205/55/R17 91H Premiere. M+S. (not cheap)

I noticed that the 2010 Jetta has a 39psi spec.

HKS