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BMW tire pressure warning and TPMS malfunction

Check pressures cold and correct them. A "failure" or "malfunction" message means the monitor itself isn't working.

Last updated October 20, 2026

At a glance

Can I keep driving?	Pressure warning: yes, to the nearest air. Tire failure: stop carefully
Warning color	Yellow; "tire failure" is red
Wording you may see	Tyre pressure! Check Tire pressure monitor failed / TPM malfunction Flat tire / Tyre failure! Stop carefully Tire pressure monitor (RDCi) failure
Usual causes	Real pressure loss or cold weather Wheel sensor (wheel electronics) or valve Receiver or antenna hardware Wheels without sensors, or new sensors not learned

What it means

BMWs use one of two systems. Older run-flat equipped cars use the Flat Tire Monitor (RPA), which compares wheel speeds and can only tell you a tire has lost pressure. Most later cars use the Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC or RDCi) with a sensor in each wheel that reads actual pressure. There are three kinds of message: a pressure warning (too low or too high), a tire failure warning (rapid loss), and a system failure or malfunction (the monitor can't read the sensors).

Can I keep driving?

Pressure warning: yes, to the nearest air. Tire failure: stop carefully. For a pressure warning, check and correct the pressures to the door-jamb sticker. For "tire failure", BMW's instruction is to stop carefully; on run-flat tires the E90 manual allows continuing at up to 80 km/h (about 50 mph) for a limited distance (see your owner's manual for your car's limit). A "monitor failed" message means you have no warning if a tire loses air, so check pressures by hand until it's fixed. BMW's E90 text for a temporary fault says it can be due to an external cause or extra RDC wheels in the car, and that it's possible to continue.

This is general guidance. Your owner's manual has the exact instruction for your car, and any red warning means stop as soon as it is safe.

Usual causes

Cause	Cars most affected	What you notice	BMW bulletins
Real pressure loss or cold weather	All	Pressure drops in cold weather and with slow leaks. After correcting pressures, reset or let the system relearn as your owner's manual describes.	—
Wheel sensor (wheel electronics) or valve	All RDC cars; G07 X7 built August 15–16, 2022 had sensors fitted without a union nut	One wheel reads no signal or leaks at the valve. BMW's service action replaced all four wheel electronics modules on the affected X7s.	SI B36 03 22 (PDF)
Receiver or antenna hardware	F15, F16, F48, F80/F82/F83, F85/F86, i3, i8 to 1/2016; F22, F30, F31, F32, F33, F34, F36 built 3/2014–1/2016	"Tire Pressure Monitor (RDCi) failed" with no-reception codes for one or more wheels; BMW traced it to the remote control receiver (FBD3 antenna).	SI B36 01 15 (PDF)
Wheels without sensors, or new sensors not learned	All RDC cars	Winter or aftermarket wheels without sensors, or sensors that haven't been registered, give a system failure message.	SI B36 02 11 (PDF)

Bulletins are BMW service information filed with NHTSA; open one for the exact models, build dates and repair. A bulletin isn't a recall and doesn't mean your car has the problem.

How to reset BMW tire pressure: RPA vs RDC

BMW has two systems. The Flat Tire Monitor (RPA, also called FTM) uses ABS wheel speeds and shows no pressures. The Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC, RDCi or TPM) has a sensor in each wheel and shows each tire's pressure on screen¹⁰⁷. If your screen shows four pressures, you have RDC. Inflate all four tires cold to the placard pressures before any reset.

