When I had my car serviced which included tire rotation, the air pressure light comes on a lot and the car does not ride as smooth
I am wondering if the lug nuts are tightened by hand with a wrench or if they are tightened with a power wrench and based on one or the other, does it effect the smoothness of the ride? There is a slight shimmy of the steering wheel at times also. When tires are rotated does this include balancing them before they are put back on the car?
Thanks. Debbie Borkman
My car has 92000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
How lug nuts are tightened can vary shop to shop.The proper way to tighten them it to properly torque them to manufacturer’s specifications. Some shops may use an impact gun to tighten them, then use a torque wrench by hand to properly torque them. Other shops may use what is referred to as "torque sticks" along with an impact gun. These are basically a extended socket with various lengths and thicknesses. The length and thickness dictates the torque that will be applied to the leg nuts with the impact gun. In rare instances, over-tightening the lug nuts can distort brake rotors, causing a shimmy when brakes are applied. That you have a slight shimmy while driving may indicate that the tires were either not balanced properly, or not balanced at all. Generally, if the service is indicated as "rotate tires", then odds are they were simply rotated and not balanced. If the service is indicated as "rotate and balance", then they should have been balanced properly.
As for the TPMS light, make sure all the tires are properly inflated. That goes for the spare also as depending on how each model is equipped, the spare may have a pressure sensor as well. The spare tire will lose pressure simply form lack of use. If the spare has less pressure than the 4 wheels on the ground, this can cause the TPMS light to come on. Also, the system may have to be reset when the tires are rotated and the shop simply forgot to do so. Depending on model, the reset button should be located under the dash just above the gas pedal. While it may be an inconvenience, you may want to return to the service facility and ask them to check the pressure in all 5 tires and reset the system and check the wheel balancing if it was not performed with the service.
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The most common cause for the tire pressure light is a tire that may be under-inflated. The tire pressure light may even prevent premature tread-wear and eventual tire failure, so pay attention.
The TPMS light turns on when it detects that your car`s tires are below the threshold of safe tire pressure. This light can also go on if it detects bad traction, poor fuel economy, or a blowout.
In most cases, the recommended tire pressure for a Lexus RX 350 is 33 psi for both front and rear tires.
The first step is to use a tire pressure gauge to get a second reading to ensure that the air pressure in the tire is correct. If the tire pressure warning light on your dashboard remains on after a long while, it`s an indication that one or more of the tires is leaking air.
Hold the TPMS reset button until the tire pressure light blinks three times, then release it. Start the car and wait 20 minutes for the sensor to refresh. The tire pressure monitor reset button is typically located under the steering wheel. Refer to your vehicle`s owner`s manual if you`re unable to locate it.
CarsGuide has published 33 expert reviews of the Lexus RX. It has an average rating of 7.5 out of 10. Read all the reviews here. This tyre placard recommends a minimum tyre pressure of 34psi for the Lexus RX.
LEXUS TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT EXPLAINED
TPMS was designed to easily determine when one or more of your tires is low on air. You`ll know this is the case if an icon lights up on the dashboard that looks like an exclamation point inside an open circle with little spikes at the bottom of it.
If you`ve inflated your tires to the proper air pressure, but the warning light stays on, you may have a leak or there`s a problem with the TPMS in one or more of your tires. It`s simple enough to check if there`s a leak in a tire. Just use your tire gauge to recheck the air pressure in all your tires.
This sensor is fitted to the inside of each wheel and transmits data via electronic waves to the receiver. Some 2007 and older model year vehicles are equipped with the indirect system which uses the Resonance Frequency Method & Relative Wheel Speed Difference Method to determine pressure irregularities.
Turn on the vehicle and honk the horn for roughly three seconds. This will discharge any residual power still stored in your car and should also reset the TPMS sensor light system when you re-engage the vehicle battery.
Turn on the vehicle and honk the horn for roughly three seconds. This will discharge any residual power still stored in your car and should also reset the TPMS sensor light system when you re-engage the vehicle battery.
