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[Cinnamon]

Hello! Figured maybe the chick card would get some fast answers.
Last week on my way home from work my RFT warning came on! UGGG!I stopped and looked at ALL my tires. Could not see anything. I drove home....and waited a day or two (last year when my warning came on the tire looked "flatter" in a few days so I knew which one it was). Nothing. All tires looked the same. I had my hubbie check the air pressure in the four tires since we could not figure out which it was that was setting off the warning. The back left was a TINY bit lower than the others. 4 PSI lower. My hubbie filled it back up with air and it has sat for 4 days now. I took it on a 20 min drive to the store and back Sunday hoping to see if the warning RFT tire signal would come back on. It didnt. Today is Tuesday, and I started my car..no warning (didnt drive).

I did hit a curb with the back right tire (that is what scares me)--you know how you drive over a curb a bit?? Two days later is when the RFT tire signal came up. I assumed it had a slow leak...but...it has been sitting for about a week now (or just a hair under) and I even took it on a 20 mile errand and NO warning.

I am a bit afraid to dive it to work (45 mins away and 70 MPH on the high way). I plan to take it tomorrow but avoid the HW to go slower speeds.

I either have VERY slow leak....or could it be possible it just had low pressure?? I guess that is my main question! Can the RFTwarning be triggered by "low pressure" only or doubtful? Prob. slow leak...???

4 PSI difference from the other three tires is not much????

If it sat for about a week...and I used it for a 20 min errand...shouldnt the warning have come back up? I reset it after we put the 4 PSI back in the tire.

????? Thanks! Again--I am assuming it is a VERY slow leak...but wow...talk about S-L-O-W!!!!

Thanks for any info--and helping out a chick who LOVES her BMW but HATES her RFT's.

[Bartman619]

you could very well have a slow leak in your tire. you said you ran over a curb, i would check that area and see if there's a bend on the wheel where a little air is leaking out. otherwise, spray the entire tire and tire valve with soapy water to pinpoint the leak. sometimes the tire will not leak when the car is parked. once you drive it and the tire gets hot, it will start to leak. let us know what you find.

[clark192]

My guess is if the car is a 2006, you actually have the Flat Tire Monitoring system, which simply looks at the rotational speed of each wheel individually, rather than the actual pressure of the tire. So it will allow a slight difference in each wheel before it reports a flat to you. As was stated by Takashi, you will NOT be able to visually inspect a tire to tell if it is flat or underinflated, you must use a gauge.

I would suggest taking the car down the road to some local tire place and have them simply check the tire for a puncture or a flat, using the method Takashi described (soapy water, etc). If there is a puncture or bend in the rim, this will tell you where, and how much damage was done.

Conventional knowledge says that runflats are repairable only if the puncture is on the top of the tire, not the sidewall. And, if the wheel is bent, you are going to have to replace it. If the bend is severe enough, you would be feeling vibrations coming from the rear of the car when you drive it at highway speeds. This is nothing to worry about for a short amount of time, but you would be wise to get it replaced soon.

Hope this helps.

[HighVoltage]

Ive had the the system report a warning with a simple change in ambient temperature from sitting overnight. After a reset the warning did not return. As suggested, just keep checking the pressure to monitor for a leak but it could be as innocuous as a change in the temperature.

[nicknaz]

check the tire pressure with a gauge before and after your trip, adjust as needed. Don't worry about it. The whole point of RFT is that you won't get stranded somewhere by a slow leak.

[Cinnamon]

Thanks guys!!
I drove the car to work and back today (22 miles each way). NO warning light!! Hum....


I didnt damage the rim as far as I can tell from the cosmetic "outside" --curb rash etc.

Tskashi- LOL! Cute. OK..yes...tire pressure warning...RFT tires....GOT IT!

Only reason I said none of the tires looked flat was b/c the other two times I got a "flat" the tire did look visibally lower than the other three tires. It was "obvious".

I guess I will just need to drive it with caution and recheck the pressure if the tire pressure warning system is not activated in the near future. Hopefully it was a fluke...but I doubt it. My gut say slow leak.


Also- I was parked outside all day and just began to drive home when the warning signaled. No temp changes






The below seems like my best bet from Takashi...no time to soap but will monitor the pressure...on my way now...

If you strike a curb and the tire and rim hit the curb, there is a good chance that you might have damaged the rim which might be the cause of your slow leak. The best way to check is to cover your tire / rim with soapy water and look for air bubbles coming at the gap between the rim and the tire. You might have to remove the tire to check the side that is pointed inside the car. Furthermore, check the tire pressure with a pressure gauge manually every 2 days to ensure the air pressure remains constant in all 4 tires. Pay extra attention to the tire that might have been damaged from hitting the curb.


THANKS GUYS!

[Cinnamon]

As of now...38.5...SAME that was put in last week (driven twice--one short trip one longer one). NO pressure loss.....

Still not calling it safe. Will monitor pressure.

Thanks!

[Cinnamon]

Just an update....still scares me but....no drop in pressure yet!!! So strange..I have been driving all over (trying to keep speeds less than 70 LOL!)....I am holding my breath.....hope this has a nice ending...no slow leak! Been 8 days tomorrow
Thanks guys!