These instructions apply to the Fiat 500 (312) 2007-present.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
After adjusting pressures or changing a wheel on your Fiat 500 (312, 2007–present), you reset the tire-pressure monitor so it relearns the correct baseline. It’s done from the dashboard MENU button — no tool needed. The warning coming on isn’t automatically a fault: most of the time it just means the pressures have moved away from the stored reference, so once you’ve corrected them and reset, it clears on its own.
Fiat 500 Cold Tire Pressures
The right cold pressures for a Fiat 500 depend on your wheel size. Always set them cold (parked three hours or more), and treat the label inside the driver’s door jamb or fuel flap as the final word for your exact car. Typical figures:
| Tire size | Normal (front / rear) | Full load (front / rear) |
|---|---|---|
| 175/65 R14 | 2.2 / 2.0 bar (32 / 29 psi) | 2.3 / 2.2 bar (33 / 32 psi) |
| 185/55 R15 | 2.2 / 2.1 bar (32 / 30 psi) | 2.3 / 2.3 bar (33 / 33 psi) |
| 195/45 R16 | 2.2 / 2.1 bar (32 / 30 psi) | 2.4 / 2.3 bar (35 / 33 psi) |
“Full load” means four or five people plus luggage. The base 1.2 on 14-inch wheels can run a little lower – your door-jamb label confirms the exact figure. After inflating to the correct pressure, reset the monitor using the steps below so it relearns the baseline.
How the 500’s System Works
Many 500s detect low pressure indirectly, by watching how fast each wheel turns rather than reading a pressure from inside the tire — a softer tire has a slightly smaller rolling radius and spins fractionally quicker. That is why the reset needs a drive cycle at a steady, higher speed to calibrate: the car has to observe all four wheels turning normally at the correct pressures before it can flag a change. Reset with the pressures wrong and it will simply memorise the wrong baseline.
Set the Pressures First
Inflate all four tires cold to the door-pillar / fuel-flap label figures, then reset — the system takes whatever is in the tires at reset time as ‘correct’.
Before You Begin
- Set the pressures cold, before the car has been driven more than a mile or two.
- Use the label figures in the door pillar or behind the fuel flap, not the number on the tire sidewall.
- Check all four corners — one low tire keeps the light on.
- Turn the ignition key to ‘MAR’ (on) so the dash menu is available.
- Plan a route where you can safely hold a steady higher speed for the calibration drive.
Resetting via the MENU Button
- Stop the vehicle and turn the ignition key to the ‘MAR’ (on) position.
- Press the MENU button and scroll to ‘Tire pressure’.
- Press MENU — ‘RESET’ appears; select ‘YES’ and press MENU.
- ‘RESET SAVED’ confirms it.
- Drive for about 20 minutes, exceeding 80 km/h (50 mph) where safe, so the system calibrates.
If the Light Stays On
- Recheck every tire — one low corner triggers it.
- Complete the drive cycle — the calibration needs the higher-speed run.
- Did ‘RESET SAVED’ appear? If not, repeat the MENU steps — the reset may not have been confirmed.
- Cold snap? A tire set correctly in mild weather can read low overnight; top up and reset.
- After a wheel change the new wheel must become the reference — reset and drive so it calibrates.
- A genuine slow puncture keeps the warning on — inspect before resetting.
After the Reset
Once you see ‘RESET SAVED’ and complete the drive cycle, the warning should go out and stay off for the journey. The car keeps monitoring afterwards, so if a tire later loses pressure the light returns — that’s the system doing its job. Just top the tire back up to the label figure and run the reset again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset the tire pressure light on a Fiat 500?
Ignition to MAR, MENU → Tire pressure → RESET → YES, then drive ~20 minutes above 80 km/h to calibrate.
Is a tool needed?
No — the 500 resets from the MENU button and a drive cycle.
Why did it light up in cold weather?
Cold air lowers pressure; top up to the label figure and reset.
It lit after a wheel change — normal?
Yes — reset and drive the calibration cycle so the new wheel becomes the reference.
Do I have to reach a certain speed?
The calibration relies on the car observing the wheels turning steadily, so a run that includes a stretch above roughly 80 km/h (50 mph), where it’s safe and legal, helps it complete. A few minutes of low-speed town driving may not be enough, which is why the light can linger until you’ve had an open-road spell.
Got a TPMS fault code rather than a low-pressure warning? Look it up on autodtcs.com. Changing the battery too? See our 500 battery guide.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Fiat. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.