BMW X6 Tire Pressure Sensor Issues: Root Causes & Fixes

Hey there! I have some experience with cars and had a similar issue with my 2010 BMW X5 last year (also own an X3). The exact same thing happened, tire pressure warning light and error message. Took it to my regular workshop and turns out the TPMS sensor battery was dead. They had to replace it, cost me around 280 Euro for the fix. Pretty straightforward job, took about an hour. Before I share more specific advice, could you tell me if you've noticed any pattern when the warning light comes on? Like after driving for a while or when starting the car? Also, are you getting any specific error codes? The fix worked perfectly for me, no issues since then. Just want to make sure you're dealing with the same problem before suggesting the same solution.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X6 is showing these symptoms pretty out of nowhere, the warning light flickers on during both cold starts and while driving. Haven't gotten the error codes read yet, but planning to do that this weekend. My car has roughly 70,231 KM on it and just had a service last month where they didn't catch this issue. Really hoping it's just a sensor battery like in your case, as that sounds like a relatively straightforward fix. Did you notice any specific warning messages on your iDrive screen before getting it fixed?

Yeah, I totally get what you're dealing with! When I had this issue with my X5, I also noticed those unusual warning light patterns. And yes, I definitely got warnings on the iDrive screen. It would show "Tire Pressure Monitor Malfunction" sometimes, and other times just the general tire pressure warning. Actually, now that you mention your mileage, that's about where mine started acting up too. These TPMS sensors typically last around 5-7 years or about 60,000-80,000 KM, so the timing makes sense. Funny thing is, my regular service didn't catch it either. These sensors can be tricky because they might work intermittently when they're starting to fail. In my case, all tire pressures were fine when checked manually, which was another clue it was the sensor itself. Getting the error codes read is definitely the right next step. When I did that, it showed fault code 2E4D (if I remember correctly). That confirmed it was the sensor battery, not an actual tire pressure issue. Just a heads up, while you're getting it checked, might be worth having them look at all your TPMS sensors. I ended up replacing another one six months later because it started showing the same symptoms. Could've saved some time and money doing them all at once. Let me know what the error codes show up as, curious to see if you're dealing with the exact same thing!

Thanks so much for all this detailed info! That's super helpful to know about the typical lifespan of these sensors, makes total sense why mine might be failing now. I'm actually relieved to hear your experience was so similar, especially with the intermittent warnings and the fact that your regular service missed it too. I'll definitely take your advice about checking all the sensors while I'm at it. Don't want to end up making multiple trips to the shop if another one fails soon. The cost you mentioned seems reasonable enough to justify replacing them all if needed. Really appreciate you mentioning that specific fault code too, I'll keep an eye out for that when I get mine scanned this weekend. Will probably save me some diagnostic time if it matches up. The whole flickering warning light thing was starting to drive me crazy, but knowing it's likely just a sensor issue makes me feel much better about the situation. Thanks again for walking me through your experience, super helpful!