|
|
|
2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 No tire pressure warning even at 15psi |
|
Post Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
11-09-2011, 12:46 PM | #1 |
New Member
5
Rep 11
Posts |
No tire pressure warning even at 15psi
My F10 doesn't alert me even when one of the tire's pressure goes down to 15 psi.
My car (in India) has the ABS based simple flat tire monitor. Runs on 225/50 R17 RFTs set at 30 psi. One of the tires is having a slow leak and the TPMS did not alert at 15psi. I filled up all tires to 30 psi, reset the TMPS through iDrive. After few days the pressure is down to 20psi but still no TPMS alert. Dealer says this is not uncommon due to a stiff side wall of the RFTs and he says for some cars TPMS is alerting only when the tire is flat - but he is willing to diagnose the problem if I bring the car over to the workshop. In my previous VW cars, pressure loss warning was pretty reliable and was quite useful. Is there anything I can do to get the right diagnosis? It is a new car with 5000 km on odo, ABS works great Thanks. |
11-09-2011, 12:51 PM | #2 | |
NHTSA Nazi
28
Rep 1,983
Posts |
Quote:
Your dealer is correct that FTM may not indicate a problem with RFTs - one reason that the direct TPMS was mandated in the US. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-09-2011, 08:07 PM | #3 | |
New Member
5
Rep 11
Posts |
Quote:
Are you sure that FTM won't detect a drop from 30psi to 15psi - even when driven at 100 kmph? Hmmm.. that is a bummer for a bimmer, considering the cost of RFTs! |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-09-2011, 09:06 PM | #4 | |
NHTSA Nazi
28
Rep 1,983
Posts |
Quote:
Since RFT sidewalls keep the rolling diameter of an underinflated tire similar to the other tires, then the FTM has a hard time detecting the pressure loss. That said, it should detect the fairly high pressure loss you described but the system may not have been set up properly initially. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-10-2011, 02:13 AM | #5 |
First Lieutenant
9
Rep 343
Posts |
On the E60 the FTM only picks up a flat tire for RFT (meaning RFT with 0 psi) because as ceb said the RFT sidewall is stiff and it will create a problem for the FTM to pick up the slight difference of tire pressure as presented in a slow leaked situation.
I know because the comp prompt me about a flat on my RFT then I take it into the shop and they say no air inside the tire. Couldn't say is a design flaw as RFT tires are design to "Run flat" and you are not suppose to plug your tire on a RFT. The best solution is get rid of the RFT then the FTM will pick up a slow leak.
__________________
2011 F10 - Sophisto Grey / Cinnamon Brown
You can find me in E60.net too! Gone (but not forgotten) 2005 E60 523i, 1999 E39 523i, 1998 E46 323i |
Appreciate
0
|
11-10-2011, 09:08 AM | #6 | |
NHTSA Nazi
28
Rep 1,983
Posts |
Quote:
The OP wil need to replace the tire as he has driven on it with extremely low pressure - however - an owner with TPMS gets an alert, tests the pressure and sees 25psi. The owner pumps it up to the proper pressure and drives to a tire shop where a nail is found and the tire patched. Most BMW dealers won't patch a tire because they don't know how long the tire was used with low pressure (or how low the pressure actually got) but most tire places will. It is perfectly safe to do assuming you know that the tire was never driven severely low. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-10-2011, 07:38 PM | #7 | |
First Lieutenant
9
Rep 343
Posts |
Quote:
You are absolutely right in the sense that it is ok to patch a RFT given it have not been driven a long time with no air pressure but the problem is this is a personal judgement of the driver as you can't really see the state of the RFT, but I rarely drives in autobahn speed so no harm in patching it. Most BMW dealer or service center will not patch the tire because of liability issues as they don't want someone suing them after they got into an accident, so they just recommend you to change it and if the tire fail, they can always sue the tire company For those who don't have the luxury of a government mandated TPMS, just ditch the run flats if you don't need it, is so convenient for us to call a tow truck and they wouldn't charge you an arm and a leg for towing it to the nearest tire shop.
__________________
2011 F10 - Sophisto Grey / Cinnamon Brown
You can find me in E60.net too! Gone (but not forgotten) 2005 E60 523i, 1999 E39 523i, 1998 E46 323i |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-12-2011, 09:05 AM | #8 |
New Member
5
Rep 11
Posts |
It turned out to be a small nail (1mm dia) thats why the leakage was very slow. The tire barely has run 5K km, since I don't know for how long the car was riding on this leaking tire (this car sits at home more than 50% of the week), I decided to take a chance and got it repaired with a plug.
It was a mistake to trust the flat tire monitor to report any pressure loss. The same system works great in my non-RFT VW car. I plan to get an after-market TPMS fitted (Orange or Hella TPMS). What was BMW thinking by giving this lame system on cars equipped with RFTs - it is simply useless and gives a false sense of security. |
Appreciate
0
|
11-14-2011, 04:25 AM | #9 | |
First Lieutenant
9
Rep 343
Posts |
Quote:
I think the VW sensor will not pick up a slow leak on vehicle equipped with RFT unless it is fitted with a TPMS. So again is not a design flaw, the FTM does it job by letting you know when there's a flat tire. When you hear the warning, you are suppose to drive slowly (80km/h or below) to get the tire change. So I don't think you will be put in great danger by the system. I would just ditch the RFT and go with non RFT and a mobility kit.
__________________
2011 F10 - Sophisto Grey / Cinnamon Brown
You can find me in E60.net too! Gone (but not forgotten) 2005 E60 523i, 1999 E39 523i, 1998 E46 323i |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-15-2011, 09:25 AM | #10 | |
New Member
5
Rep 11
Posts |
Quote:
Ideally BMW should have thought about it. They should have either given TPMS (direct one) when they made RFTs mandatory here - or given the option of having tubeless tires with FTM (flat tire monitor). I agree the worst-case (flat tire) is addressed. But all my life I have only dealt with slow-leaking tires and never really a sudden flat tire. Last edited by androdev; 11-15-2011 at 10:19 AM.. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
11-16-2011, 01:42 AM | #11 | |
First Lieutenant
9
Rep 343
Posts |
Quote:
But you can afford a BMW in India mean you shouldn't be worry about the cost of replaceing RFTs
__________________
2011 F10 - Sophisto Grey / Cinnamon Brown
You can find me in E60.net too! Gone (but not forgotten) 2005 E60 523i, 1999 E39 523i, 1998 E46 323i |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-02-2011, 11:52 AM | #12 | |
Private First Class
7
Rep 104
Posts |
Quote:
Why don't you buy some BMW TPMS sensors and get your dealer to activate the TPMS monitoring that your car should already be capable of.
__________________
08 BMW K1200S / 2002 330ci Sport (sold) / 1989 635csi (sold) 07.5 GMC Sierra 2500HD Duramax LMM 09 Honda Odyssey EX-L '75 Ford - Early Bronco |
|
Appreciate
0
|
12-26-2011, 08:53 PM | #13 |
New Member
5
Rep 11
Posts |
How to find if my car has the ability to work with BMW TPMS sensors - as in, I am not sure the car is pre-wired with receivers and control modules, etc?
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|