Greetings,

On Monday, the day after a long drive to the North Shore, the "tire pressure" warning light and the DSC warning light both came on at the same time in my new Mini S (3,000 miles / run-flat tires). The tire light went off once before.... and Aka told me that this warning light can go off if even if there's no problem with the tires. A slight bump in the road can set it off. Okay, quirky..... but this is the first time the DSC light came on at the same time ... and throwing the DSC switch didn't shut it off. It took repeated resettings of the tire light. As it turns out, you have to drive for a few minutes before it resets.

Btw, I checked my tires and put air in before I left for NS... and checked them again when the cursed light came on.

Has anyone else encountered this? I found some posts on a Yahoo group (see http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...r/message/4483 ) so I know I'm not alone.

Anyway, it's driving me nuts and I want to take the car in. Now that Aka has left, I'm at a loss and don't know who is the best mechanic at MiniHawaii. Any recommendations?

alohas,
Lazule

 

Were you driving in the rain? I know early production MINIs had a problem with water getting into the electronics triggering the DSC/tire warning lights. I think they had that problem licked, but now I'm not so sure. Another thing that could be triggering it is your ABS brake system.

 

My tire light only came on once ... I was driving to work, but I stopped and did a quick visual check of the tires, nothing looked amiss. When I drove home that night, the tire light was no longer on.

MINIangelD

 

This has happened a couple of times to my '03 MCS. After turning the car off and restarting it, and restting the flat-warning light, both lights go out, just as you said----after driving for a minute or so. Since it has only happened so few times, okay maybe three, I think of it as a glitch, and not a real problem. Anybody else? Bruce

 

I haven't had this problem because my '04 MCS does not have DSC (It only has the standard ASC+T). I also have the 16" runflats.

It seems to me that there is some kind of interaction issues between the DSC and Tire pressure monitor systems. This complaint seems to only happen on DSC/Runflat tires equipped MINIs.

 

I have seen the same error three times... it always goes away when I turn off the car.

 

I've had it happen a couple of times... seems to be when the DSC is off (of course I always turn it off, unless it 's pouring :smile: ) and I fail to avoid one of the ubiquitous potholes that cover downtown or H1 Airport to Waikele. I always check tire pressure as a precaution, but it's fine and the warning light goes off shortly after a restart.

 

Again, this is a problem on DSC/Runflats equipped MINIs only.

 

Here's my take on this from past experience with my '03 MC.....the DSC and flat tire monitor lights are letting you know that the system(s) are working!

Any time the ABS sensor "senses" a difference in wheel/tire RPM, the flat tire monitor will go on (thinking a possible slow tire leak). Also the DSC uses sensors to measure the steering angle, yaw, and lateral acceleration to determine you're "correct" direction.
That's MINI speak for maintaining stability by apply brake force or manipulating the engine torque.

There is a corner on my way to work that always sets off both DSC and flat tire monitor while braking to set up a late apex (along with ABS pulsating through the brake pedal

I hope this shed some light on the DSC/flat tire monitor issue

 

Thanks to everyone for sharing their similar experiences, and especially the tales of potholes and tricky turns that have caused the same problem. Unfortunately, this didn't happen while I was driving.... only the day after my circle the island haul. And I didn't hit any potholes or anything else that may have caused this. On the other hand, I have a hunch that it could just be all the dampness that may have gotten into the whole system, as Beastmaster and Kohu'ulaMini suggested.

The only unsettled issue is that I pressed that reset button (held it for 4 seconds), turned the ignition off, waited a minute, turned it on...and the tire warning and DSC lights both remained on. I repeated this three times....But as Aka had warned me, I had to drive for a few minutes before they both went off. In the meantime I had about a dozen panic attacks. Under warranty or not, this was NO FUN.

How do you know when something is really wrong? Does resetting the tire light wipe everything from the system's memory? Or, if there's really a problem, would the warning lights come on again?

alohas!
Lazule

 

Make certain you don't actually have a flat tire!

When you press the tire reset button, you are telling the MINI "I know the tire pressures are good - believe the wheel speeds" ... but it then needs a few minutes of wheel speeds (driving) before it can know what to believe. That is why pressing the button does not immediately clear the light.