You should always reset your TPMS after changing or rotating tires, or installing new sensors. Some sensor manufacturers recommend resetting it even after adding air to your tires.
Turn on the vehicle and honk the horn for roughly three seconds. This will discharge any residual power still stored in your car and should also reset the TPMS sensor light system when you re-engage the vehicle battery.
Programming a sensor is an essential step when working with universal or “programmable” TPMS sensors. These sensors come completely blank out of the box and they need to be programmed (also referred to as “activated”) to the unique make, model and year of the vehicle being serviced.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
When I had my car serviced which included tire rotation, the air pressure light comes on a lot and the car does not ride as smooth
ANSWER : How lug nuts are tightened can vary shop to shop.The proper way to tighten them it to properly torque them to manufacturer’s specifications. Some shops may use an impact gun to tighten them, then use a torque wrench by hand to properly torque them. Other shops may use what is referred to as "torque sticks" along with an impact gun. These are basically a extended socket with various lengths and thicknesses. The length and thickness dictates the torque that will be applied to the leg nuts with the impact gun. In rare instances, over-tightening the lug nuts can distort brake rotors, causing a shimmy when brakes are applied. That you have a slight shimmy while driving may indicate that the tires were either not balanced properly, or not balanced at all. Generally, if the service is indicated as "rotate tires", then odds are they were simply rotated and not balanced. If the service is indicated as "rotate and balance", then they should have been balanced properly.
As for the TPMS light, make sure all the tires are properly inflated. That goes for the spare also as depending on how each model is equipped, the spare may have a pressure sensor as well. The spare tire will lose pressure simply form lack of use. If the spare has less pressure than the 4 wheels on the ground, this can cause the TPMS light to come on. Also, the system may have to be reset when the tires are rotated and the shop simply forgot to do so. Depending on model, the reset button should be located under the dash just above the gas pedal. While it may be an inconvenience, you may want to return to the service facility and ask them to check the pressure in all 5 tires and reset the system and check the wheel balancing if it was not performed with the service.
Low coolant light comes on when AC, defrost or heater is on, but only if the car is in gear and stopped, what’s wrong with my car?
ANSWER : First, you want to make sure your cooling system is full. Check the radiator not the coolant jug. And check it when it is cold. If it needs coolant, add some. Of course, I don’t feel this problem is an actual low coolant condition. I would expect to find an electrical failure in the instrument cluster or from a component or wiring harness that is connected to the instrument cluster.
As a technician, I have access to reports from technicians across the country. I could not find any reports of this problem, so diagnosing this will require an experienced tech as this is not a common problem. In addition, this happens at intermittent times making it difficult to recreate. The most challenging part of this diagnosis will be recreating the symptom. I suspect it has something to do with the brake switch circuitry because it only seems to happen when you have your foot on the brake. I would begin my diagnosis there with a wiring diagram and test light in hand. The brake switch, instrument cluster, and environmental controls all interact with each other. Something is crossed either because of a failed module or damaged wiring in a harness.
Aside from making sure the coolant is full, this will not likely leave you on the side of the road. If you take it in to be diagnosed, be prepared for them to spend more time than usual to figure it out. Since it isn’t a key problem, you may need to live with it until it completely fails making it much easier to diagnose. Either way, I do recommend having a certified mechanic diagnose the warning light to make sure there isn’t anything serious going on.
Good luck.
