TPM transferable to other wheels?

[LordCash]

OK,

My 650i is almost here. Yes, I drove it for 2.5 weeks in Europe when I received it during European Delivery but since Aug 1 (when I dropped it off), I have been without it again, waiting for re-delivery.

My dealer said it should be ready for pickup by Sept 21st - next week!!

One mod I want to make pretty soon (and maybe as early as the day the dealer gets the car!) is to replace the stock "flower power" 19" wheels with some better-looking wheels. Because of both the weight savings and good looks, I am thinking about getting OEM M6 wheels.

My question is, can the TPM sensors that are "in" the stock wheels be removed and re-installed into the M6 wheels? Also, can the TPM sensor be installed in just any wheel or are there only specific wheels (OEM? Some aftermarket?) wheels with which it will work correctly? I don't know much about how the TPM actually "mounts" so if someone could fill me in, that would be appreciated!

Cheers!

Lord Cash

[BHR4CE1]

I have after market wheels and the TPM sensors were mounted in them with no problem. I would imagine it would be even easier on OEM M6 wheels.

[Richard in NC]

I was told the TPM sensors can't fit some wheels but OEM M6 wheels should be no problem. You can order the sensors from BMW if you want to keep 2 sets of wheels/tires. If I recall, they're $15 each.

[LordCash]

Thanks guys!

[LordCash]

I was told the TPM sensors can't fit some wheels but OEM M6 wheels should be no problem. You can order the sensors from BMW if you want to keep 2 sets of wheels/tires. If I recall, they're $15 each.

So I ended up getting a sweet deal on takeoffs from an 8-mile old M6 for the wheels and tires. Such a deal I could not resist and though I was still considering a few aftermarket 19" and 20" wheels, I took the plunge and went 19" OEM M6 wheels!

They just arrived today and look about as fresh as you would expect 8-mile old wheels and tires to look.

Now...I assume that since these are takeoffs, that the TPM sensors are probably intact and still inside the wheel/tire. I suppose the M6 owner could have taken off the tires, taken the sensors and put the tires back on...but if they are $15 each, I doubt he would do that since it would be cheaper to simply buy new ones rather than pay to have the tires taken off and put back on just to grab the $15 sensor.

Still, is there any way of me knowing for sure if they are in there or not w/o having to remove and reinstall the tires myself? I am emailing the person I bought them from (not the owner, from what I understand) and will ask him. I am hoping he will know. Any other ideas on how to tell before I head to the wheel shop for the installation?

Also, I need a suggestion for tires. Yes, I know the PS2s are awesome (I have them on my 330Ci) and I do plan to get some down the line for the 6er. But right now I have 3000-mile old Runflats and on the M6 rims right now I have 8-mile-old Conti OEM tires. Since both the runflats and the Conti's are practically new, I want to get some use out of at least one of the sets before I look to replace them with PS2s.

So...between the Conti's and the Bridgestone Pontenza runflats, which would you guys choose? Here's some info to take into account....I live in NoCal, where it rains lightly for a few months and heavily maybe 1-2 weeks a year. So 85% of the time it will be dry. Snow is NOT an issue at all. Grip is probably the single most important thing to me, followed by quietness, followed by ride comfort, with longevity being last on the list (though always a nice bonus!). Whatever tires I don't end up using will either be put away in storage for future use or (more likely) sold off together or separately from the "flower power" wheels I will soon be selling.

Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions!

Lord Cash

[BHR4CE1]

Still, is there any way of me knowing for sure if they are in there or not w/o having to remove and reinstall the tires myself? I am emailing the person I bought them from (not the owner, from what I understand) and will ask him. I am hoping he will know. Any other ideas on how to tell before I head to the wheel shop for the installation?

I would think that you could just mount them up to the car and the iDrive will give you a malfunction if they are NOT present.

[boxboss]

Still, is there any way of me knowing for sure if they are in there or not w/o having to remove and reinstall the tires myself? I am emailing the person I bought them from (not the owner, from what I understand) and will ask him. I am hoping he will know. Any other ideas on how to tell before I head to the wheel shop for the installation?

I would think that you could just mount them up to the car and the iDrive will give you a malfunction if they are NOT present.
:stupid: You may have to reset the TPM first, though. Plus, you may need to drive for 15 minutes or so to make sure. Some sensors are only active when the wheels are rolling and some systems only check the pressure every 15 minutes or so. I don't know for sure how BMW's system works.