I have once or twice triggered the suspect tire fault by hard acceleration while tight turning; as other have said, a combination of poor traction, steering etc can occasionally fool the system.
And as Kohu'ulaMINI explained, since the DSC and tire warning use the same sensors as ABS, if the system suspects a fault you basically affect all those features which is why both lights come on.


_________________
Ian C. Gloucester, MA
<A href="http://www.gbmini.net">"GBMINI"</a>...uot;</a>

CWFFC member. Indi Blue / Lapis Blue MCS ... body color exterior trim, chrome grille, painted roof Union Jack, Euro shelf and working rear fogs

 

>>
>>The only unsettled issue is that I pressed that reset button (held it for 4 seconds), turned the ignition off, waited a minute, turned it on...and the tire warning and DSC lights both remained on.
>>
>>
>>
I understand your concern. Try turning off ignition then turn on again, press and hold down reset button(the button under the E-brake) for 10 seconds
The flat tire monitor should turn off.

As for the DSC light, if the light does not turn off, then ya might have to take it in for service. Will the light turn on and off when you flick the second toggle switch?

_________________

MINIhune:'03 MC VR/VR

 

Same thing happended to me twice so far. When I sarted my 03 MCS both lights came on but after driving a few minutes they went out.
GiGi

 

*Kohu'ulaMINI: That's some pretty good advice there. You seem to know a lot about the MINI. Maybe you should consider becoming a Motoring Advisor. I'd say that you'd do real well at it.

 

Well, gee erik808, much mahalo for your confidence.
I'll look into it

 

You rock, man. Many thanks again for helping me out a couple of days ago. You have a beautiful family, house, MINI, & a brand new Odyssey. I'm impressed

 

>>You rock, man. Many thanks again for helping me out a couple of days ago. You have a beautiful family, house, MINI, & a brand new Odyssey. I'm impressed

I have a family, house in MINIlani, newish MINI and brand old Odyssey. Does that count? Hey is somebody copying me or am I copying someone else? Can't decide.

The other day my DSC light refused to come on via toggle and wasn't working so great but after I restarted the car it's working OK now. And it was raining when it happened. That day all my dash lights were a bit strange. A temporary condition.

 

I've had the same symptoms last week. I was exiting quickly from a driveway while taking a left turn then both indicators went on. All the tires were at the same pressure. I cannot get a picture how both lights could go on at the same time. All I know is that the tire light goes on when the computer senses variations in the speed of the tires, and the DSC light goes on when the car doesn't try to plant itself on the ground when a wheel goes off the ground.

 

I like to add that both lights went off when I followed the instructions in the owner's manual for reseting the tire lamp. Also the driveway I was exiting from was my village driveway.

 

>>>>You rock, man. Many thanks again for helping me out a couple of days ago. You have a beautiful family, house, MINI, & a brand new Odyssey. I'm impressed
>>
>>I have a family, house in MINIlani, newish MINI and brand old Odyssey. Does that count? Hey is somebody copying me or am I copying someone else? Can't decide.

===>Yes, I am impressed with you as well . BUT... Randy had on R90s on Monday

 

Hopefully Randy will have the R90s on his car come Sunday. I'm thinking about coming out to play as it's my b-day. That way, Randy will be in a modified class and I can be in the stock class!

 

doesn't minihune have R90s....i thought he bought the ones keithy was selling. Hey, Randy has got newly painted wheel arches and mirror caps. Nice!!!! Today minihune's MINI was looking great...as always!

Hey beast...no family, huh? Want to adopt me and my son?

By the way....when I had my flat tire today...my tire pressure light didn't even go off. So....you MCS folks have problems with it going off too often, while my MC light doesn't even work!!! I'm not sure what's better!

 

Happy Birthday, The_Beastmaster (on Sunday) !!

 

Thanks, Eric. I'm going to be ::gulp:: 39!

Kohu'ula was wearing minihune's R90s for a photo op.

 

BUT... Randy had on R90s on Monday

The answer is-
Randy had on my R90s for picture taking.
They do look nice.