Tyre Pressure Monitor Question

[Farcall]

I have recently purchased a 2008 GSA fitted with the RDC (aka Tyre Pressure Monitor) option.

I also have a spare set of spoke rims acquired some years ago for my 2004 GS.

Before I pull the trigger and buy a couple of those ridiculously expensive RDC valves for my spare rims, I need to know whether the sensor onboard the bike needs to be recalibrated (by the dealer) everytime I switch my wheels over?

Or, to put the question another way, is the onboard sensor only capable of retaining 'one' calibration at a time.

Anybody got any knowledge or experience on this?

Thanks in advance

Shane

 

[wilbjr21]

Yes I've got the same - no problems at all.

Your friendly dealer can program your bike to accept two sets of wheels. Just put your new wheels on and take the bike in with sensors fitted or let him do it for you. There is an option in the GT1 to program a second set of wheels.

You can then change wheels with gay abandon and the display reads the pressure with no alarms.

 

[Farcall]

wilbjr21 - you're a bloody legend .

Thanks very much for the quick reply.

Good news always makes me happy



Shane

 

[Andy B]

Be careful! Be very careful!

When you are removing tyres from a wheel fitted with the tyre pressure sensor make sure you (or whoever does it for you) doesn't go anywhere near the valve with tyre levers or especially the hydraulic kind!

I made this mistake and it cost me £1,000 for a new wheel and valve! You don't need the rest of the story, but just stay clear of the valve.

If you've not seen what one looks like before, see pic below.

Good Luck!

 

[Farcall]

Thanks for the tip Andy.

I'd heard about careless tyre changers damaging these valves elswhere in this forum.

How does this sound as a tactic? When I take the wheels in for a tyre change, I ask the proprietor to sign an agreement that the sensors actually work. If he doesn't want to sign, then I am probably in the wrong place anyway! If he does sign and I have subsequent troubles with the valves, he'll being buying replacement/s. He will do that either because he is honouring the job card agreement or because I'll bring my 30 years experience as a civil courts Registrar into play!

If its not too painful to re-tell - how did a tyre change result in a wheel replacement being necessary?

Shane

 

[Andy B]

Man with compressed air tyre remover tried to break the bead around the tyre too close to the valve, which is unbelievebly strong. In pressing down on the edge of the tyre he also pressed down on the tyre pressure sensor which bent the centre of the wheel around the valve hole out of true which meant that subsequently it was impossible to get an air-tight seal.

Big argument ensued about liability and I lost! No concrete evidence that he did it, despite BMW being fairly sure (but not sure enough to go into writing!) that this was the cause. Talk to BMW and they will tell you it doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen from time to time.

I wasn't planning quite such robust action as you next time I need new tyres, but I was certainly going to mark the tyres up with chalk so that whoever does it doesn't forget where not to go with his machine!

 

[wilbjr21]

A big label on the rim tells you where the sensor is located. Your mind would have to be elsewhere to make a mistake like that - unless of course the label was missing?

 

[Andy B]

No label on mine! Not on the old one or the new.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Discount tyres?

Would it not be simpler, safer and wiser to have the tyres replaced by your BMW dealer? I don't have the complications of Tyre Preeure Monitors but I have my tyres changed by the dealer who always takes the bike for a road test afterwards; I know I can get them more cheaply elsewhere but........