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I would think the sensors in the spare would work provided all of them are still operational, i.e. they have good batteries. If you know anyone with a TPMS tool see if they can get a reading from them. My guess is either a weak or dead battery in one or more of them.
For what it's worth, all four of the OEM TPM sensors were working fine before I began this phase of the project. I only changed them out so I could get the functionality offered by the app in my aftermarket head unit. That works great - having both pressure and temperature displayed on the screen in a very straightforward layout is a big step up from the OEM TPMS alert light that all MINIs have. Interestingly enough, before I replaced all of my brake rotors and pads, I knew that the left rear pads were not retracting fully, and that wheel got noticeably hotter after a drive, which I had verified with an infrared temp sensor. That heat was displayed on the TPMS app screen as well - a dramatic difference in both temp and pressure that was due to the left rear brake pads still exerting some frictional force on the rotor.
Also of note was the difference in MPG after I changed out all the brake pads and rotors. It was painfully obvious that the dragging left rear brake pads were eating up fuel as well.
I think the reason your old sensors in the spare will not register with the system is they are not activating inside the spare. For a normal relearn procedure you have to be moving for the sensors to activate so the receiver can read them and register them. If you know anyone with a TPMS tool that can activate them then try a relearn process, I think it might register that way.
I had thought of that when I first ran into this issue, but I think the "inactive" symbol is separate from the normal TPMS activation sequence. I think the TPMS controller (which in the Coupe is mounted inside the rear bumper) is where the problem lay. I think this unit is dead:
Did you have the TPMS issue prior to the new sensors? Other than swapping out the controller, I don't know how to troubleshoot that. Pelican Parts has two of them in stock at $102.75.
Did you have the TPMS issue prior to the new sensors? Other than swapping out the controller, I don't know how to troubleshoot that. Pelican Parts has two of them in stock at $102.75.
Thanks for tip re: sourcing a replacement part. I did not have any TPMS issues prior to swapping out the OEM sensors with the new set. What prompted the swap was the fact that my original sensors were over nine years old, meaning that the batteries in the original sensors were nearing the end of their lifespan.
Well, my brake job just got pushed forward. I was planning on doing it around SEP/OCT till yesterday, I got a brake warning light with 5E5A: Brake pad front placement error and 5E5C: Worn brake pad front. Looks like it will be either several evenings this week or next weekend.
I knew the fronts were wearing but nothing like steel on steel yet.
Well, my brake job just got pushed forward. I was planning on doing it around SEP/OCT till yesterday, I got a brake warning light with 5E5A: Brake pad front placement error and 5E5C: Worn brake pad front. Looks like it will be either several evenings this week or next weekend.
Well, the good news is that it's a fairly straightforward job, no special tools needed for the front calipers. The piston can be pushed back before you remove anything else by simply wedging a screwdriver between the inboard pad and the rotor and applying gentle force. Aside from the wheel itself, nothing else needs to be removed before compressing the piston. The hardest part about the job will likely be removing the big countersunk set screw that holds each rotor in pace after the wheel lugs are removed. Two recommendations there - buy or rent a Hand Impact Driver tool, along with the requisite impact-rated Torx T50 bit. Soak those set screws in penetrating oil (overnight if possible) before you start waling away on them with the impact driver tool. I'd recommend using a hand sledge instead of a hammer at the heaviest weight your hands and wrists can comfortably manage.
I have done many brakes jobs in the past. The one thing your post told me was how the rear caliper is compressed.
Thankfully, between what I have and what my brother has I was in need of no special tools. He has a brake caliper tool kit that made the rears too easy. Only thing that threw me for a little loop was the brake pad wear sensor. The rear came out and went back in fine, the front not so much. It busted a piece of the sensor and now I cannot clear the code it is causing and because of that, I cannot reset the brake service warning. I have ordered (from ECS) new front and rear and will replace both next week sometime. I also ordered a new hood emblem as mine has no black remaining just a chrome wing with chrome MINI inside. When I replace it, I plan on refurbishing the old one with baked on acrylic paint for future use if it turns out decent.
I painted my calipers while I was at it as well. I found a VHT paint that is a similar blue to my Coupe.
I was going to install my mud flaps that I bought for it but, I do not like the fasteners that came with them. I know how I want to install them but need to buy some hardware so that when they are on, they stay there.
I have a few more body paint stone chips to touch up and I will be ready to buff it all out and do a good glaze/wax. That will most likely take place next week also.
I received my aftermarket TPMS system today. Reading the instructions on how to pair a new sensor it states you must deflate/inflate the tire within a 2 minute window. This is the way Chevy's old system was when you rotated tires. In the Drivers Information Center (DIC) you could reset your TPMS sensors and positions. If I remember correctly on the Chevy it started on one of the front tires and ran clockwise.
