I wasn't sure Bertie's TPMS was working, so I provoked it, and he gave this display:



I'm assuming this is new with the 13 model year, I'm pretty sure our 12 didn't do this, and the older ones certainly didn't. Several people have complained about being confused by the old icon, so maybe this is MINI's attempt to be clearer. Its also nice to know which tire is the low one, that was never previously available without the Nav as far as I know.

When we first got Bertie, I fitted him with Tristan's wheels (which don't have sensors), and he never complained. I'm wondering if that was becuse I never initialised the system or if MINIs have stopped alerting over missing sensors. (If that's true, it'd please some people around here.)

What is disturbing, is that the system seems much less sensitive than it was before, or it takes a longer time about alerting. I initialised the system with the front right at 45psi (deliberately high), and let out air to see when he'd alert me. I was down to 34psi before I gave up for the night. This morning it was at 32.5psi and it finally alerted me when I went out. I'm going to have to try the experiment again and see if he'll alert me at lower pressure loss if I give him time. The old system would detect 4-5psi of loss.

 

my wife's explorer doesn't trigger until about 25psi. Wish this was owner setable...

 

My 2012 without nav alerted me the exact tire like your image shows. Had a nail in the right rear tire I noticed one morning, and sure enough, on the way to get a new tire(was too close to sidewall to get repaired) the next day my tpms warning came on signaling the correct tire.

 

I'm pretty sure my 2011 display indicated which tire was low, too. Handy!

 

My 2008 does through the navigation screen. Go through the settings on the screen to reset the tpms.

 

I checked, the manual doesn't mention this icon. It still has the old tire ! icon.

 

If this is worth anything, the TPMS in my wife's Toyota highlander (2012 model) comes on when there is a significant difference by comparison to the pressure in the other tires - there is no preset pressure where it comes on. The pressure in the spare tire triggered it last time, and of course the only way to find out which tire it is is to put a gage on each tire. FWIW.

Mike

 

Federal Law says that the light has to come on at 25% pressure loss.

It is owner settable.. when you reset the system, it "learns" the new pressure. (or is supposed to anyhow..)

That's cool it tells you what tire is low..

I wonder what happens if you rotate now? Do you have to re-learn the sensors?

 

Dammit! Does that mean I have to read the manual on a Toyota? I probably should...