[Dave53]

2007 328i. The dash says the tire pressure system broken. I forget the exact wording - "inactive" I think. The car is 10 years old, so I suspect the battery in one (or more) sensor is dying. Is there a way to tell which wheel?

I need new front tires soon and of course will have new pressure sensors installed. And if the failure is in one of those 2 wheels, it's fixed. The rear tires are good. But if the failure is in the rear wheels, I will have new sensors installed when the fronts tires are replaced. But if it's not the rears that are failing, I will wait until I get new rear tires. So...I need to know where the failure is.

[tadaska]

I didn't think they had tyre pressure sensors. I believe it's done by keeping count of the wheel rotations and when it goes up the computer assumes you got low tyre pressure. But I'm sure some one will come along and prove me wrong

[robthewrench]

Here in the US, you have tire pressure sensors, as mandated by the government. The ABS based system is used in other countries.

None of the dashboard tools will tell you which sensor has failed. The easiest way to find out is to ask a tire shop to use their handheld sensor tool. They will position it by each wheel and this tool will tell them if the sensor in the wheel is transmitting. The tool works across nearly all frequencies and protocols.

[slupie]

Originally Posted by robthewrench

Here in the US, you have tire pressure sensors, as mandated by the government. The ABS based system is used in other countries.

None of the dashboard tools will tell you which sensor has failed. The easiest way to find out is to ask a tire shop to use their handheld sensor tool. They will position it by each wheel and this tool will tell them if the sensor in the wheel is transmitting. The tool works across nearly all frequencies and protocols.

Not in 2007 production cars, 06 and 07 use ABS sensors to monitor the wheel speed, if it differs from the other 3 then it illuminates the low pressure light on the dash. If all 4 are low approximately the same amount then you get no light. I had 06 E90 (04/05 production) and now I have 07 E91 (06/06 production) and neither had/have TPMS sensors in the wheels but have the Low pressure on the dash that illuminates.

TPMS Sensors started in 08 MY or possibly after 03/07 production.

[falconey]

Originally Posted by slupie

Not in 2007 production cars, 06 and 07 use ABS sensors to monitor the wheel speed, if it differs from the other 3 then it illuminates the low pressure light on the dash. If all 4 are low approximately the same amount then you get no light. I had 06 E90 (04/05 production) and now I have 07 E91 (06/06 production) and neither had/have TPMS sensors in the wheels but have the Low pressure on the dash that illuminates.

TPMS Sensors started in 08 MY or possibly after 03/07 production.

I have TPMS on an 07 e90; build date 9/06.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

If you have iDrive, it will say "TPM" for TPMS, or "FTM" for flat tire monitor. If you don't, you'll need to check your valve stems or call a dealership to confirm. Metal valve stems with a nut usually indicate TPMS.

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by Dave53

2007 328i. The dash says the tire pressure system broken. I forget the exact wording - "inactive" I think. The car is 10 years old, so I suspect the battery in one (or more) sensor is dying. Is there a way to tell which wheel?

I need new front tires soon and of course will have new pressure sensors installed. And if the failure is in one of those 2 wheels, it's fixed. The rear tires are good. But if the failure is in the rear wheels, I will have new sensors installed when the fronts tires are replaced. But if it's not the rears that are failing, I will wait until I get new rear tires. So...I need to know where the failure is.

Some tire shops have this tool..



It will tell you battery life and all that for each sensor individually.. They usually last less then 10 years so consider this as it's most likely time for a new one..

[mxchris727]

I have TPMS in my 07 E93. ISTA can tell me the estimated remaining battery life for each wheel in months.

[slupie]

Originally Posted by falconey

I have TPMS on an 07 e90; build date 9/06.

Do you have metal or rubber valve stems?

[Wilt]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

Some tire shops have this tool..



It will tell you battery life and all that for each sensor individually.. They usually last less then 10 years so consider this as it's most likely time for a new one..

What tires shops have is pretty poor for telling you 'battery life'!
My wife bought 4 tires in 2015, and just before completing the transaction, I asked the tire store rep, "My wife's car is a 2007 and she has never had new TPMS sensors installed...in view of the fact that they're 8 years old, are you going to recommend installing new ones?"

The reply by the tire store rep, "I tested them and they all tested OK."

My response, "But we're gonna have all 4 tires off the car for the new tires we just purchased, and I would rather replace the TPMS now while they are off, rather than paying for tire removal and remounting when the TPMS fail."
The store manager, overhearing, responded, "If any fail within the next year, we'll waive the installation costs."

TWO weeks later, a TPMS battery failed! We drove back to the store, and had them replace ALL FOUR..."I don't want to have to come back here again, three more times, when the others fail!"

[BeastMode335i]

Originally Posted by Wilt

What tires shops have is pretty poor for telling you 'battery life'!
My wife bought 4 tires in 2015, and just before completing the transaction, I asked the tire store rep, "My wife's car is a 2007 and she has never had new TPMS sensors installed...in view of the fact that they're 8 years old, are you going to recommend installing new ones?"

