Nitrogen is a complete ripoff and is just another way for Stealerships and tire shops to rip you off.
My buddy works at a dealer and he says they make money hand over fist for this crap and when they run out of nitrogen they just fill the tires with air and add green caps.
Check air filter.
Check you oil and have it changed.
Check your tires and air pressure.
Check your brakes.
I tell people all the time; "If you cant take care of your car trade it and buy a Honda."
The 1st generation cars use a wheel speed sensor. If one wheel is spinning more and not from normal wheelspin when accelerating or cornering the system figures the pressure has dropped in one or more tires. Then the light comes on.
First thing, do not drive on your runflats without air, doing so will ruin the tire. Only do that in an emergency. If you don't have one already pick up a Slime kit with compressor at Wallyworld, about $19. Nice to have when you have a tire problem on the side of the road. Your MINI does not have TPMS sensors. Your MINI uses the abs sensors to detect a low tire. If the temp has dropped since the tires were installed that can account for a loss of pressure & the light. Since the tires are new I'd head back to the shop & have them look at their work.
Yup...
Gen1 uses the ABS sensors to count tire rotations....
it sensens a sudden change in one tires rpms for a given speed vs the others at a given speed, then gives you a light....
it is good enough to tell you you have a flat tire with run-flats, or a dramatic change with a standard tire....and no batteries or special rims, valve stems needed.
Due to regulations governing the specifics of the accuracy of tire PSI monitors, a few of the last gen1 late 2007 to 2008 Cabriolet's DID get a radio frequency monitors similar, but incompatible to the gen2 cars....
I've experimented w/ this. Nitrogen has better & more consistent pressure retention. Recalling Chemistry, Nitro ,being an inert & dry gas, doesn't promote moisture, reacts less to temp change than air, & diffuses/permeates thru membranes less than air. Air on the other hand is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen( an active gas), other gases & water vapor since air compressors compress ambient, humid air. Air reacts more to temp change that's why your ride is harsher when tires heat up.
I didn't buy this at 1st, but after trying & observing both many times, i just can't deny nitro has better pressure retention. It's no myth. Worth the money? Well, that's relative. Not all my cars have nitro in them. Only the MINI. :cornut:
They did come with a Jack and Lug Wrench. It's in a zippered bag in the boot. Sounds like yours is missing. Next to the battery is foam block that has some other tools and a tow hook.
I drove about 3 miles with the pressure as it was and will have to drive about 3-4 miles to get to the tire dealer in the morning. I'll pick up a plug in compressor and 4 bottles of Slime on the 14th when I get my S.S. check. Wish I had known that I'd end up with a car that had to run Run Flats I would not have given my compressor to my neighbor 5 years ago. I just called my neighbor, he stay's with his ex-wife more than he does here and ask if he was using the cigarette plug in compressor that I gave him and he said he has never used it as he has a doughnut space saver spare and said he'd give it back seeing as how I never expected to have a car that didn't have a spare so that will save me some money and I'll pick up some Slime to carry in the boot. My neighbor gave me back the compressor this morning when I got back from the tire dealers, now I just have to pick up some Slime. The right rear was leaking the tire techs. said the loss of pressure on the other 3 was because it had been hot durring the day and in the 30's at night, don't seem like it should have lost that much pressure in 18 day's though.:mad2:
I'll check the tire pressure before I leave out and if it has dropped any more I'll use the farm compressor to bring the tire pressure up to 32 lb. before I leave out. And I found my Valve Stem Tool and it will go in the glove box along with the tire pressure gauge. The pressure had dropped a couple of pounds all around so I was able to get 32 lb. in all but the right front but it was still at 30 so I went ahead and just drove slow to the tire dealer.
I have to because mine is a 2003 MCS, the battery is in the boot so no room even for a doughnut. And didn't even come with a jack or lug wrench. It came new with Run Flats as per the owners manual.:mad2:
