Hah, nailed it. Happened this morning. First frost this year.
this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2025
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Witch's cauldron on top of a rack. How appropriate for Spooktober!
I was genuinely wondering, if that's the joke, having never seen this light before...
This is the warning for low tyre pressure. Often shows up after you've had a tyre change, such as when you go to winter tyres around this time of year.
Colder air also takes up less volume relative to warmer air, therefore exerting less outward pressure. So, if you haven't aired up since July, it's entirely possible that the lower temperatures alone can cause this light to come on.
Interesting fact, the tyre pressure warning isn't always measuring your tyre pressure! At least, not directly.
Some cars have actual pressure sensors inside the wheels which do measure it, while others (like mine) use the ABS sensor - which measures wheel rotations - to determine pressure as a byproduct.
The theory goes that an under-inflated tyre is smaller in diameter than properly inflated one, and so will have to make more revolutions than a properly inflated one to cover a given distance. By comparing the current status against a programmed normal, a mismatch that indicates possible low pressure can be detected.
Because what is 'normal' can change after you inflate your tyres or change them, cars with this type of indirect sensor will also have a button somewhere to reset it (mine is inside the glove box) so you can redefine what 'normal' is and cancel any spurious warning.
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Happy tireween to you too.
nice to have a low pressure holiday.
Get an air pump that runs off your car battery. Don't get a jump/pump as those are more expensive and they break. Get one with a flashlight.
It's one of those cheap purchases that makes a world of difference.
Don't buy the cheapest tho, look online for one that has metal piston & cogs (are are only slightly more expensive, or perhaps even not more expensive).
The plastic ones break easily when heated (5 ~ 10 minutes).
But yeah, why not just pump the air at gas stations?
They usually have to recertify the gauges once a year.
You are absolutely right about heat. They get hot
As for free air, more and more gas stations have attached credit card machines to their pumps. Having to hunt for ones that haven't had become a chore. Also, it is so helpful to just have it on hand at any time.
Most places still have a few gas stations with free air!
Do you mean the time of year where a battery cell goes bad, ruining both the battery and the alternator while you have an Uber passenger in the car an hour from home and every system in your car is cartoonishly shutting off one by one?
Because YEP I GUESS IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME. :(
Chances are that the alternator was already bad, but symptoms didn’t manifest until the battery started to die. A running car should be able to stay alive purely from the alternator. It’s not a great long term solution, since it causes extra wear on the alternator. But it is possible to just push-start it and then keep it alive with the alternator alone.
You may well be right, but I'd already wrestled with the battery previously, and as soon as cold weather hit (literally like day 1.5 - 2), the problem cropped up, which is classic battery in my (admittedly pretty limited, but enthusiastic!) experience.
Edit: I see now that what I'm saying doesn't contradict what you said.
But it is possible to just push-start it and then keep it alive with the alternator alone.
can confirm. had a buddy in HS whose car had neither a starter nor a working battery. every day after everyone left the parking lot, he would have us push his car over to the street on top of a hill, and then he'd clutch start it on the way down. we only had to push it back up the hill a couple times when he was learning how to do it.
fall? yeah, the front will fall off soon
Yeah, that’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point.
remember to tow your car outside the environment if it needs work
Is that the symbol for a cauldron? I don't get it
Its a low tire pressure light.
In the fall, lower temperatures cause tire pressure to drop.
I don't own any horse shoes.
It never really occurred to me that most people don't check their tire pressure once or twice a month and let it get that bad.
I check mine when my car tells me to
In the last month, the high temps where I live have dropped approximately 40 degrees.
That enough to drop tires pressure to the point of the light coming on if you're not checking it at least biweekly
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Isn't it great how cars just have like random lights that come on whose design is so ambiguous that there's no possible chance you could work out what they're trying to indicate.
My car occasionally displays a blue tick, what the hell is that supposed to mean? It only comes up maybe once every 4 or 5 months so it's really hard to work out a pattern.
My car occasionally displays a blue tick, what the hell is that supposed to mean? It only comes up maybe once every 4 or 5 months so it's really hard to work out a pattern.
I got the same issue with my BMW, except it's a green arrow pointing either left or right that flashes and makes a ticking sound. Only lasts for a few seconds though.
Oh that sounds like the swerve suddenly into another lane without looking light.
4-5 month is an awfully long time to be too lazy to rtfm
I mean, I agree it's silly design, but come on
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I just got a used Cadillac and it has this little blue icon quite frequently. Had to get out the manual. It means I'm driving over the speed limit. Fuck's sake what a useless light.
I used to drive a Sprinter, and on the dashboard was a light with iconography of waves, wind, and raindrops. I concluded that it was warning me of a storm at sea.
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Is it normal for tire emergency lights to come on in autumn?
Just the low tire pressure warning.
Cold temperatures reduce the pressure, and since air leaks out of tires naturally over time, it is quite common for the change in temperature to suddenly put your tires below the threshold for normal tire pressure.
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We usually get a big enough quick drop in temperatures that I get this each autumn. Even with new tires
Yes, if the tires were close to the cut off before the temp dropped. The sensor in my vehicle readstire pressure about 10% low in colder weather, which can be enough to trigger the warning on chilly mornings if I haven't topped it off during the summer.
Heat up gas => pressure go up
Cool down gas => pressure go down
pV=nRT
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we top ours up at tireween and tirester every year
I live in Taiwan and it's been 90-95 since February.
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