I just picked up my 2005 MCS yesterday. It has 17" S-Lites. The door sticker says 38psi. Is that accurate? Is there a consensus on a different pressure?

Also, I will be getting a 16" winter tire setup next week. What is the recommended pressure for 16" steel/alloy rims with 195/55R16 tires?

And finally, is there any reason I cannot run a 15" winter setup on an S?


Thanks for your help

 

For tire pressure the Door jam panel states the recommended pressures for two vs four people in your car. Slightly lower pressures for two people about 32 to 35 psi is fine and for four people you can use about 37 to 38 psi no matter which tire you choose and even if it is for summer vs winter driving.

Remember in the winter if the temperature drops alot then tire pressures will go down about 1-2 psi for every 10 degrees temperature change in the tire. So if you check your tires at noon don't expect the same pressure in them at 6am after sitting in the cold. If you check tire pressure early in the morning, don't worry that the tire pressures are a bit high at noon from sitting in the direct sun. The tire pressure is for cold readings- I use about 37 psi for daily use.

All MINIs can run 15" to 17" wheels and tires no problem. As long as there is clearance for the tire itself and the rim is not overly wide (more than 9") and has enough offset (how far the rim sticks out from the car) it should be ok.

I have an MCS and use three sets of 15" wheels and about to add another set of 15x8" rims.

 

What is the pressure supposed to be for 205/45R17 runflats? I just checked, and I'm getting 24psi. That seems really low.

 

yeah, thats too low, 35 for comfort, 38-39 for performance driving or heavily loaded down

 

Tire size and tire type does not matter. It is based on the MINI and what the load in the car is. For you, 37 psi is OK.

Make sure that you tire pressure gauge is accurate, some are not.

24 psi is way too low. Minimum 32 psi.

38-39 psi is not required for performance driving, depends on your load and road conditions.

If you are driving alone or with one person then 35 psi is fine. If you are making only left hand turns at high speeds on the track then depending on wear on your tires (usually outer edge or right front tire) you can adjust pressure in the right front and increase pressure a little about 2-3 psi.

Most of the time you should have tire pressure the same for front and rears.