[Richard in NC]

So...between the Conti's and the Bridgestone Pontenza runflats, which would you guys choose? Here's some info to take into account....I live in NoCal, where it rains lightly for a few months and heavily maybe 1-2 weeks a year. So 85% of the time it will be dry. Snow is NOT an issue at all. Grip is probably the single most important thing to me, followed by quietness, followed by ride comfort, with longevity being last on the list (though always a nice bonus!). Whatever tires I don't end up using will either be put away in storage for future use or (more likely) sold off together or separately from the "flower power" wheels I will soon be selling.

Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions!

Lord Cash

Here is my opinion of the 3 tires you mention. However, the PS2s were on an E39 M5 (3 sets), the Bridgestone RFTs on a 650i, and the Contis on the 550i for 2 weeks. On a scale 1-10 with the PS2, Conti, & Bridgestone RFTs in order is:
Dry Grip: 9, 8, 9; They're all good, the PS2s have a slight edge but have a very quiet break-away. The Contis may be less good than the others. I'd have to run them back to back on the track to validate my opinion.
Wet Grip: 8, ? , 4; PS2s suprisingly good, no experience with the Contis in the wet yet, the RFTs, sucked in the wet.
Handling Feel: 9, 9, 8; All good, the PS2s need lots of PSI to not roll, the RFTs stiff sidewall is great for response, bad for tctile feel at the limit, the Contis seem good but I haven't taken them to the limit yet.
Noise: 9, 8.5, 6; The PS2s were remarkably quiet when new but can scallop edges and get noisey over time, the Contis are whisper quiet compared to a constant grrrrrr from the RFTs.
Comfort: 7, 7, 3; No 19" tire will be smooth riding but the RFTs are EXTREMELY harsh IMHO over small road imperfections. What was constantly annoying with the RFTs on some roads is barely noticeable with the Contis on the 550i.
Life: 4, 4, 7; Expect to get <= 22k miles with the PS2s, no more with the Contis, but the RFTs last into the mid 30s (I hear).

My bottom line: I totally disliked the Bridgestone RFTs except for their good dry grip and decent life (but I've been used to new tires almost yearly for a decade so its not a big deal). I would have bought PS2s had I intended to stay with the 650i. First, I wanted to figure out a spare. The new compact spare in the 550i should work on a 650i but BMW wouldn't allow me to order one and "try" before paying for it. Be sure to get the M Mobility kit if no spare.
On the 550i, the Contis are perfectly fine for now. I may have a more complete opinion once I get through this weeked with a trip to the mountains.

[LordCash]

Richard,

Wow! Thanks for all the details - exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for! Anybody else have opinions on this? I am hoping to get the new wheels put on this coming weekend and so obviously I would like to figure out which tires will initially go on the M6 rims - the Contis that were M6-supplied or the RFTs.

I, too, am used to buying new tires every year. I had my 330Ci for 4 years and bought three sets of tires (+ the originals = 4 sets in 4 years). So while I am planning to get the PS2s next (I liked them on my 330), I just want to use up one of the two sets of tires I already own first. :)

Thanks again Richard.

Lord Cash

[Gman]

I have contis and I prefer them for many of the reasons Richard described.

[LordCash]

Guys,

So yesterday I had the M6 wheels and Contis installed. Unfortunately the TPM sensors had been removed but I couldn't get to the dealer in time on Saturday (because I had an appointment elsewhere to get my car tinted!) so I will be getting new TPM sensors and having them installed tomorrow (Monday).

Thanks for the advice on the tires. So far in one day (and about 100 miles) I like the quietness and ride quality of the Contis.

-Lord Cash

Michelins - the best.

Contis & Bridgestones - tossup.

Dunlops - :sht:

[boxboss]

Michelins - the best.
You need to let cobradav chime in on that one...

Michelins - the best.
You need to let cobradav chime in on that one...
Michelins - the best for Southern California roads.

Chime in, Dave.

[ander163]

I was told that the TPM works by matching the rotation speed of each wheel against the other wheels. A low tire will spin at a different rate than the other three and trigger the alarm. We had a flat tire alarm on or 2007 X5 after 3 days. It was a false alarm, so after checking the tire pressures all around, we drove around the block to reset the monitor.