i8 TPMS sensors

[skyebear]

Am I right in thinking that the i8 has individual TPMS sensors in each wheel that fit to the tyre valve?

I fitted a brand new set of wheels that came direct from BMW. I then had a local supplier fit new tyres to the loose wheels and then fitted them to the car myself.

On the first drive I had a warning for tyre pressure sensor failure. I naively thought the car had an indirect TPMS that measured difference in wheel rotation to detect loss of pressure. I think it's actually a direct system that uses a sensor in each valve to measure the PSI.

Is my understanding correct and has anyone had success with any third party sensors talking to the car? I'm keeping the old wheels as a winter set so might as well leave those as they are.

Thanks.

[VeeTenM]

Did the wheels come with TPMS sensors or did garage fit some 3rd party ones? Some 3rd party ones might give random warnings even with properly inflated tyres.

Once you fit new ones with the correct pressure you do a reset on the idrive and drive around for 5 mins until they self learn....thats what I did on my sisters X2 after a puncture and I did on my F13 when I swapped wheels with aftermarket sensors.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353989552253

Edited by VeeTenM on Saturday 22 March 18:11

[skyebear]

Wheels came bare direct from BMW in Germany. The wheels on the car had been painted black which I didn't like so did a deal with main dealer for a new set of wheels.

The old wheels on the car were fitted with terrible tyres so my plan was get new, decent tyres on the new, loose rims then fit them to the car.*

Looking at the TPMS valves you link to and looking at the valve stems on the old wheels confirms my error. I should have bought new TPMS valves and had them fitted with the new tyres. Instead it's normal valve stems fitted to the new wheels.

Did you have to use a scan/code tool to inform the car about the new sensors? I presume there's a receiver in each wheel well so the car knows which corner it's getting info from?

• Costco had brilliant prices on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but refused to take the i8 in "as they had problems before with the doors" but would fit them to loose wheels.

[VeeTenM]

No scan tool, just plug and play really. Car picks the sensors up and self learns.

I think you need PN 36106881890

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166283194031

Genuine
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126749838357

Also you might be able to get cashback if eligible..

https://www.michelin.co.uk/auto/pistonheads-uk

Edited by VeeTenM on Sunday 23 March 12:16

[skyebear]

Amazing, thank you very much for those links!

[Panamax]

VeeTenM said:

No scan tool, just plug and play really. Car picks the sensors up and self learns.

That surprises me, not because I have specific knowledge of i8 but because my car with a similar system operates on a wireless basis on the same frequency as the key fobs and with all signals received by a single receiver. At the very least I have to tell the car which wheel is in which position when wheels are switched around, otherwise the system can't know which tyre is losing pressure. (Sure, if i8 has a separate receiver at each wheel position it may be different.)

There are some relevant BMW videos on Youtube but I've not been through them.

[VeeTenM]

Panamax said:

That surprises me, not because I have specific knowledge of i8 but because my car with a similar system operates on a wireless basis on the same frequency as the key fobs and with all signals received by a single receiver. At the very least I have to tell the car which wheel is in which position when wheels are switched around, otherwise the system can't know which tyre is losing pressure. (Sure, if i8 has a separate receiver at each wheel position it may be different.)

There are some relevant BMW videos on Youtube but I've not been through them.

Even if you swapped the wheels about, the idrive will show the low pressure on screen, unless your version of the idrive system doesn't show a picture of all 4 corners like this picture??



I never had to tell my F13 6 series, the sensors just worked (if pre-programmed) and pick up the tyre pressure and display it on the idrive system. All I had to do was reset it, drive around until it had done its self learning and that was it.

Edited by VeeTenM on Sunday 23 March 19:27