Tire Pressure Monitor System - Information/Operation
SI M 36 02 05Wheels and Tires
June 2005
Technical Service
SUBJECT
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)
MODEL
R50 (MINI Cooper)
R52 (MINI Convertible)
R53 (MINI Cooper S)
INFORMATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations on TPMS:
^ By 9/07, all vehicles must utilize a direct monitoring system with a pressure sensor inside each tire to broadcast the tire pressure to a central receiver on the vehicle.
^ The yellow tell-tale must illuminate during the NHTSA required test within 20 minutes when there is a 25% loss in tire pressure (any or all of four tires).
TERMINOLOGY
^ "Tire Pressure Monitor" (TPM) system will be used for a direct monitoring system (RDC based system).
^ "Flat Tire Monitor" (FTM) system will be used for an indirect monitoring system (RPA based system).
^ "Reset" will be used instead of "Initialize".
SYSTEM RESET
^ Learning process establishes the initial tire pressure level and increases warning sensitivity from 0% to 100 %. This can only take place during driving.
^ The learning occurs automatically after reset and its progress can only be checked by using GT1.
^ The rate of the learning progress can depend on varied driving situations (accelerating, braking, cornering), tire conditions, and (for direct monitoring systems) electro-magnetic or radio frequency interferences.
^ There is no need to perform special learning trials or driving maneuvers to reset the system.
^ The first initialization or reset before the customer delivery is performed during QC1 Road Test; however, initialization or reset must be performed after any tire pressure adjustment.
NOTES
^ Adjust the tire pressures on all 4 cold tires to the recommended cold tire inflation pressures and then start the initialization/resetting process (see Owner's Manual).
^ It is not necessary to drive the vehicle immediately after this operation.
^ Ignition can be switched off.
^ The control module stores the job and will learn as the driving conditions permit.
^ Learning will be done step by step, driving interruptions do not delete the learned status.
MINI TPMS DISPLAY CONCEPT (up to 08/05)
Disclaimer