These instructions apply to the Subaru Impreza Mk5 (GK) 2017-Present.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If the tyre-pressure warning has come on in your Subaru Impreza (2017–present) — the GK/GT — after you’ve adjusted the pressures or changed a wheel, you reset it by setting the pressures and driving. Here’s how. The amber horseshoe-shaped symbol (an open bracket with an exclamation mark) is the low-pressure warning, and on its own it is a housekeeping prompt, not a fault. It simply means the current pressures no longer match the reference the car has stored, most often because the air has cooled, you’ve topped the tyres up, or you’ve swapped to a different set of wheels.
How the System Works on This Model
The Impreza uses an indirect monitor: rather than a pressure sensor inside each wheel, it watches the individual wheel-speed signals from the anti-lock braking system. A tyre losing air shrinks slightly in rolling diameter, so it turns marginally faster than the others, and the system flags that difference. Because it is comparison-based, it has no absolute pressure to display and it must be taught what ‘correct’ looks like — which is exactly what the reset does. Set the pressures right, tell it to relearn, and the freshly measured rolling radii become the new baseline.
First, a Few Checks
- Check pressures cold — before driving, or after the car has stood a few hours. Warm tyres read artificially high.
- Use the figures on the label in the driver’s door shut (not the maximum moulded on the tyre sidewall).
- Inflate all four to spec, including any you did not think were low.
- Don’t forget to adjust for a full load or motorway running if your label lists a higher figure for those.
- Have a reliable gauge to hand — forecourt airlines are often out by a few psi.
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 Stays On
- Recheck every tyre — one corner still below spec will keep the light on.
- Complete the learn drive — a short hop around town may not give the system enough steady running to settle.
- After a wheel change, make sure pressures are exactly to spec before the relearn drive.
- A fitted space-saver or a different-size wheel has a different rolling radius and can confuse an indirect system — expect a warning until the normal wheel is back on.
- A cold overnight can drop pressures enough to re-trigger the light next morning; top up and it should clear on the drive.
- A slow puncture re-lights the warning as the tyre bleeds down — look for a nail or a leaking valve rather than resetting again.
- Still showing with everything correct? Have the wheel-speed sensors and ABS checked, as the same signals feed this monitor.
Once It’s Done
Once the relearn drive is done the light goes out and stays off for the rest of your journeys, provided the pressures hold. There is no gradual fade — it simply clears once the system is happy. From then on it only reappears if a tyre genuinely drops below the threshold, which is the behaviour you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reset the tyre pressure light on a Subaru Impreza?
Set all four pressures correctly, then drive about 10 minutes above 40 km/h to relearn them.
Why won’t the warning clear?
Usually a tyre is still below spec, or the learn drive wasn’t long enough. Recheck all four cold against the door-shut label, top up any that are low, and repeat the relearn drive at a steady speed. If everything is correct and it still shows, suspect a slow puncture or a wheel-speed sensor issue.
Do I need a tool?
No. Because this is an indirect, ABS-based system there are no in-wheel sensors to program, so a normal reset needs nothing more than correct pressures and a short drive. A workshop tool only becomes relevant if the ABS or a wheel-speed sensor itself is being diagnosed.
Does adjusting one tyre need a full reset?
Yes — set all four correctly first, then run the relearn so the baseline is right. The system compares the wheels against each other, so it needs to re-measure the whole set as a group; correcting one corner and resetting is the reliable way to do it.
Why does the light come on in cold weather?
Air contracts as it cools, so a tyre set on a mild afternoon can read a few psi lower on a frosty morning — enough to trip the warning. It is normal and usually not a puncture. Top the tyres back up to the label figure when cold and run the relearn, and the light should clear.
Can a fault code appear instead of the low-pressure light?
Yes. If the ABS or a wheel-speed sensor develops a fault, the monitor may flag a system error rather than a simple low-pressure alert, sometimes with other dash warnings. In that case a scan reveals the stored code, which points to the real culprit rather than the tyres.
If the warning came on with other lights, decode the code on autodtcs.com.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Subaru. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.