The reply by the tire store rep, "I tested them and they all tested OK."

My response, "But we're gonna have all 4 tires off the car for the new tires we just purchased, and I would rather replace the TPMS now while they are off, rather than paying for tire removal and remounting when the TPMS fail."
The store manager, overhearing, responded, "If any fail within the next year, we'll waive the installation costs."

TWO weeks later, a TPMS battery failed! We drove back to the store, and had them replace ALL FOUR..."I don't want to have to come back here again, three more times, when the others fail!"

Or you just had a shitty tech.. Kinda like the 16 year old Autozone employees tellin you that your battery, starter, and alternator are all good to go, and they don't even have the shit hooked up right.. Ijs, it's happened on more then one occasion.. I used to manage them that's how I know because I always had to correct their fck ups..

[falconey]

Originally Posted by slupie

Do you have metal or rubber valve stems?

Metal.....

[cjl1197]

If you have the Carly App, then you can just run a diagnosis and it will tell you which tire. I don't have tpms sensors in my winter wheels, so it is constantly on. Throws 5 codes for it. One for each wheel and one for over the overall system. If it is the inactive indicator then you have tpms. The FTM, which I had in my 04 530i, just tells you your shit is flat. Doesn't matter if it is flat or just low.

[SpeedBuggy]

Originally Posted by slupie

Not in 2007 production cars, 06 and 07 use ABS sensors to monitor the wheel speed, if it differs from the other 3 then it illuminates the low pressure light on the dash. If all 4 are low approximately the same amount then you get no light. I had 06 E90 (04/05 production) and now I have 07 E91 (06/06 production) and neither had/have TPMS sensors in the wheels but have the Low pressure on the dash that illuminates.

TPMS Sensors started in 08 MY or possibly after 03/07 production.

Just traded in a 2007 328xi w/09-2006 build date with TPMS

Metal Valve Stems w/ Grey Caps

[djh2]

Is it a model specific change? I have a 328i (non-x drive) 10/06 build date with FTM

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by djh2

Is it a model specific change? I have a 328i (non-x drive) 10/06 build date with FTM

Year and region specific.

[djh2]

Originally Posted by Welcome to NBA Jam

Year and region specific.

Well, for those keeping score it is a US market car, first registered in CA, and it appears it was euro delivery.

/end off topic

[SpeedBuggy]

Originally Posted by djh2

Is it a model specific change? I have a 328i (non-x drive) 10/06 build date with FTM

our 328xi had I-Drive. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't I-Drive indicate which tire is low/flat?

[WhiteBeard]

Originally Posted by Dave53

2007 328i. The dash says the tire pressure system broken. I forget the exact wording - "inactive" I think. The car is 10 years old, so I suspect the battery in one (or more) sensor is dying. Is there a way to tell which wheel?

I need new front tires soon and of course will have new pressure sensors installed. And if the failure is in one of those 2 wheels, it's fixed. The rear tires are good. But if the failure is in the rear wheels, I will have new sensors installed when the fronts tires are replaced. But if it's not the rears that are failing, I will wait until I get new rear tires. So...I need to know where the failure is.

Dave there is a forum member here on forum who sells a used OEM BMW TPMS set for $80 shipped (priority shipping takes 2-3 days only). Just replace all 4 sensors as I'm sure they will all go off eventually (10 year old batteries) instead of trying to pinpoint 1 bad tpms and then do it all over again once others fail - it will save you headache and time and money eventually

[djh2]

Originally Posted by SpeedBuggy

our 328xi had I-Drive. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't I-Drive indicate which tire is low/flat?

I have I-Drive, and it just tells me that I have a flat tire but not which one. Again, this is the Flat Tire Monitor, abs-driven.

I guess there is no hard/fast rule on this, so anyone buying a 2007 should check for this if it matters to them.

[Wilt]

Originally Posted by BeastMode335i

Or you just had a shitty tech.. Kinda like the 16 year old Autozone employees tellin you that your battery, starter, and alternator are all good to go, and they don't even have the shit hooked up right.. Ijs, it's happened on more then one occasion.. I used to manage them that's how I know because I always had to correct their fck ups..

So I watched as the test was done, to verify (before writing up the work order!). Takes a moron to walk around to four wheels push the tester four times, and see 'OK' and the status report, yet 'get it wrong'!
No, simply no batteries had NOT YET failed. Which is why I questioned him about "the car is 8 years old...shouldn't we do this while the tires are already off?!". It seems that the test cannot verify state of charge, it only knows the TPMS unit under interrogation is functioning. And with zero tire store attitude of 'prevent revisit' by replacing based upon age, two weeks later the TPMS battery failed. IOW no 'preventative' replacement, only reactive service.

That atitude is not solely at my tire store. A friend's wife took her 8 year old car in for new tires at a Costco, and they did not sell her TPMS, again no 'preventative' service based upon an 8 year old set of sensors; yet two months later the dash light shows TPMS failure and she had to take her car in to get the reactive replacement of the failed unit.

And both incidents (above) occurred within a few months of each other!