Car not speeding up smoothly, service engine light on when first start driving and car vibrating
ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have a dirty or faulty mass air flow sensor. The problem this can cause may also be compounded when the engine is cold due to the change in air density in cooler weather. The mass air flow sensor monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. This sensor relays information about fuel and air temperature, air speed entering the motor and many other things to the ECM which uses this to make adjustments to fuel supply to the motor. A dirty or faulty sensor can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This type of inconsistent fuel supply to the motor may cause a hesitation, loss of power, a jerking reaction, potentially a bit of black exhaust smoke and typically a strong smell of fuel when this sensor is malfunctioning. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
My car’s tire pressure monitoring system lights come on when the tire pressure is normal
ANSWER : Your car is equipped with wheel speed sensors on each of the four wheels which monitor wheel speed while relaying this information to the ABS and traction control system (ESC) which are controlled by the car’s ECU. When the ECU senses an abnormal speed given specific conditions, it engages the ABS or traction control as needed to control the vehicle. Occasionally, these sensors can fail or only work intermittently, sending inaccurate signals to the ECU. When this happens, you may experience the symptoms you have described. The ABS or traction control system may be inadvertently activated by these false or inaccurate signals.
Your TPMS system works the same way in that there are sensors that monitor the tire pressure relaying this to the car’s computer. These sensors are known to go bad occasionally. Keep in mind this can also fluctuate easily with changes in air temperature, as this changes the density of the air which will affect the way these sensors read tire pressure. With regard to your heater turning off and on, this may be related to the blower motor relay which is what directs power to the heater blower motor. When this is faulty, this may cause the blower fan to work intermittently or sometimes not at all. I would suggest having a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, diagnose your ABS and traction control system to determine the cause of this.
Battery light goes on when I start car then turns off, if I rev engine light comes back until rpms go down. Abs goes comes on/off
ANSWER : Batteries can die due to faults in the charging system so ideally a suspected "faulty" battery should be load tested before a decision is made to condemn it. The only exception to this rule is if the battery is already clearly "old" (greater than 5 years) but even then once you put a new battery in, as a replacement for a "dead" battery, you have to comprehensively check out the charging system. Diagnostic Trouble Code P0460 will result in disruption of the dashboard fuel gauge’s ability to accurately report your tank’s fuel levels. The fuel gauge readings may be erratic, or read somewhere off scale. Vehicles equipped with a low fuel warning light feature may also suffer from erratic low fuel warnings in the event of a code P0460. Unless the P0460 code has been reported alongside other trouble code, all of the vehicle’s essential systems should otherwise function normally. I would recommend that you request a check engine light diagnostic to first resolve the fault causing the P0460 code to set. The check gas cap light warning light could be due a faulty gas cap and/or small leaks in the EVAP system.
Car won’t start. The check engine light, battery light, and oil change light are coming on. I tried jumping the car and nothing happened. Why won’t my car start?
ANSWER : Hi and thanks for contacting Your Mechanic. If sometimes your vehicle will start with the new alternator and sometimes it won’t, then there is a loose connection in your charging system. Check all of the wires to the alternator and to the battery. Make sure that the battery cables are clean and tight. Make sure that the wires to the starter are clean and tight. A loose ground to the ignition system will cause the vehicle to not crank over. Check all of the ground wires from the battery to the starter. Make sure that they are clean and tight. If you need further assistance troubleshooting your no start situation, then seek out a technician, such as one from Your Mechanic, that can assist you.
When I turn on my AC the radiator fans do not turn on. The fans do come on when the car warms up so I know they are working and the fuses are good. The AC compressor does come on and the air blows ice cold when the car is moving. Car is a 2006 Chrysler Sebring Sedan 2.7l v6.
ANSWER : The control circuit for the fans needs to be checked. For example, there is usually a condenser fan relay in the A/C electrical controls. There could be a fault with that relay and/or wiring problems, perhaps even just a loose connection, blown or loose fuse, and so forth. To resolve something like this, the recommended service is an electrical component diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic service, the responding certified mechanic will get the problem pinpointed and resolved. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Charging warning light comes on when i turn the key and try to start the car and the car want start but when someone tried to give
ANSWER : Hi there:
If you recently replaced your battery, the issue may be caused by a malfunctioning alternator or other electrical component that comprises the charging system on your Nissan Sentra. The best way to find out which item specifically is faulty, is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection. This will allow the mechanic to determine the precise source of what’s going on with your Sentra and recommend or complete the right repairs.
