Ford Everest is equipped with Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) for the purpose of warning the driver when one or more of the tires are significantly under-inflated, creating a potentially unsafe driving condition. In this article we discuss the reasons for the amber colored TPMS warning light in Everest, and how you can reset it.
The TPMS warning light illuminates in Ford Everest when air pressure is low in one or more of the tires, battery has depleted in a pressure sensor, TPMS receiver module has malfunctioned, or a pressure sensor has been damaged.
Low tire pressure
When the amber colored TPMS warning light 
turns on in your Everest, stop your vehicle when it is safe to do so and check tire pressure on all the wheels, including the spare wheel (if your vehicle has one). Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Reinflate the tires
Reinflate all the tires of your Everest to the manufacturer specified air pressure, which is mentioned on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label usually located on the B-pillar or the edge of the driver door. If you can’t find the label, check the size of your tire which is mentioned on the sidewall of the tire, and match it to the tire pressure information shown below. These are official cold tire pressure values for Everest from Ford.
- 265/65 R17 112T: 210 kPa / 30 psi
- 265/60 R18 110T: 210 kPa / 30 psi
- 265/50 R20 107T: 240 kPa / 35 psi
Resetting the TPMS warning light
You must carry out the system reset procedure after each tire replacement or adjustment of the tire pressures.
To maintain your vehicle load carrying capability, your vehicle requires different tire pressures in the front tires compared to the rear tires. The system illuminates the warning lamp at different pressures for the front and rear tires.
The tires need to be periodically rotated to provide consistent performance and maximum tire life, the system needs to know when the tires have been rotated to determine which set of tires are on the front and rear axles. With this information, the system can detect and correctly warn of low tire pressures.
Carrying Out the System Reset Procedure
- Turn on the ignition or start the engine.
- Using the information display controls on the steering wheel, select Settings.
- Select Driver assist.
- Select Tire monitor.
- Press and hold the OK button until confirmation appears. Alternatively, if your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system reset button, press and hold the button until confirmation appears.
If the low tire pressure light does not turn off automatically after reinflating the tires in your Everest, increase the tire pressure by 5 psi on top of the factory recommended value, and drive your vehicle for at least 10 miles (16 km). After the TPMS warning light turns off, and the vehicle has been parked for a few hours, reduce the tire pressure to the factory recommended value.
Chilly weather can turn on low tire pressure light in Everest
Cold weather is one of the most common cause for low tire pressure warning light in Ford Everest. When analyzing WheelsJoint’s statistical data, it has been observed that there is sharp rise in the number of searches for TPMS warning light causes at the start of every winter season, about three times higher as compared to mid summer season.
The air, like most other substances, expands when heated and contracts when cooled. So when the weather gets colder, the tire pressure decreases, which could trigger TPMS warning light in Everest. The tire pressure will vary with temperature by about 1 psi (7 kPa) for every 12°F (6.5°C).
Inflate tires when cold
Tire pressure in Everest should always be set based on cold inflation tire pressure. This is defined as the tire pressure after the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours, or driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after a three-hour period.
Do not adjust tire pressure when hot
The tires on your Everest can get around 50 degrees hotter than the outside temperature when you’re driving, which increases the tire pressure by about 4 psi – this is normal and there should be no adjustment for this increased pressure.
Does altitude affect tire pressure?
Yes, altitude can change tire pressure values, but it is negligible and not a cause for concern. If you drive your Everest from sea level to Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado which is the highest paved road in North America at the altitude of 14,130 feet (4,307 m), the tire pressure should theoretically increase by approximately 6 psi. But, the decrease in ambient temperature at higher elevation contracts the air in tires and compensates for any altitude pressure changes.
Is it safe to drive Everest with low tire pressure?
The driving characteristics of Everest change even if the air pressure is 5 psi less than manufacturer’s recommended value: the braking distance can be longer, cornering worse, and at particularly high speeds there is even a risk that the tire will burst. Low tire pressure also increases tire wear, and the higher rolling resistance of the tire means higher fuel consumption. So it is recommended to reinflate the tires to the correct pressure as soon as possible.
Dead battery in a tire pressure sensor
Each tire pressure sensor in Everest is powered by a built-in lithium-ion battery. When the battery is depleted, the sensor stops transmitting tire pressure information to the receiver module. When this happens, the TPMS warning light will flash every time the engine is started, and will remain illuminated until you turn off the vehicle.
How long do the pressure sensor batteries last?
The tire pressure sensor batteries usually last anywhere from 5 to 10 years in Everest. When the battery is depleted, you must replace the sensor itself, as the battery is sealed into the sensor unit and is non-replaceable.
Identifying a faulty pressure sensor
The most reliable method for detecting a faulty tire pressure sensor or a sensor with dead battery is by testing each sensor with a scan tool. For example, MaxiTPMS TS408 is commonly used for diagnosing and programming tire pressure sensors. A sensor that is not detectable by the scanner is most likely defective and should be replaced with a new one.
If you don’t want to spend over a hundred bucks on a scanner, then head over to any reputable tire shop and perform a TPMS diagnostic scan of your Everest.
Installed new tires?
If a pressure sensor stopped responding after you installed new tires on your Everest, it is possible the sensor got damaged during tire installation. These sensors are quite sensitive, and can be easily damaged if utmost care is not taken while changing tires.
Ford Everest TPMS user guide
You must check the tire pressures (including the spare tire where applicable) every two weeks when the tires are cold.
