These instructions apply to the Alfa Romeo 159 Mk1 (939) 2005-2012.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If the tyre-pressure warning has come on in your Alfa Romeo 159 (2005–2012) after you’ve adjusted the pressures or changed a wheel, you reset it by storing the new pressures and driving for a few minutes. This is a routine step rather than a sign of a fault — the car just needs the corrected pressures registered as its reference. Here’s how.
How the System Works on the 159
The 159’s monitor works from a stored baseline rather than showing you a live pressure for each wheel, so it flags a warning when a tyre falls below the reference it last learned. That means the important part of any reset is getting all four pressures exactly right first, then letting the system record them as the new normal during a short drive. Until you do, it keeps comparing against the old, out-of-date values and the light stays on.
When to Reset
- After checking or adjusting the tyre pressures.
- After changing wheels or tyres, or fitting winter wheels.
Getting Ready
- Check pressures cold — after the car has stood a few hours or covered less than about a mile — as warm tyres read high.
- Set every corner to the figure on the driver’s door-shut placard; a higher loaded figure may also be listed.
- Confirm all four match spec before storing, since the system compares wheels against a baseline.
- Switch the ignition on to use any menu confirmation your car offers.
Resetting the System
- Park level and set all four tyres to the correct cold pressures (placard in the driver’s door shut).
- Switch the ignition on and confirm/reset the tyre-pressure setting in the menu if your 159 offers one.
- Drive for about 5 minutes at over 20 km/h (12 mph) — the new pressures are then stored as the baseline.
If the Warning Stays On
- Recheck every tyre — one below spec keeps the warning on.
- Complete the learn drive — a very short trip may not be enough.
- After a wheel change, make sure pressures are exactly to spec before driving.
- Cold mornings can pull pressures under the threshold overnight; top up and re-store rather than assuming a fault.
- Don’t forget the spare or a fitted space-saver if it’s monitored — an odd wheel can keep the light on.
- If one corner keeps dropping after correction, suspect a slow puncture and have that tyre inspected.
- Still showing with correct pressures? A fault may be stored — look it up on autodtcs.com.
What Happens Next
Once the pressures are right and you’ve completed the short learn drive, the warning should clear and stay off for the journey. If it returns after a cold night, that’s ordinary pressure loss from the temperature drop — re-inflate cold to the placard figure and store again. A light that comes back quickly in mild weather points to a genuine leak rather than a stale baseline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset the tyre pressure light on an Alfa Romeo 159?
Set the pressures, confirm in the menu if offered, then drive about 5 minutes above 20 km/h to store them.
Why won’t the warning clear?
Usually a tyre still below spec, or the learn drive wasn’t long enough. Recheck all four cold with a gauge, correct any that are low, then drive a few minutes at a steady speed. Cold weather and an easily missed slow puncture are the two most common reasons it lingers.
Do I need a tool?
No for a normal reset — setting the pressures and a short drive are enough. A workshop tool is only needed if a pressure sensor is replaced, because the system then has to learn the new part. Everyday resets after inflating or swapping wheels are a driver job.
Does adjusting one tyre need a full reset?
Yes — set all four correctly first, then do the learn drive so the baseline is right.
Why does the warning appear in winter?
Air contracts as it cools, so pressures fall overnight when temperatures drop and can slip below the stored reference. It’s not usually a fault. Top the tyres up cold to the placard figure and complete the short learn drive, and the warning should clear on its own.
The light came on after fitting winter wheels — what should I do?
Set the winter wheels to the correct cold pressures, confirm the menu setting if your car offers one, then drive a few minutes so the new set becomes the baseline. Swapping wheels changes what the system is comparing against, so a fresh store after every changeover keeps it accurate.
If the warning came on with other lights, decode the code on autodtcs.com.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Alfa Romeo. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.