usmcwo4

Driving to work this morning, I heard the chime from the display monitor telling me I had a flat tire. Since I have run flats, I proceeded until I found a gas station where I was able to inpect my tires. I walked around my car, and each tire was fully inflated. Has anyone experienced a problem with their computer displaying the "flat tire" symbol, or any other symbol when nothing was wrong. Ocassionaly, the "tighten gas cap" icon also appears for no apparent reason.

Thanks.

forge197

Yep yesterday, it made me late for work as the first garage air was up the spout, today though all ok I will see how it goes. Was grateful that I didn't have a puncture!!

KAF

1. You cannot detect a flat on RFT's by looking at them. The stiff sidewalls are designed to support even with no air in them, you must check them with a guage.

2. Yes the system does give false readings, it can be fixed with a software upgrade, contact your dealer if it happens again and the pressures are OK.

stream

When you say you walked around the car and each tire was fully inflated, did you check each tire with a tire gauge, or did you just do a visual inspection? Run flat tires are designed to hold the weight of the car even when fully deflated, and even without run flats, the FTM will detect variations in tire pressure that a visual inspection can't detect.

colejl

When you say you walked around the car and each tire was fully inflated, did you check each tire with a tire gauge, or did you just do a visual inspection? Run flat tires are designed to hold the weight of the car even when fully deflated, and even without run flats, the FTM will detect variations in tire pressure that a visual inspection can't detect.
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Indeed - my flat was from a nail causing a very slow leak... I was very impressed that the system picked it up and recommended to carry on driving as normal! (i.e. it knew the pressure had only dropped a little - I presume it would advise me again when more pressure was lost...) However, I was less than impressed with cost of replacement!

forge197

I don't have run flats and I did check the pressure of all tyres and they were all ok.

I'll get an update at some point

TexaZ3

I thought you can fix a run flat as long as the damage is on the thread?

BigartK

Identical situation happened to me just yesterday. Visual inspection looked fine and when I checked with my trusty tire guage the tires were all within 2 lbs of each other; the lowest was 30#, the highest 32#.

So I went to my dealer; JMK Motors in Springfield NJ. The service advisor explained that the monitor system will notice the 2# difference and report it as a flat. He put proper air in all four tires and reset it and I was on my way.

Great job as usual JMK.

bdav

Is the car meant to vibrate when the tire is flat? Mine had a flat rear nearside (runflat), which made the whole car shudder - its been replaced now, ut is this normal for the runflats?

Ray Hull

Most rear flats will signal you by shuddering or slight wagging of the tail motion. Have had them at blow at 85, and the BMW handled it perfectly. Changing was not fun, but it was never a threat.

This is another reason that I hate thumpflats; they are so damned rigid, you need a gauge to tell you that they are flat, after the "warning" system tells you....something. And no, don't be so sure that you can get even a tread puncture fixed...stand by for $325 bill.

Thriving on balloon snows,
Ray Hull