These instructions apply to the Subaru XV Mk2 (GT) 2017-2022.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
The tyre-pressure warning on your Subaru XV (2017–2022) — the GT — lights up when one or more tyres read low against the figure the car expects. Most of the time it is doing exactly its job: a tyre has drifted down over the weeks, the cold weather has pulled the pressures a little lower, or you have just adjusted the pressures or swapped a wheel and the system is still looking at the old readings. It is a low-pressure alert, not a sign that something has broken. Once the pressures are correct and the car has re-read them on a short drive, the light goes out on its own. Here is how to clear it properly.
How the system works on this XV
The XV monitors each wheel and raises the warning when a tyre falls roughly below the pressure written on the driver’s door-pillar placard. Because it reads the corrected pressures rather than storing a button-press value, there is no dashboard “reset” menu to hunt for on this generation — you fix the pressures, drive, and the light clears itself. That also means the fastest way to get rid of the light is simply to make sure all four tyres are genuinely at the right pressure before you set off.
First, a Few Checks
- Check the tyres cold — parked at least three hours, or driven less than about a mile. Warm tyres read high and hide a soft one.
- Find the correct figure on the placard in the driver’s door shut, not on the tyre sidewall (that number is a maximum).
- Have an accurate gauge and set every corner, including the one that triggered the light.
- Don’t forget the spare if a full-size wheel is currently on the ground.
- Park on level ground so the car is settled before the learn drive.
When to Reset
- After checking or adjusting the tyre pressures.
- After changing wheels or tyres, or fitting winter wheels.
Resetting the System
- Park level and set all four tyres to the correct cold pressures (placard in the driver’s door shut).
- Drive the vehicle for about 10 minutes at over 40 km/h (25 mph).
- The system relearns the corrected pressures and the warning clears.
If the Warning Won’t Clear
- Recheck every corner — a single tyre a few psi low keeps the warning on even if the other three are perfect.
- Give it a proper drive — a couple of minutes around the car park may not be long enough for the system to settle.
- Cold snap? A frosty morning can drop pressures enough to trip the light; top up to the placard figure with the tyres cold.
- Slow puncture — if one tyre keeps coming back low, look for a nail or a leaking valve rather than resetting again.
- Space-saver fitted? The skinny spare runs at a much higher pressure; the light may stay on until the normal wheel is back.
- Sensor at fault — a wheel sensor with a flat internal battery, or a damaged valve, can hold the light on with correct pressures. If a fault code is stored, look it up on autodtcs.com.
Once It’s Done
Once the pressures are right and you have driven for a few minutes, the warning should go out and stay out for the rest of the journey. If it clears but returns after a day or two, that is a strong hint of a slow leak rather than a system glitch — have the tyre checked. A light that flashes briefly at start-up and then goes out is normal self-test behaviour, not a fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset the tyre pressure light on a Subaru XV?
There is no button sequence on this model. Set all four tyres to the cold pressures shown on the driver’s door-pillar placard, then drive for about ten minutes at over 40 km/h. The XV re-reads the corrected pressures during the drive and the warning clears by itself.
Why won’t the warning clear after I pumped the tyres up?
Almost always one corner is still below the target figure, or the learn drive was too short. Recheck every tyre with an accurate gauge while they are cold, correct any that are low, and take a longer drive. If all four are genuinely correct and it still shows, suspect a wheel sensor or a slow leak.
Do I need a diagnostic tool?
No, not for a normal reset. Correcting the pressures and driving is all it takes. A tool is only involved if a wheel sensor has been replaced and needs registering, or if you want to read a stored fault code.
Could cold weather set the light off on its own?
Yes. Tyre pressure falls as temperature drops, so the first cold morning of the season commonly trips the warning even with healthy tyres. Top the pressures back up to the placard figure with the tyres cold and the light should clear on the next drive.
The light came back a few days later — what does that mean?
A warning that returns after being cleared usually points to a slow puncture in one tyre — a small nail or a weeping valve. Check that tyre’s pressure again and inspect the tread and valve. Repeatedly resetting without fixing the leak just hides the problem.
Do I have to reset after fitting winter or spare wheels?
Set the new wheels to the correct cold pressures first, then drive so the system re-reads them. A full-size winter set behaves like the normal wheels once inflated correctly. The temporary space-saver runs much higher and the light may stay on until the standard wheel is refitted.
If the tyre-pressure warning appeared alongside other dashboard lights, decode the stored trouble code on autodtcs.com before assuming it is only a pressure issue.
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