Tpms is driving me nuts

IS there a way to tell from I drive what tire has low pressure? It's cold here so I suspect they all might but I haven't had time to get out and check the old fashioned way.

You should check your pressures at least once a month. Period.

Do that (check them cold), and you won't have issues when the temps fluctuate due to seasons.

- Mike

Originally Posted by matzaman

IS there a way to tell from I drive what tire has low pressure? It's cold here so I suspect they all might but I haven't had time to get out and check the old fashioned way.

Please tell us all that this is a joke. You get in and out of your car EVERY day, right? How hard is it (REALLY) to bend over and take 0.0001 of a minute to simply unscrew the cap and check the pressures? OK, you have 4 WHOLE tires to check... Make that 1 whole minute...LOL

To answer your question, yes, I-Drive does tell you which tire needs attention. Once in the menu, tires in green are good, tires in amber need to be checked. The x5 is an amazing vehicle, I would advise you to take some time and aquaint yourself with her.

Originally Posted by CALLAWAY845

To answer your question, yes, I-Drive does tell you which tire needs attention. Once in the menu, tires in green are good, tires in amber need to be checked. The x5 is an amazing vehicle, I would advise you to take some time and aquaint yourself with her.

Not on the '12s manufactured after mid 2011.... Running engineering change. Totally lame, every other car I've owned told me actual pressure fore each individual tire.

Jay

I got mine in feb 2012. I noticed all 4 were amber, so I wasn't sure if it was by design that they just alert you to the warning or if they point out the exact issue. And while it only takes a few mins, when you're running out the door with little kids it's a bit harder to find those extra mins.

I assume you didn't have time to read the manual either?

But yes, TPMS telling actual pressure would be nice, though.

Just so everyone is on the same page, all tires on the idrive will show yellow or red even if just one is out of spec, there is no indication anymore at which tire is the low/flat one.

You need to carry a tire pressure gauge with you at all times, its a $5 investment (get the metal one) that is well worth it for every vehicle you have.

Jay

Originally Posted by jashearer

Just so everyone is on the same page, all tires on the idrive will show yellow or red even if just one is out of spec, there is no indication anymore at which tire is the low/flat one.

You need to carry a tire pressure gauge with you at all times, its a $5 investment (get the metal one) that is well worth it for every vehicle you have.

Jay

Is that for real? My 2010 535i TPMS shows which tire is low on pressure and my 2013 x5 doesn't ??

Yes, try it

Originally Posted by jashearer

Yes, try it

Wow, stuff like that really makes you wonder wtf BMW is doing... and look at the competition with more interest.

Wow that is just sad. I wonder if its because the X5 computer system is still using the older version?? Again my older 2010 535i which I got over 3 years ago showed individual tire pressure problems highlighting the tire image with yellow. And my newer 2013 X5 I got about 7 months ago is still using older technology. Sad. Very sad...

I have a feeling that we're going to see lots of threads about this since winter is starting, and I think BMWNA is going to take a lot of slack for thier change.

Note that before mid-year 2011 the X5 did pinpoint which tire was low/flat...

I started a thread of this last winter/spring if you want to dig up the details.

Jay

Yeah during cold weather pressure in the tires drop and my TPMS would indicate which tire it was. Now I have to check all 4. Lame...

The individual yellow/green readings went away with a recent software update. If you have a 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011 and your software has not been updated in years, iDrive will tell you which tire is low. If you have a late 2011, 2012 or 2013, that functionality is gone.

My early 2011 had it, but it went away when my software was updated for drivability. Such is "progress".

Originally Posted by quackbury

The individual yellow/green readings went away with a recent software update. If you have a 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011 and your software has not been updated in years, iDrive will tell you which tire is low. If you have a late 2011, 2012 or 2013, that functionality is gone.

My early 2011 had it, but it went away when my software was updated for drivability. Such is "progress".

My experience would support this, at least on the older model years.

I have a MY 2010 (Oct/Nov 2009 Build, just can't remember month) and as a result of diesel emissions recalls, etc., pretty up-to-date SW (just this past Summer) and I still get individual tire low messages if I've got a tire low at start-up and iDrive will show just one wheel as being amber in the TPMS status within Vehicle Status. So, the MY 2010 seems to be maintaining the old way of doing it.