In the App it asks you which tire sensor you are pairing, so you select LF for instance then deflate/inflate the tire. I am going to try it with my stock Mini sensors perhaps this evening or tomorrow evening. If it works, GREAT, if not I guess I have a trailer TPMS system. It works with either internal or external sensors. It came with the valve stem caps but I hate those oversized suckers. I will pickup some more Autel MX sensors and program them to the system.
I tried the relearn process and couldn't get it to recognize the Mini OEM sensors. I don't think the aftermarket TPMS app truly has a "relearn". I have installed 3 other TPMS apps and all of them have the same HEX identifier for the 4 sensors. I might see if I can dig into the app and manually change the HEX numbers to the same numbers as my Coupe. If that doesn't work, I have a couple other things to try but, I need to get one of my Autel MX-sensors in a tire to test the other options.
Still unsuccessful in getting rid of the "Inactive" warning, which disappears within half a minute or so after startup. I did put all the old sensors inside the spare tire, hoping to get rid of this, but that didn't work. Any advice would be welcome.
SOLVED. I am rid of the "Inactive" TPMS warning light. It was a two-step process:
Step 1. Disconnect and/or remove the TPM Sensor Control Module, which in the Coupe is mounted in the rear bumper. That required partially removing the rear bumper cover. The whole cover did not need to come off, just loosening the fasteners on the left side of the bumper cover and under the hatch lid gave more than enough room to unplug the unit. I elected to physically remove the controller, just to keep the contacts clean in case I ever needed it. It just pops out of its mount point on the bumper shock foam:
TPM Sensor Control Module mounted in rear bumper shock foam
Step 2: Use ProTool from BimmerGeeks (https://www.bimmergeeks.net). Along with a host of other tools for BMWs and MINIs, ProTool provides an easy and quick method to implement the TPMS Delete function. Works with BimmerGeek's proprietary OBD module over Bluetooth, or with their K+DCAN direct-connect OBD-to-USB cable to an Android phone or tablet. An inexpensive Fire tablet also works well (that's what I used) so long as the Fire device is adapted to use Google Play. There a good YouTube video of how this is done with ProTool, here:
I've not used ProTool. I have BimmerLink/BimmerCode and I have dabbled with NCS Expert.
The other thing is I would like to have both the Mini and aftermarket TPMS. Right now, my Android head unit is having issues so I would have to use my phone for the aftermarket TPMS. I have to tear the dash apart and make sure a cable didn't come disconnected. The screen is blank but the idiot lights and fuel gauge still work fine. Fuse is good, manufacturer recommended checking the connections on the back.
I am going to pick up my extra set of rims that I purchased from a NAM member 29-30 July. He was out by DC and my Brother lives out there so he got them for me. Gonna visit him, get the rims, drink some home made beer and then drive back home (not immediately after drinking but on Sunday. ;-)
Once I get them home, I am making the 4 best rims my summer rims and 4 worst winter. I have new Autel sensors for all 8. Once installed, I can do some more testing to see if I can get both working at the same time.
I did get my mud flaps installed, they do help reduce the splatter on the side of the car.
I picked up my rims and cleaned them up good. Two are in great shape! One of the other had a big round chip out of the rim about 1/4" diameter. I am in the process of doing touchup to it. Once done, it will not be noticeable. The other rim had work done on it previously. You could tell someone spray painted it as there were runs in the paint. The bad thing is the overspray on the inside of the rim held brake dust like a magnet. The only way I could get it off was with steel wool. I then hand sanded with 3000 grit then 5000 then used Griot's complete polishing compound to get the gloss back. Worked out alright. Those two will be two of my winter rims along with the two on my car that have curb rash.
Next two projects on my list are an aftermarket intercooler and then tinkering with the exhaust to get the sound I want.
Time for a substantial performance-related change. The OEM 15" wheels and tires were replaced with 16" Enkei Performance Compe wheels shod with Firestone Indy 500 195/55-16 summer tires. For appearance, I wanted to re-create the classic "banana spoke" wheel profile that MINIs were known for way back in the day - when Enkei came out with their version of this style I was sold. Initial impression is that this tire/wheel combination handles very differently from the 175/65-15 Continental True Contact all-season tires they are replacing when the weather gets warmer. The stiffer sidewalls on the lower profile Firestones, along with the softer rubber composition and tread pattern, yields a significantly harsher ride while giving tighter response while driving - no mistaking the markedly different "feel" with enthusiastic driving. I'm pleased with the result:
I put these on just long enough to get the tires scrubbed and bedded in and set the TPM sensors. As the Firestones are not rated for cold weather, they went back into storage and the much more compliant Continental all-season tires and OEM wheels are back on the Coupe, at least until springtime.
