Question by Heather: What causes my MINI Cooper S Tire Pressure Monitor System to come up with a “low tire” warning light?
I have a 2009 MINI Cooper S (hardtop) with the standard size (16″?) run-flat, all season tires. The car is 2-3 months old. Tuesday (tomorrow) I’m driving 150 miles, and then an additional 360 miles on Wednesday.
I checked the tire pressures yesterday with my dad, they were about 30psi in front, 32 in back. The manual recommends 33 for my tires (I think, unsure), so these readings were just a little lower than the recommendation. we were going to fix their pressures today…
Then this morning I turned on the MINI and a “Low Tire” warning appeared on the tachometer, freaking me out. Dad said the tires looked normal, and since they are “run flat” tires I drove them to work.
Last night the temperature dropped ridiculously low (50-F), could this have caused the tire pressure to drop?
Or, is the MINI’s TPMS sensitive to even the slightest change in pressure? Like a regular tire pressure reading?
Best answer:
Answer by Richard S
They are designed to trigger at a 2 to 3 psi difference from recommended specifications. As far as a temperature drop effecting the pressure, you bet. As you drive, that pressure will increase due to road friction heating up the air in those tires. Your monitoring system can be a pain, but it was designed with good intentions
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This is Neil Bernard’s first instructional video and also his best. It was assigned to him as a project, but Neil took it as more than that. Neil worked vigorously to make his instructional video outstanding. It is enjoyable to watch and very informative. Nothing was rehearsed before taping, so all accidents are real. Make sure to take the proper safety precautions before changing tires and using tools. Neil Bernard hopes you gain knowledge from this video and hopes you enjoy his instructional video, “How To Change A Tire”.
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Tire pressure increases as the tire and/or outside temperature warms up. The warning simply means your tire pressures aren’t what the manufacturer deems correct. Tire pressure should be checked with tires cold or at least cool. Don’t panic, its not dangerous, just a warning.
tire pressure monitoring systems don’t go by what the car says the tire pressure should be
it just compares the tire pressure in all 4 tires and sometimes the spare
when the difference between them is more than like 5% it triggers the light so if you’re running 30 in front and 32 in back then you are close to triggering the light anyways
set all the tires the same it should fix the problem, and don’t go by what the car says the tire pressure should be
put in 2-3 pounds less than the maximum rating on the sidewall of the tire, you maximize the fuel mileage and unless you can see drastically faster wear in the centers of the tires, they normally wear out more evenly that way
OK people! There is a book in your glove box called an Owners Manual!
Please take a little time too read this important piece of literature!
If you have any questions after that(I don’t think you will) then “Ask”.
Pleeeeeeeeeese!