For a couple of weeks now I have gotten into my car and the tire monitor light has come on. The first time I got out and checked all the tires and they were all fine. Since then, the light has come on while I was driving down the road. I have hit the reset button between the seats and after a couple of minutes the light on the dash will go out. Has any one had this happen? are the gremelins beginning to creep in to my 05 Mini?

 

Happened to me on my way to school one day. My tires were fine and the light did not come off until I turned off my car.

 

Mine used to do it often when I still had runflats. But not anymore

 

My MINI tire light has come on a couple of times but my left front has been as low as 25 psi. I do have runflats. It just happen last week leaving the Buffalo airport at 12:00 a.m. No problem. Drove 70 miles and topped it off it in the morning. I always keep a pressure gauge in the glove compartment. Need to get that tire checked by at a tire dealer. Nothing better than coming back from a 5 hour flight and seeing MINI in the parking lot.

 

I had this happen alot a couple of months after I got my MINI. When I took my car in for an oil change, I told the SA about it. When I got the car back, they said that they hadn't initialized the tire monitor system. At the time, it sounded like BS, but since then the light hasn't come on

 

Wait till you drive it in snow on the runflats. You will get lots of practice using your pressure gauge and resetting.

Too bad Mini used the cheaper ABS version (wheel speed) instead of actual pressure. Better than nothing? Depends how many falses you have got over time.

regards,
Red

 

After I made this post I went out and checked my tire pressure and found out that two fronts were down two pounds each and the back drivers was right on 32lb's. The passenger rear was at 12lb's,(ouch) I took the tire off and looked at the tread and found no nails or any leak but after spraying it with soapy water found out that there is a leak at one spot on the bead along the out side rim . I guess I should have check it sooner before posting. I learned that you can not tell by banging on or feeling the tire because it's as hard as a rock and dosen't feel or look like it's flat like a normal tire. I guess that the sensor work's and did it's job. I didn't want to believe that I had a flat. Can't wait to get new tires and rims for Boo and like every one else,ditch the run flat's.

 

Yep, with those runcraps you have to check the tire pressure - the old kicking method doesn't work.

 

I had this happen to me a few of weeks ago. I took the tire off and hosed it down, and there was a small leak by the bead. I took it to Les Schwab and they remounted it for free. Haven't had any trouble since.

 

Took "Boo" in this morning to a tire shop that can work with run flats and the first thing the guy told me after I told him the leak was on the bead of the rim is "I Can't do any thing for that" Hmm..... well I said could you at least take the tire off the rim and try to reseat the rim,so he agree's and come to find out that the problem was the little rubber spikes that are on the tread of a brand new tire are all along the inside of the bead as well and they had folded under the rim causing the leak. So a word of caution to those who have this kind of leak is go to your dealer and hopfully it will be coverd under warranty. My dealer is 25 miles away and I didn't want to drive on a bad tire. It cost me 18 bucks to find out but I guess it's better than needing a new tire which would have turned into 4 new tires(no more run flats). It's to close to Christmas to be buying my new Wheels and tires.

 

Did you ever think you might just have a bad tire sensor? There's one at each corner, and they go for about $16 each.... The dealer should be able to test to see if any of them aren't working.

- - m

 

Oh they're working just fine. When the sensor went off I just felt the tire the first time thinking I could tell by feel or by the way it looked (flat) but the tire looked full of preasure just like all the rest. Now I know that you can't tell by look or feel. I checked all four and found that the left rear was at 12lb's. I filled it up and by the next morning it had droped 10lb's. Of course I then took the wheel off and sprayed it all over with soapy water. Sure enough there was the leak around the bead on the out side of the rim. The tire shop showed me where the small rubber spikes were pulled under the rim. As far as going to the dealer, I'd rather not take "Boo" in until larger service is needed, although I'll bet I could have saved 18 bucks by taking him to my dealer,you think?

 

The car bases tire pressurer off of individual wheel speed sensors. Are you talking about pressure sensors like in Mercedes?

 

Yes, the wheel speed sensor might be bad. I 'broke' one during an autocross event and had to have it replaced... it caused the low tire pressure light to stay on.

- - m

 

I don't think I will take advice from a tire kicker. Perhaps you should invest in a tire pressure gauge.

(I think you knocked down a cone)

regards,
Red

 

You mean like all the sheep. Me, I'm a free-thinker. Haven't heard a logical reason yet by anyone to ditch the runflats. It's the future...embrace it. Have you ever had a flat and had to use the spare?