Blew all 4 tires TireMinder TPMS FAILED.

JJackson · 08-15-2019, 08:28 PM

We were 4 miles from pulling into Apache Pier Campground and the RV felt like it went into limp mode. I lost power and headed for the safest spot to pull over. A glance into my rear camera and smoke had engulfed our smart Fortwo toad. My first reaction was omg the car must have gone into gear and locked up. When I stopped I stood up from behind the wheel and then my alarm on the TireMinder went off. Mind you, I not only have the repeater, I also have the monitor and a dedicated phone with the app running mounted to the window. A safety pin came out of my blueox tow bar and the breakaway engaged, locking up all 4 tires. We then drug the car about 1/2 a mile before all 4 tires exploded. I'm so disappointed in the TireMinder system. $700 and a flat tow later we have 4 new tires.

BroMo · 08-15-2019, 08:35 PM

🤦*♂️

Jim34RL · 08-16-2019, 07:38 AM

I have always stated that people put too much faith in TPMS systems, thinking this will prevent tire failures. Will you found out the hard way they don't. I also agree nothing could have prevented your tire failures that occurred once the brakes were engaged!

My wife's Jetta had a similar experience the tire failed (had a flat) and than the TPMS lite up and dinged showing low air pressure! Really I all ready new that!

All TPMS will do is tell you that you may have low air pressure in a tire! If you check your air pressure daily with a tire gage, like you should on an RV. Then you don't need the TPMS!

I do not use TPMS on anything even my tow vehicle, I never had them installed in my aftermarket tires. Why? I run these tires at a different pressure than my stock tires. The system will go nuts on my truck with a lower air pressure than stock.

JMark · 08-16-2019, 08:22 AM

I would be more concerned about a safety pin coming out.....not a SAFETY pin!

Brother Les · 08-16-2019, 08:34 AM

You should not be 'disappointed' in your Tire Minder System....You are wanting the Tire Minder system to do something that it was not designed to do. Tire minders are for psi and tire temp. The monitor never received a signal than the tires went beyond the parameter that were installed into the system until the tires lost air pressure.

I this summer 'lost' a tire going down the road. All six lug bolts sheared on one of my tires and the Tire Minder system did not tell me that the tire 'left the trailer'.... until I drove beyond the range of the repeater.... by that time a lot of damage had happened. NOT the fault of the Tire minder system......

Semperfi24 · 08-16-2019, 08:43 AM

I have no idea how this is a Tire minder fail??? Dragging a car down the road for half a mile was the problem, not the tire minder.

You said "...headed for the safest spot to pull over." If the tireminder had gone off, what would your reaction have been? It would have been to head to the safest spot to pull over. And the end result would have been exactly the same.

Your inference is that had the TPMS gone off you would have stopped immediately, whether it was safe or not. If dragging your car wasnt enough indication you needed to stop immediately, the chirping TPMS wouldnt have changed anything. Your decision was either stop now, or find a safe spot. You chose to find a safe spot, and I cant fault you for that, but in hindsight, maybe finding a safe spot was a mistake.

Your situation happened too quickly. Its a reactionary device, it doesnt forecast or make predictions. It will only alert you if there is a pressure loss of 3PSI over a 15 minute period. Your entire ordeal, from start to finish would have taken less than 15 minutes

**dcheatwood** · 08-16-2019, 08:50 AM

I can see the concern. Aren't tpms systems supposed to report overheating? So the question is, why did he not get a notification that the skidding tires were overheating?

**KyDan** · 08-16-2019, 08:55 AM

The time between the brake lock up and the blown tires was too short for the heat to register.

bubbles · 08-16-2019, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I can see the concern. Aren't tpms systems supposed to report overheating? So the question is, why did he not get a notification that the skidding tires were overheating?

I don't have the Tire Minder system but mine allows the parameters for temp and pressure (other than complete pressure loss) to be set manually for warnings. What is the OP's set to? Don't think the OP's system faulted. After all, it's a TPMS; tire PRESSURE monitor system.

edm · 08-16-2019, 09:08 AM

When we tow with our MH i always have the rear camera on. The TPMS temp is measured at the valve stem and a quick temp rise won't show up.TPMS systems are a relative indicator not an exact indication of what is going on in real time.

