The Light Goes On...What Now?

I noticed the light as my wife and I drove home last night, the little symbol of a tire with an exclamation point inside.

Tire issue.

But, what does it mean?

The newest car we have (before I picked up Donk, the Subaru...) is a '07 Toyota van. Love it--I highly recommend the Toyota product. Over the years we've had the tire sensor indicator light show up on the van's dashboard. When that happens, I'll check the tire pressure, fill up whatever tire's low, then the light will go off.

With Donk, I just don't know the car well enough. I checked the tires and they seemed okay, not any noticeably low. I then referred to the trusty owner's manual. Reading that, it made it sound like if the tire light goes on, you've got a flat--or almost flat--tire. Well, I know that's not the problem. The manual even states if the light goes on, do not panic. Keep driving straight ahead and move off to the side of the road.

I did an on-line search. I sort of got some answers. Turns out the sensors in the tires can be affected by cold weather. Yes, it's been cold, but from what others have written on-line, the light should go out once the tires warm up. My light hasn't gone out yet.

I guess tomorrow, I'll check the tires to see what the proper pressure should be. It's possible they're all low, even though they don't look it. If they're low, I'll inflate them then hopefully, the light will go off for good. There's a pro/con whenever you get a new-ish car. The improved features are great, but more features mean more chances for things to go bad.

Like the van, I'll get used to the car, try things, keep doing what works. It's a trial-and-error system--just part of the plan.