System	Typical cars	Reset steps
Flat Tire Monitor (RPA) with a button	E46, E53 X5, E83 X3, E85 Z4	Press the RPA reset button with the car stopped as your owner's manual describes, then drive. The system learns over the first part of the drive.¹⁰
Flat Tire Monitor (RPA) via the turn-signal stalk	Cars without iDrive, such as many E87 and E90	Ignition on, car stopped. Use the BC button on the stalk to reach RPA or "INIT", hold the button about 5 seconds until a check mark appears, then drive.¹⁰⁸
Flat Tire Monitor (FTM/RPA) with iDrive	Run-flat cars with FTM, such as some F22 and F30	Engine running, car stopped. Vehicle Info › Vehicle status › Reset, confirm, then drive. Don't reset with snow chains or a compact spare fitted.⁸⁹
Tire Pressure Monitor (RDC/TPM), iDrive up to OS7	Most F-series and G-series cars to about 2022	CAR › Vehicle status › Tire Pressure Monitor. Check the tire settings (size and load) match the tires fitted, select Perform reset, then drive. Wheels show the target pressures once it finishes.⁷
Tire Pressure Monitor, Operating System 8, 8.5 or 9	Curved-display cars, about 2022 on	Apps › Vehicle › Vehicle status › Tire Pressure Monitor. Check tire settings, car ready to drive but not moving, select Perform reset, then drive. The wheels show gray "Resetting tire pressure…" and turn green when done; the reset carries on after a stop.⁶⁵⁴

Menus differ by year and software; your owner's manual has the exact path. On RDC cars, if the tire settings are wrong (for example after switching to winter tires), the target pressures will be wrong too⁷.

Reset stuck partway (for example at 49%)

On RDC cars the reset only finishes when the car hears from all four wheel sensors while driving. Owners whose reset stalls partway, often reported at 49%, usually trace it to one of these¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴:

One sensor not transmitting, most often a dead sensor battery on an older wheel.
A new or aftermarket sensor that wasn't programmed or registered to the car.
A wheel with no sensor at all, such as an aftermarket winter set.
A receiver or antenna fault; BMW traced one to the remote control receiver on some 2014–2016 cars (bulletin in the causes table above).

A tire shop's TPMS tool or a BMW scan tool can read each wheel and show which one isn't reporting, which is cheaper than replacing all four sensors on a guess.

Tires or wheels not recognized

Messages such as "TPM has not completed a reset" or "wheel without TPM electronics" mean the car can't match a sensor to a wheel⁹. Check that every wheel has a sensor, that new sensors were programmed for your car, and that the tire settings match the tires fitted. Then drive for a while at a steady speed; if the message stays, have the system scanned.

TPMS sensor cost

Aftermarket sensor, part only	$19.98–$58.35 each¹⁸¹⁷¹⁶
Genuine BMW sensor, part only	$107–$137 each¹⁵
Installed, tire shop or dealer	— Not enough published prices yet

Prices for part 36106881890, which fits many 2014–2023 BMWs; confirm with your VIN. Replacing a sensor means dismounting the tire, so it's cheapest to do when you're buying tires. Shop fees for mounting and TPMS service kits are in BMW tire replacement cost; for run-flat and star-marked tires see our tire guide.

What to do

Check all four tires cold with a gauge, including the one that looks fine.
Inflate to the pressures on the door-jamb sticker, then reset the system (steps for your car are in the reset section above).
If a "failure" message stays after correcting pressures, have the system scanned; it will show which wheel isn't reporting.

Other BMW bulletins that mention it

SI B36 03 14 RDC: Incorrect Tire Position Displayed with Air Pressure Drop E60, E82, F01, F02, F06 and others · Jun 2014
SI B36 03 09 Third Generation Tire Pressure Monitor System (RDC) E46, E90, E91, E92, E93 and others · May 2014
SI B36 02 14 Erroneous Check Control Message: Tire Pressure Check Failed F15 · May 2014
SI B01 12 20 Update: BMW maintenance booklet and oem tire manufacturers’ warranties cd-rom G22, G23, G26, G29, G82 and others · Dec 2020
SI B36 01 22 Digital tire diagnosis service still present in the app after replacing tires G20, G21, G22, G23, G26 and others · May 2022
SI B84 02 22 Tires service information G20, G21, G22, G23, G26 and others · Mar 2022
SI B36 01 16 Robustness measure: low profile tires G11, G12 · Aug 2016
SI B36 02 22 Digital tire diagnosis: discontinuation of qr code on pirelli tire sidewalls G20, G21, G22, G23, G26 and others · Jun 2022

170 of the BMW bulletins we hold mention this warning in their text; these are the closest matches.

Related warnings

DSC, ABS or brake system warning Service due light All warning lights

Sources

Message wording in quotes is BMW's own, from the Check Control list in BMW's E90 training manual or from the bulletins linked above; newer cars word some messages differently. The explanations are ours.