As a driver assistance feature, your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system. A warning lamp will illuminate when one or more of the tires are significantly under-inflated. If the low tire pressure warning lamp illuminates, you should stop your vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so, check the tires and inflate them to the correct pressure.
Driving on under-inflated tires can:
- Cause them to overheat.
- Lead to tire failure.
- Reduce fuel efficiency.
- Reduce tire life.
- Affect vehicle handling or stopping ability.
The system is not a substitute for correct tire maintenance.
You must maintain the correct tire pressures, even if low tire pressure has not illuminated the warning lamp.
The tire pressure monitoring system has a system malfunction indicator to warn you when the system is not operating correctly. The malfunction indicator and low tire pressure warning lamp have a combined function. When the system detects a malfunction, the warning lamp will flash for approximately one minute and then remain illuminated. This sequence will occur every time you switch the ignition on while the malfunction remains. The system has detected a fault that requires service.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressures. A malfunction may occur for a variety of reasons, including the installation of a replacement tire or wheel that prevents the system from functioning correctly. Always check the tire pressure monitoring system malfunction warning after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle. Make sure the replacement tires or wheels allow the system to continue to function correctly.
How Temperature Affects the Tire Pressures
Under normal driving conditions tire pressures may increase by up to 0.3 bar from a cold start situation. If the vehicle is stationary overnight and the temperature is significantly lower than the daytime temperature, tire pressures may decrease by up to 0.2 bar when there is a drop in the ambient temperature of 17°C or more. The system detects this pressure decrease as being significantly below the correct inflation pressure and the warning lamp illuminates.
Changing Tires With a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Each road wheel and tire is fitted with a tire pressure sensor located inside the wheel and tire assembly cavity. The pressure sensor attaches to the valve stem. The tire covers the pressure sensor and it is not visible unless the tire is removed. Take care when changing the tire to avoid damaging the sensor.
Understanding the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
You must maintain the correct tire pressures, even if low tire pressure has not illuminated the warning lamp.
The system measures the pressure in the road tires and displays a warning lamp in the instrument cluster when a low pressure is detected. The system detects this lower pressure as being significantly below the correct inflation pressure and the warning lamp illuminates.
When the Temporary Spare Tire is Installed
If you need to replace a road wheel and tire with the temporary spare wheel, the system will continue to identify a defect. This is to remind you to repair the damaged road wheel and tire and refit the repaired road wheel and tire assembly to your vehicle. To restore the correct operation of the system, you must have the repaired road wheel and tire assembly refitted to your vehicle.
When You Believe the System is Not Operating Correctly
The main function of the system is to warn you when the tire pressures are low. It can also warn you in the event the system is no longer capable of operating correctly. See the following chart for information concerning the system:
Note: When inflating the tires the system may not respond immediately to the air added to the tires.
Solid warning lamp: Tire(s) under-inflated. Make sure tires are at the correct pressure. The tire pressures are also on the tire inflation pressure label (located on the edge of driver door or the B-Pillar). After inflating the tires to the correct pressure you must carry out the tire pressure monitoring system reset procedure.
Solid warning lamp: Spare tire in use. Repair the damaged road wheel and tire and refit the repaired road wheel and tire assembly to your vehicle to restore the correct operation of the system.
Solid warning lamp: Tire pressure monitoring system malfunction. If the tires are correctly inflated and the spare tire is not in use but the light remains on, the system has detected a fault that requires service.
Solid warning lamp initially followed by a flashing warning lamp: Repair the damaged road wheel and tire and refit the repaired road wheel and tire assembly to your vehicle to restore the correct operation of the system.
Solid warning lamp initially followed by a flashing warning lamp: If the tires are correctly inflated and the spare tire is not in use but the light remains on, the system has detected a fault that requires service.
If the Warning Lamp is On:
- Check each tire to verify that none are flat.
- If one or more tires are flat, repair as necessary.
- Check the tire pressures and inflate all the tires to the correct pressure.
- Carry out the tire pressure monitoring system reset procedure.
Reset the entire system
If the low tire pressure warning light won’t turn off due to a glitch in the tire pressure monitoring system, it may be possible to reset the TPMS system by resetting all on-board computers in your Everest. This method should only be considered as a last resort, when all else fails.
You can reboot all the on-board computers by disconnecting the main 12 volt battery for a few minutes. Remove the cable from the negative terminal of the battery first, then from the positive terminal. With the battery disconnected, press the horn button a few times and turn on the headlights to drain out all the residual electricity from the system. After about 15 minutes, reconnect the battery in reverse order: positive cable first, then negative cable.
Tire pressure keeps getting low
If the TPMS warning light turns on frequently in your Everest, and the tire pressure is also decreasing after you have reinflated the tires, there may be an air leak. One or more of the tires may have been punctured by an external object, or the air may be leaking from a defective value stem.
Use OBD2 scanner for diagnosis
Since Ford Everest is equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD), a fault diagnosis can provide initial indications of where the malfunction is located. But when it comes to TPMS, a basic code reader will not suffice. You will need an advanced scanner to monitor TPMS data or read TPMS codes.
BlueDriver is a commonly used scanner by DIYers that can read TPMS codes for most vehicles and isn’t too expensive – costs about a hundred bucks. You can also clear the TPMS fault codes with this device which will turn off the warning light, but the light may come back on if the on-board diagnostic system detects a fault again.