Amazed they'd have moved to less functionality in the newer models. I'd have expected more, like actual PSIs!

I think I am going to let air out of one of my tires just to check (2012, but a Nov 2011 delivery).

- Mike

Mike, mine was a Dec mfg date '12 i'd be willing to bet the farm you'll see the same.

My wife called me the first time it went off and I guided her through the menu from memory and when she told me all of them were red I assumed she must have driven over a spike strip after robbing a bank....

I loaded up a compressor in the truck and drove over to swap her vehicles, confirmed she wasnt nuts and called BMWNA immediately to figure out how my 2000 corvette, my 2004 cts-v and my 2006 escalade could all tell me exact tire pressures for each tire and my 2012 X5 couldn't even tell me which tire was setting off the alarm.

They informed me it was a "running mfg change due to parts shortages" and there was nothing "wrong" with it. I refilled the low tire, drove it straight to the dealership and asked them to work with BMWNA to figure out how I could get the old "part" installed, they worked with BMWNA but were told it wasn't a shortage and that this was the way the car is now designed... lame-o

Tey gave me a print off of the "running mfg change" but I have no idea where I put it...

Jay

Well, I certainly learned today. I broke out my trust checker and all 4 tires were low. I mean 40% low. I was kinda surprised it waited this long for the alert. How do these things work anyway? With run flats you'd have no idea by looking at them.

Originally Posted by matzaman

Well, I certainly learned today. I broke out my trust checker and all 4 tires were low. I mean 40% low. I was kinda surprised it waited this long for the alert. How do these things work anyway? With run flats you'd have no idea by looking at them.

It is IMPOSSIBLE to judge a zero-pressure (RFT) tire's inflation status with your eyes. Even I am fooled (and some call me a tire expert).

- Mike

Originally Posted by quackbury

The individual yellow/green readings went away with a recent software update. If you have a 2008, 2009, 2010 or 2011 and your software has not been updated in years, iDrive will tell you which tire is low. If you have a late 2011, 2012 or 2013, that functionality is gone.

My early 2011 had it, but it went away when my software was updated for drivability. Such is "progress".

Now that is absolutely dumb. If Honda can give its dumb owners individual PSI readouts, I expect BMW to also.

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Now that is absolutely dumb. If Honda can give its dumb owners individual PSI readouts, I expect BMW to also.

... and if Nissan gives its keyless entry/ignition as standard equipment on $18,000 cars, why does BMW make it optional on $70,000 X5s?

- Mike

Originally Posted by Emission

... and if Nissan gives its keyless entry/ignition as standard equipment on $18,000 cars, why does BMW make it optional on $70,000 X5s?

- Mike

Haha, I've ranted about this before.

On the topic of TPMS, Nissan has this awesome tire fill feature, which is fantastic

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/24/n...ire-inflation/

Originally Posted by AutoUnion

Haha, I've ranted about this before.

On the topic of TPMS, Nissan has this awesome tire fill feature, which is fantastic

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/05/24/n...ire-inflation/

Yes, I saw it many months ago at a preview. Quite slick. However, I still don't see owners bending over and touching valve stems very often. Most 'consumers' I speak with (and I use that derogatory term to mean anyone who doesn't visit an enthusiast forum like Bimmerfest) still considers an amber TPS light a broken sensor. My sister has a broken sensor, my brother-in-law has a broken sensor and my father-in-law has a broken sensor... when they are all simply down a few pounds in one or more tires.

- Mike

Originally Posted by smyles

Wow, stuff like that really makes you wonder wtf BMW is doing... and look at the competition with more interest.

They are catering to the customers who are willing to give flippant answers like:

"Please tell us all that this is a joke. You get in and out of your car EVERY day, right? How hard is it (REALLY) to bend over and take 0.0001 of a minute to simply unscrew the cap and check the pressures? OK, you have 4 WHOLE tires to check... Make that 1 whole minute...LOL"

Instead of asking why they don't improve certain functions/features (or seemingly go backwards?). I love my BMW's, but I would not defend all things BMW, it's just a car and a company.