Two thumbs way up for your rim choice. The Enkie's look great on there. I ran a set of Rota RB's on a previous Mini. Those were 17 x 7.5 and substantially heavier. I would think your combination would be just about perfect. Small and light enough not to hurt performance but large enough for a nice increase in handling performance.
I purchased 4 rims identical to my stock. I am taking the 4 best and going to make them my summer tires, 4 not so good as winter.
I want Blizzaks for the winter but no one has them in stock. I am considering the Firehawk Indy 500's for the summer. I would really like some Continentals but they do not make the size I need 195/55 R16.
I have a full day of stuff to do on my mini. I still haven't added my after market intercooler, I have some grill replacement parts and some sensors (vanos and cam position) to replace. Hard finding the time right now
Time for some preventive maintenance work, with some enhancements. The Coupe was due for a brake fluid change, but I thought I'd add a bit more to that task by changing out the calipers and replacing the brake lines. Calipers were red-painted OEM units rebuilt by PowerStop with new seals and pins. Calipers and red-jacketed stainless steel brake lines were all supplied through ECS Tuning, along with new brake pad wear sensor cables and new ABS speed sensor cables. Everything came together without a hitch, with no leaks and great pedal feel.
Front caliper, with steel brake line
Rear caliper
Bilitools vacuum bleed unit
Total brake fluid extracted, did not cycle the ABS pump
After this winter, I realized I need to flush/replace my brake fluid. I was up in Wisconsin in February and my clutch pedal wasn't coming back up right. It was like -20 degrees so yes condensation in the fluid. It is another on my to do list.
The good news with this procedure is that none of the three methods (pressure/vacuum/pedal pump) folks use to bleed/flush/fill brake and clutch hydraulic lines are difficult to do. All three methods get the job done without too much fuss. I personally like the vacuum method to purge all air and pull in new fluid, but the only significant complication there is that it requires a fairly robust air compressor to provide enough air volume at pressure to pull a vacuum on the system. Small pancake compressors don't have enough capacity, the itty-bitty air tank will run out of air fairly quickly and kill the venturi effect that creates the vacuum.
If all you need to do is crack open the bleed valve to see if any air is present inside the calipers, then the little handheld vacuum bleeder tools will do the job. But if you need to purge your entire hydraulic system of old brake fluid and replace with fresh, then most human hands are just not strong enough to get 'er done.
While changing my oil and putting on my summer tires, I noticed coolant coming from the lower hose area on the radiator. After pulling the lower hose off the connector, it looks like I've a small crack on the radiator side of the hose connection. So after ordering new parts (radiator, hose, misc. gear) I'm in the process of removing/disconnecting everything that is in the way. The BMW/MINI repair guide is a big help - https://bmwrepairguide.com/
While I'm in there I'll replace the thermostat as well:
More after I get this done. Now just waiting for the parts to arrive.
Time to document this year's spring project. This thread is NOT a step-by-step process on how to do this work, the following is only provided as general information of what I accomplished, with some photos.
As I mentioned earlier, I originally set out to do just an oil change and swap in the summer tires. But in the process of removing the skid plate and draining the pan, I noticed an antifreeze leak at the bottom of the radiator by the lower hose outlet.
Antifreeze under radiator, near outlet
Time to investigate. Unclamped the radiator hose, drained the coolant, but I didn't see anything obvious. The hose itself, while original, still looked good. The only thing left was to order a new radiator and lower hose; regardless of what I found those two new parts would certainly fix whatever was leaking from that area. Removing the radiator required removing the front wheels, both fender liners, the grill, and bumper.
New radiator installed
Installing the new radiator was a cinch once the space was open, but then as I was looking at all that room I thought I might as well change out the thermostat. That changed the simple repair into a much bigger project.
Ordered the new thermostat, and while checking out what was required to install the part I started reading about what else would be required to complete that process. Then I learned about the infamous crossover water pipe that connected the water pump to the thermostat. I discovered that this relatively flimsy pipe had a reputation for falling apart while disconnecting the thermostat. So I decided to order a new crossover water pipe.
Thermostat housing, interferences removed, hoses still installed.
Folks had commented at length about this stupid design and flimsy plastic pipe, but also about how much of a pain it was to install the pipe and thermostat without having to disassemble the back side of the engine. So I decided that the smart move here would be to install the new crossover pipe after removing the intake manifold, opening up that space so as to have a clear view of work space.
OEM plastic crossover water pipe in its installed location, disconnected from the thermostat housing. Water pump location on the right side of the pipe.
Removing the intake manifold would also require new gaskets for the manifold, the throttle body, and o-rings for each fuel injector. But then heck, I might as well replace the fuel injectors while I had them out anyway. Doing all that work also required disconnecting the wire harness connecting the two VANOS modules, the oil pressure sensor, coolant temp sensor, each ignition coil, each fuel injector, and a collection of other sensors and connectors around the engine.
