TPMS.... Question.. Any Idea ?????

[sleepless]

I have a 05 X5 w/ TPMS ....... does anyone know if the 05 had the built in Sensors in the wheel or did it use the ABS system (relative tire rotation speed) to drive the TPMS, so there are no separate sensors on each wheel...??????????????

[mrbmwx5]

i dont have a 05 X5, but i think its had the built in sensors in the wheel like my 04 E60.

[E5M1R]

Originally Posted by sleepless

I have a 05 X5 w/ TPMS ....... does anyone know if the 05 had the built in Sensors in the wheel or did it use the ABS system (relative tire rotation speed) to drive the TPMS, so there are no separate sensors on each wheel...??????????????

I have 06 and it is ABS based system that monitors wheel spinning
I dont think that TPMS was ever option on E53

Quote from manual:

Flat Tire Monitor

The concept

The Flat Tire Monitor keeps track of the
inflation pressures in the four fitted tires
as you drive. The system provides an
alert whenever the inflation pressure
drops significantly in relation to the
pressure another tire.
The check of the tire inflation pressure
is based on monitoring the relative
speeds of the wheels. A flat is detected
and reported on the basis of a deviation

in certain speed ratios.

Functional requirement

To ensure reliable operation, the system
should have been initialized with

the correct tire inflation pressure.

[X5devon]

All X5's use ABS system

[sleepless]

Originally Posted by X5devon

All X5's use ABS system

I think this might not be the case.... someone told me that the X5 for US uses the sensors in the wheel instead of ABS system ???????????/

[jandct]

Originally Posted by sleepless

I think this might not be the case.... someone told me that the X5 for US uses the sensors in the wheel instead of ABS system ???????????/

I can verify that a US Model 06 4.4i uses the ABS system, not TPMS. I just replaced the wheels last week and did not have the tires removed from the original to look for sensors. On the first drive with the new wheels the tire indicator came on a few miles down the road (common occurance with new wheels/tires due to slightly different diameters from stock) and was reset according to the owner's manual. If the system used actual tire pressure sensors it would not allow me to reset the warning indicator...

[sleepless]

Originally Posted by jandct

I can verify that a US Model 06 4.4i uses the ABS system, not TPMS. I just replaced the wheels last week and did not have the tires removed from the original to look for sensors. On the first drive with the new wheels the tire indicator came on a few miles down the road (common occurance with new wheels/tires due to slightly different diameters from stock) and was reset according to the owner's manual. If the system used actual tire pressure sensors it would not allow me to reset the warning indicator...

OK....just got off the phone with a service advisor from Difeo BMW.... he states that all X5 that has the TPMS indicator on the center console uses the Built in sensors in the Rim..........

[E5M1R]

Originally Posted by sleepless

OK....just got off the phone with a service advisor from Difeo BMW.... he states that all X5 that has the TPMS indicator on the center console uses the Built in sensors in the Rim..........

In that case i would seriously consider changing SA

[StanF18]

Originally Posted by sleepless

OK....just got off the phone with a service advisor from Difeo BMW.... he states that all X5 that has the TPMS indicator on the center console uses the Built in sensors in the Rim..........

Looks like a lot of the SAs do not know about this little ABS vs. TPMS nuance. I just spoke to a pretty good SA at Prestige BMW (he's been there for many years), and he also stated that the rim has the sensor. I told him that's not the case with the E53, that it counts revolutions per minute on the chassis.

And he said: "You know what...you're absolutely right....because you have the 06 right? OK, yeah, you're right"

I guess he knew it at one point, but he deals with so many BMW platforms, that he got the newer models "blurred" with the older ones.

That's what's so great about this Forum! You can get to know the details that even the experienced SAs have trouble with.

[E55AMG2]

Originally Posted by sleepless

I think this might not be the case.... someone told me that the X5 for US uses the sensors in the wheel instead of ABS system ???????????/

It counts the # of revolutions the wheels make and compares them. The one turning the fastest has the least air (smallest diameter) and could be going flat causing it to alert. All BMWs equipped with Ibus work this way.
Your SA is an idiot (mostly the case with every SA though, although there are some good ones) and you should seriously reconsider anything he tells you in the future.

CCC (E60 5, E90/2 3, E63/5/6 6&7) cars might use air pressure sensors, but Ibus (E53 X5, E39 5, E38 7) and K-Bus (E46 3) cars use the ABS sensors to give a flat tire warning.