Two weeks ago, the red scary LOW TIRE light came on in my '09 JCW Clubman. I checked the tire pressure, everything was hunky dory so I reset the monitor. But then, a day later, it came on again. Tires were still fine, but when I reset the light, it came on again about 25 minutes later. From them on, resetting it wouldn't even make the light go away for more than ten seconds.

So I took it to my dealer. In about 45 minutes they looked at it, concluded the tires were fine, did some mysterious "ultra" reset, and drove it around the block to confirm the light went off. So I went on my happy way.

Five days later, the same thing started happening again. I begin to wonder if I have a bad wheelspeed sensor or the monitoring system is bad. Take it to the dealer again (seven days after my first visit). The service guy says they checked the wheelspeed sensor and it was fine. His theory was that I was driving over "odd terrain" like flying off speed bumps and over huge gaps that was causing the wheels to spin briefly at different speeds and confuse the system. I didn't find that too plausible. That sounds like a random, independent cause. If it were true, wouldn't resetting the tire pressure light keep it off, I asked. He dismissed my theory and I went on my way.

Sure enough, two days later, the unblinking light of nagging doom is back staring at me. Anyone have a similar problem?

 

Looks like your Service Guy is confused. Wheelspeed sensor method of TPM was replaced in September 2007 with the Electronic Tire Pressure Monitor Sensors (those metal valve stems in your wheels).

My TPM warning will momentarily alarm, but it is usually when passing the same locations and I attributed it to stray RF in those locations.

 

I thought something sounded janky about his explanation... Maybe I need to go to a different dealer.

Thanks so much!

 

I had the same issue with my 535xi when I first got it. The system was so sensitive that a big change in temperature would set it off and it would constantly need to be reset. My dealer (quite exceptional by the way) reprogrammed the system and it hasn't been problematic since. It now only goes off for the typical tire change-over.

I have no idea if your situation could be similar, but thought I would mention it since they may have a similar design.

 

I had a problem with mine when I would travel about 1 mile the yellow lites would come on somtimes stay on somtimes go out. It was not a wheel sensor but the rear pick up sensor on the car. it was replaced and no more lites.

 

Missed this thread last week but do know that many people run their tires at an okay pressure but that pressure is low enough that a change of 15-20 degrees over night will make the sensors read an error. Read this post for all you ever wanted to know about the TPMS system in the 2008 and above MINI
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...80-post12.html

 

I really appreciate the link to the detailed info. on how temperature drop can affect the sensor. I experienced this for the first time this morning after our local temperature dropped to the low 30's from the high 50's.

 

Over the last 2 weeks as its been getting cold my sensors seems to go off all the time, mostly in the chilly AM. Ususally they reset fine, but yesterday AM they wouldnt. Eventually that afternoon they did. I called my SA and he said to slightly overinflate the tires (to 35 psi or so) when cold, and this will compensate for the big drop in pressure the tires experience as they cool off overnight.

But what vexes me is that I had no issues with this last winter, now, all of a sudden??

 

Try nitrogen in the tires. Because it does not have the moisture in it, the temperature change will not affect the pressure much at all.

 

Remember, folks, when there's a drop in temperature and you get the low tire pressure warning, that is not a faulty reading. Your tires pressures are lower than they should be. You should inflate your tires when they are cold, so that you won't get the low reading when they cool off.

"Cold" in this case means two different things: 1) they haven't been driven on (and thus warmed by driving), and 2) the outside temperature is at or near the lows it will be at during the season.