Wiring harness disconnected, not yet pulled aside to reveal thermostat
Pulling the fuel injectors out was not easy, took some patient pulling and gentle leverage to get them to pop out. As I was going to put in new injectors I was not too worried about damaging the injectors and the o-rings, but I was very careful about not stressing or cracking the fuel rail that comes out with all the injectors still attached. Another strange design.
The hardest part about removing the intake manifold was dealing with the PCV hose connecting the top of the valve cover to the vent connector underneath the manifold. This hose looks like a flexible hose, but it isn't, and it shattered as I was trying to manipulate it away to gain access to the outermost manifold bolt. So I ordered a new PCV hose. I experimented with substituting a 19 mm (¾") fuel-tolerant Gates hose to the original connectors, but the bends were too tight and the ID of the hose would crimp closed. Coming up with an aftermarket substitute for this appalling design would be a business opportunity for someone with an enterprising bent (pun intended):
PCV "Breather Hose" connectors needed. Note the oily residue inside the lower hose connector (top) with its sensor connector.
The bottom connector goes to the PCV valve in the valve cover.
I read that the PCV valve is integral to the plastic valve cover - MINI calls it a "non user-serviceable part" and replacing it properly requires replacing the entire valve cover. Yet another stupid engineering decision, common to both MINI and Peugeot/Citroën that share the same "Prince" engine type. But in for a penny, in for a pound - I shopped around and saw that ECS sells an aluminum valve cover, pricy but certainly more desirable (to me, anyway) than the plastic valve cover. And it was painted red, that certainly would look good in my MINI's engine bay, I thought. And it came with a new gasket as well.
Back to the intake manifold - after discovering the hidden sixth bolt underneath the manifold and then disconnecting another vent hose and several wire harness clips, I was able to completely remove the intake manifold.
Intake manifold, replacing the gaskets. Lots of oil residue in the manifold.
What was revealed then was a revelation. First, the plastic crossover water pipe was now easily removed from both the thermostat and the water pump. The pipe survived the removal intact - I could likely have gotten away with simply reinstalling the old crossover pipe to the new thermostat housing, but I would have needed to replace to distorted o-rings at either end. Now I understood the thinking behind how that pipe maintained watertight integrity; when the thermostat housing is fully seated and bolted in, it compresses both male connector ends of the water pipe into the female recesses of the thermostat housing and the water pipe. That is all that holds that pipe in place, no bolts on either connection. But I was much more convinced of the strength of this connection when I replaced the plastic pipe with the metal water pipe (also from ECS). It felt strong enough to where it could likely be used to lift the entire engine.
OEM Crossover Water Pipe removed. Water pump outlet on the right, starter motor at bottom center. The bracket sticking out from the engine block and just left of the
water pump impeller outlet is where the mystery bolt on the bottom of the intake manifold connects.
New metal water pipe installed, a very high quality pipe, nicely finished, that nobody will ever see, unfortunately.
Thermostat housing connection point to the pipe is on the left, water pump connection point on the right.
Now with manifold removed I decided to take a look at the intake valves with an inspection camera. Some good news there, as the valves themselves had very little to no carbon buildup on the backsides of the valves and the stems. There was an even coating of carbon buildup in the intake ports upstream of the valves, but even then it wasn't too bad. I had done this inspection on my VW turbo motor in my Passat a few years earlier, and with approximately the same mileage (85K) the Passat motor was crammed full of carbon buildup in the intakes and the valves, and I had send it out for a walnut blast cleanup. Both the MINI and the VW engines were direct injection designs, and the VW was turbocharged while the MINI was not. The VW got a catch can after that to separate oil mist out before the crankcase venilation sent the fumes out to the intake for burning, but I didn't see the need for that in the MINI's normally aspirated engine.
Clean valve and stem, some loose carbonized deposit knocked loose by the camera.
Relatively clean intake plenum
So everything got reassembled, all bolts and connectors were reinstalled, new gaskets and o-rings at every seal, with new ignition coils and spark plugs, and I replaced both VANOS modules while I was at it.
Intake VANOS module, some gritty dirt on the screens. The N16 engine has two of these, intake and exhaust. Both were replaced.
One happy outcome - I had no leftover bolts or nuts after reassembly, all the fiddly bits went back in the proper place. I then did a vacuum test on the cooling system, which held a vacuum for several minutes, and then with all the air out of the system I did a vacuum fill to ensure no air was trapped in the engine or the heater core. Ran up the engine to normal operating temperature and pressure; no leaks, and temps running between 200-225º F. After three road tests of a total of 100 miles everything is looking good!
I still haven't found out anything on my car yet (See Bummer of a day thread). I called the Sheriff's office today since my insurance company still hadn't received the report. I asked if the other driver had insurance and they said none was filled in with their info, so, it might be out of my pocket.
06-29-2022, 06:40 PM