Better luck next time. Hope that never happens to you again. Happy travels.

Semperfi24 · 08-16-2019, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I can see the concern. Aren't tpms systems supposed to report overheating? So the question is, why did he not get a notification that the skidding tires were overheating?

I considered that, but, and this is only my opinion, I believe it all unfolded too quickly. If the threshold is 15 minutes for tire pressure (I have now found some that say 10 minutes), I would have to assume it would be the same for temp. Either way, by comparing the alert tone to the feeling of dragging a vehicle with 4 locked up tires, dragging a vehicle seems like a bigger indication of stopping and stopping NOW. If dragging a car didnt scream "pull over NOW!" the tireminder wouldnt have either. And the end result would have been 4 flat tires.

But I want to say again, as I did in my initial post, I do not fault the OP for finding a safe spot to pull over. Safety is paramount. I just dont personally see the tireminder being at fault on this.

upflying · 08-16-2019, 09:13 AM

It sounds like the Tire Minder was working properly. It reported the overheated tires you just flat spotted.

Brother Les · 08-16-2019, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I can see the concern. Aren't tpms systems supposed to report overheating? So the question is, why did he not get a notification that the skidding tires were overheating?

The tpms was not overheating, only the area on the tire of tread (not moving tire) contact to the road was getting hot and grinding the rubber off. This heat could not reach the monitor on the valve stem.
the monitor could only work with the information given to it.

s1njin · 08-16-2019, 09:28 AM

We're all jumping on the TPMS - but what's the deal w/ the safety pin on the Blue Ox?

upflying · 08-16-2019, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1njin

We're all jumping on the TPMS - but what's the deal w/ the safety pin on the Blue Ox?

exactly, there was nothing wrong with the TPMS.

david_reaves · 08-16-2019, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1njin

We're all jumping on the TPMS - but what's the deal w/ the safety pin on the Blue Ox?

That was my thought, too! That's what I'd be really worried about. I don't want the brakes engaged unless the the tow has truly broken away.

NMWildcat · 08-16-2019, 10:09 AM

I've never understood the need for TPMS. And after reading numerous situations where it was of no help in a tire failure, I feel like it would be nice to have, but it really doesn't help in many real life events.
If it only samples temp and psi every few minutes, it's worthless to me. Defend it all you want, it has limited capabilities.
If I ever have a few hundred $$$ that I have absolutely no idea what to spend on, I'll look at a TPMS

And as far as the tow bar, if a safety pin came out, I'm betting it wasn't installed correctly.

bubbles · 08-16-2019, 10:09 AM

This is the only time I've read about a breakaway on a toad engaging and it had nothing to do with the toad disconnecting from the MH. Ditch the breakaway. Not needed nor required.

**Tireman9** · 08-16-2019, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcheatwood

I can see the concern. Aren't tpms systems supposed to report overheating? So the question is, why did he not get a notification that the skidding tires were overheating?

TPMS do report an increase in the temperature of the contained air but not of the tread of the tire. Rubber is a great insulator from heat transfer. when dragging locked up tires it is only the tire surface that is in contact with the road that gets hot and in your situation the hottest bits of rubber are being shed by the tire and left as smoke (burnet rubber) or black marks on the highway.

If you doubt this think about holding a piece of rubber against a grinding wheel. You will get smoke and bits of rubber coming off but your fingers will not get burned.

bubbles · 08-16-2019, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

I've never understood the need for TPMS. And after reading numerous situations where it was of no help in a tire failure, I feel like it would be nice to have, but it really doesn't help in many real life events.
If it only samples temp and psi every few minutes, it's worthless to me. Defend it all you want, it has limited capabilities.
If I ever have a few hundred $$$ that I have absolutely no idea what to spend on, I'll look at a TPMS

I only have the TPMS on my toad and one time it alerted me to a blowout that had occurred and no indication was felt in the MH. The tire almost shredded. Glad I had it.

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