Greetings all,


Looking at buying my first mini. It is a 2008 Clubman S automatic (Auto for a reason. Have a son with a disability who cannot drive a stick-shift).


During the test drive the Low tire pressure light was on. The dealer says that it is on because the mini has aftermarket rims, and so the TPMS doesn't work.


I have put aftermarket rims on numerous vehicles over the years, and always had the TPMS work, since I paid for the sensors to be put in the new rims. So here is my question(s):


Is it possible the previous owner didn't pay for TPMS to be put in the new rims?


Is it possible to add it, or is it not worth the cost? or


is this dealer an idiot?


I have read about the TPMS having issues on some mini's in this forum, so when I saw that the light was on it got me to thinking...


Any input would be much appreciated. Trying to read through the various entries about the Clubman S to see what to look out for is a little daunting. Makes me wonder if a Clubman (or any mini for that matter) is worth it... I realize that online those with problems tend to be the most likely to make posts, etc. but so many reviews state in essence "only buy a Mini if you like to waste your money". Makes me more than a little nervous to be honest.


Appreciate your thoughts.

 

It is possible the wheels don't have TPMS installed in them. I bought winter tires/rims and had a tire shop put on the standard rubber valves with no TPMS. The warning light was on all winter. I think you can add it, the shop would have to take off the tire and replace the valve with TPMS, then put the tire back on. The dealer is 100% wrong if they are saying solely because the rims are aftermarket, then the TPMS doesn't work. The car has no idea if the rims are aftermarket or not!!

The 2007-2010 generation of S mini's are known to have more problematic engines (N14) but I didn't have any major issues with my 08 MCS. I did have the timing chain tensioner replaced, temp sensor replaced, and turbo oil line/oil filter housing gasket replaced but some I did myself to save labor. That being said if you're buying a used MINI you definitely need to know the maintenance history. MINIs are not happy with 15k oil change intervals as originally recommended by MINI. More like 5-7.5k, I don't let the car go more than 6k miles per oil change. If you can swing it, look at the 2011+ lineup, the refreshed Gen 2 has a more reliable engine and also more creature comforts if you need those.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

what sort of a 'dealer' is this?

Most reputable dealers will invest a few dollars to make a good prospect used car more sellable by resolving relatively minor issues. When I saw my traded in 07S on a used car lot it had acquired a new set of tires....

You can install TPMS sensors in virtually any aftermarket wheels now a days. If you like the car, tell him to fix the issue or ask for $500 credit.

http://www.outmotoring.com/mini-coop...nitor_set.html plus the $ to get 'em put in the wheels

*************
btw MINI shifted from the 'passive' monitoring system to 'active' sensors during the 07 model year.

 

Hi, I have an 08 MINI and one or more of the batteries in my TPMS sensors are probably dead. When I start the car the yellow low tire light in the speedo console blinks 5-6 times to show lack of connection to the TPMS monitor and then stays lit - this is likely what happened to yours, assuming there are TPMS sensors in the tires. I was told that the battery life has been running 5-8 years. A new set of four sensors runs $160-200.

 

Check the valve stems. If they are black rubber then the TPMS sensors have been removed. If the valve stems are metal then your car probably have TPMS sensors but they're not working properly or maybe the system needs to be reset, or maybe the tire pressure is actually low. I'd definitely start by looking at the valve stems and checking the actual tire pressures with a guage.

One thing to be aware of when purchasing TPMS sensors is that there was a TPMS frequency change for most of not all MINIs, for production dates of 09/2009 and later, and as such TPMS sensors are are not compatible between earlier and later models.

My 2009 Clubman's was produced in 2008 and the original TPMS sensors still work fine...

 

Make sure any tpms sensors are the right ones. I bought a set of winter wheels and tires (from the Mini dealer) that had the wrong sensors. They swapped them out, but it took three visits to the dealer to take care of it. Part of the problem was that my other set of tires were stored in my garage...so my car kept picking up the signals from them.

 

FLAME SUIT ON. I would not buy a 2008 , or any 2007-2010 S MINI , that motor is problems waiting to happen. Keep a 2-4K $ maint cash in bank. Especially if you can't fix the car yourself.

 

On my 2007 MCS, and I think maybe on the original Clubman (2008 model year) the TPMS sensors sensed wheel speed via the ABS system, not the actual pressure in the tires. I think the valve stems were rubber. So if a tire got low pressure its rotation speed was different from the others and the light went on, it didn't tell you which tire though, you had to figure that out. Sometime after that they changed to the newer TPMS sensors in the valve stems.

 

Early cars in the gen 2 were still using the wheel speed sensor then in ~2008 things changed.

All the info here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hout-tpms.html