How Do I Reset the Tire Pressure Light in a Kia?
4 methods to reset the TPMS light on your Kia’s dash.
Kia
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All cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in America since 2008—including Kias like the 2022 Kia Carnival—feature a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that keeps track of whether there is too much or too little air pressure at all four corners. This safety feature is great for letting you know it’s time to fill up a low tire by illuminating a warning light on the dashboard.
How can you reset that tire pressure light in a Kia once you’ve taken care of the problem? Here are the details for dealing with a TPMS reset.
How Does a Kia TPMS Work?
A Kia’s TPMS relies on sensors located inside each of the vehicle’s wheels. Each of these units measures tire pressure and sends that information to the automobile’s computer. Some Kias have a display on the dashboard that will update tire pressure readings in real time, in addition to the tire pressure light that illuminates if air pressure spikes above or drops below a safe level.
Reset Your Tire Pressure Light With a Button
The easiest way to reset the tire pressure light in your Kia (after filling each tire to the correct pressure listed in the owner’s manual or on the sticker on the inside of the driver’s door) is by using the reset button. Verify the exact location in your manual, but in some Kia models it is located on the dashboard below the steering wheel or in the glove compartment, whereas others position it in an infotainment system menu. With the engine off but the vehicle set to “on,” simply press the button and hold it until you see the warning light in the gauge cluster blink three times. Turn the ignition on, and within 20 minutes the TPMS light should turn off.
Reset Your Tire Pressure Light by Driving
Another way to reset your tire pressure light is by driving the vehicle. After filling each tire to the correct pressure, drive your Kia at 50 mph (or faster, if the speed limit allows) for a minimum of 10 minutes. Park the automobile, turn it off, and then turn it on again, and the light should have reset.
Reset Your Tire Pressure Light With Tools
If you don’t have time to go for a drive, you can always break out a wrench and disconnect the battery in your Kia to reset your TPMS light. Once the positive terminal is removed from the battery, hit the horn or the ignition a couple of times to make sure any residual electricity gets purged from the system. Then reconnect the battery and turn the vehicle back on to complete the reset.
Reset Your Tire Pressure Light The “Hard Way”
There’s a final trick that will reset your Kia’s tire pressure light, but it’s by far the most labor intensive. It requires you to add 3 lbs of pressure to each tire—even the spare—over and above the factory recommended level, and then deflate each of them completely before refilling them all one at a time.
