quite literally a mini adventure...

[hairyhen]

Well folks, to cut a long story short i have punctured a tire less than 12 hrs after collecting my new mini.
Not quite the start i was hoping for!

Summary;
I was just picking up speed just after joining a dual-carriageway outside my home when a loud (very loud) clunk came from the rear-right of my cooper followed by a series of rythmic clangs, as if i had ran over something quite big and was stuck to the wheel as it rotated.

I stopped as soon as possible and gave the tires a quick check(it was cold and dark, and i didnt want to hang about). Didnt see anything unusual so i resumed course. The clunking/rattling continued....

So come the next morning my parents awoke to a brand new Cooper with a flat tire and a 2 inch nail embedded right in the middle of the tread.

The thing that puzzles me is, why i didnt get a response from the pressure warning doo-da? I've read in the manual all about not sensing small losses of pressure etc...but that first clunk spooked me silly! So surely the pressure loss was enough the activate the sensor? Hmmm

[motoring]

Could have been a slow leak, and the pressure did not enough change before you got home to set off the warning light. Since the system monitors wheel revolutions and not pressure there has to be a pretty significant change to set off the warning.

[COOPERation]

Is it possible that the sensor (pressure) was never set at the factory or dealer....the manual states how to set the pressure to the sensor. It's the little button on the front of the hand brake. Just an idea...

[lightbody]

It probably took all night to go flat... thats why they usually tell you NOT to remove whatever is stuck into the tyre until you get to the tyre place.

The sensor only detects fairly sudden losses of pressure, yours took all night...

PS: Look out for me and Charlie my MINI around Glasgow!

[monsta]

I have a slow puncture on one of my tyres, the pressure indicator doesn't come on until the pressure has dropped from 2.1 bar to about 1.3

Useful if you don't check your tyres regularly but it's not an incredibly precise system.

[GoMiniGo]

I must a SUPER SENSITIVE sensor. One week after picking mine up, the sensor light came. No nails or foreign objects. However, after measuring the pressures, one tire(tyre) was 3psi low!!!! That's 0.2 bar. Dealer attributed it to settling. Must have been because it has not done it again since.

[hairyhen]

hello all- first of all thanks for all the advice.

I got my mini back from the dealers today after having a new run-flat tyre fitted, at a cost of £150!!
Isn't this stupidly expensive for just one tyre???

Anyway what i would like to know is if there is an alternative to replacing a run-flat tyre instead of going back to my dealer, should i be unfortunate enough to puncture it again? Would places like Kiwk-Fit (UK mini motorists) be able to help?
cheers again

[Dom]

It seems an average price for the goodyears...

Yes, they can be sourced and fitted from alternative tyre places... shop around for best prices...

Monsta: Is your slow puncture on all tyres? I check mine 2 weeks ago and it was 22psi all round apart from 1 which was 25! Light had never come on, but that's probably because annoying passengers kept pressing the damn button.

Car feels a bit lighter now I've pumped them up. Will check the pressures again later.

Dom

[monsta]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dom
It seems an average price for the goodyears...

Yes, they can be sourced and fitted from alternative tyre places... shop around for best prices...

Monsta: Is your slow puncture on all tyres? I check mine 2 weeks ago and it was 22psi all round apart from 1 which was 25! Light had never come on, but that's probably because annoying passengers kept pressing the damn button.

Car feels a bit lighter now I've pumped them up. Will check the pressures again later.

Dom

Nope, slow puncture on front nearside only. I don't think I have checked the others for ages but the indicator goes off when I put air in that tyre so they should be ok.

The reset button only functions if you hold it whilst the key is in the second position doesn't it? (i.e. engine off)

[Dom]

Just been out to check them again, have lost between 2-4psi in each tyre

Will see the dealer before I get new tyres I think

Dunno when the reset function works... don't think there's any difference between ignition 2 and engine on is there?

Dom