DSC / Tire Pressure Alert Showing Malfunction ?

[kshapiro]

Yesterday, coming home, the tire monitor light came, and stayed, on. That means the system has failed (will flash if it's an actual tire problem). A few hours later, the DSC light did the same thing, again indicative of system failure. I checked all four tires, and all were equal, so I reset the system (little button between the seats). Now, all seems well. I'd like to know what happened. I had just washed the car a few hours earlier.

Any ideas?

[EdGTI]

Yeah I had a very same problem too. Got in my car to leave from a party and both the DSC and tire warning lights came on. Car seemed fine, drove a short distance and parked the car. Came out after dinner and this time both lights were out. They havn't come back on since, just found it strange.

[mini_girl]

happened to me as well - about the second week i had my car. Both lights went on at the same time. Took it to the dealer - it is a steering position sensor fault. The dealer did a "reset" and it hasn't been a problem since.

-shawna

[BruceK]

This just happened to me as well on my way home from work this evening.

Both DSC and the flat tire monitor lights came on - steady not flashing. The tires seemed fine - no loss of air that I could tell by looking at them or driving the car. I could verify that DSC was definately not on when I was able to do an extended chirp of the front tires when pulling away from a traffic light.

I was bumming out all the way home, thinking it was a major fault with the ECU and would involve a trip to the nearest MINI dealer -- more than 8 hours away.

As soon as I got home the first thing I did was check tire pressures - no low tires. Then I jumped on to MINI2 and do a search for "DSC and light" and BINGO!, I found this tread immediately.

Based upon what I read above, I followed standard procedure for resetting the flat tire monitor (hold the button while the key is in position 2) but both lights stayed steady on. I wasn't sure if the car was receiving my instruction, but then I started the car and drove 200 yards. Sure enough, both lights went out!

I LOVE MINI2! Thanks very much to everyone above for helping me solve this problem.

[MiniMoke]

This light coming on thing happens all the time in my Toyota. As the tires age and develop slow leaks it happens more often. I reset it once a month. It's a poor man's tire pressure monitor. Learned not to sweat it...

[kshapiro]

Quote:

Originally posted by MiniMoke
This light coming on thing happens all the time in my Toyota. As the tires age and develop slow leaks it happens more often. I reset it once a month. It's a poor man's tire pressure monitor. Learned not to sweat it...

Unfortunatley, not the same issue. When my lights went on, I checked the pressure with a digital gauge and all four tires were at exactly the same 37 psi.

[yellowminijim]

The second week I owned my MINI, my DSC indicater light came on and stayed on, just like the other examples cited. There had been a major downpour with very high winds (the MINI was parked outside) just before this happened. I checked the tire pressure (OK), and reset the system. About a half-hour later, same thing... Just when I was getting ready to call the dealership, the car had dried and I have not had the problem again. We always talk about making sure you can stop if you have "wet brakes," and I wonder if water might be the thread for this problem...

[PigLick]

Just wondering, have any of you tested the system after having this problem? Maybe someone ought to manually release some air from one tire and drive around a bit to see if the sensor comes on. Would hate to think that there really might be a problem going unnoticed just because the light turns itself off.

PigLick

[kshapiro]

Quote:

Originally posted by yellowminijim
The second week I owned my MINI, my DSC indicater light came on and stayed on, just like the other examples cited. There had been a major downpour with very high winds (the MINI was parked outside) just before this happened. I checked the tire pressure (OK), and reset the system. About a half-hour later, same thing... Just when I was getting ready to call the dealership, the car had dried and I have not had the problem again. We always talk about making sure you can stop if you have "wet brakes," and I wonder if water might be the thread for this problem...

Hmmmmm...mine happened after I washed the car. Seems we're on to something here.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by kshapiro
Hmmmmm...mine happened after I washed the car. Seems we're on to something here.

Well maybe. My problem happened after a rain, but it was a light rain on the drive into work, then 9 hours later, it was not raining and on the way home I had the malfunction.

[DNG]

This has happened to me also it occurred after being washed but at the time of washing the car was park on a slope with the back wheels on the flat and the front on the down slope, wonder if this could have effected the pressure in the front or rear tyres

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by DNG
This has happened to me also it occurred after being washed but at the time of washing the car was park on a slope with the back wheels on the flat and the front on the down slope, wonder if this could have effected the pressure in the front or rear tyres

It sure does look like water is involved in this problem. But I think it is sensor-related (water faulting an ABS sensor? ), not directly tire pressure-related.

DNG, have you tried to the procedure mentioned above to reset the Flat Tire Monitor and did it work?

(or has everything just happened to have dried out by the time we are all resetting the Flat Tire Monitor ??? )

[DNG]

Tried the reset and it worked

[Colorado "S"]

BruceK: my MINI had the exact same problem two nights ago. After hitting the Run Flat reset, it took about a 1/4 mile and then both the DSC and the Run Flat light went out together.

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by Colorado "S"
BruceK: my MINI had the exact same problem two nights ago. After hitting the Run Flat reset, it took about a 1/4 mile and then both the DSC and the Run Flat light went out together.

Separated at birth! (our cars are two VIN numbers apart)

Was water involved when you had the problem?