I drove up to Philadelphia for a family function this weekend.
When leaving, as was approaching the stadiums (Packer Ave. on I-95), I came across a number of cars - recently dead - on the side of the road. There must have been about 10 of them including a couple wrecks. Almost all of the cars had multiple flat tires. As I noticed the flats, I thought "oh crap" to myself as I rolled past. Sure enough, within a minute or so, my TPMS system light illuminated.
Being 600+ miles from home, and it being a Sunday night, I immediately got off the highway and called a family member to ask where I could get new tires or tires patched on a Sunday evening. The only store they could name was a PEP-Boys at Broad and popular. So, I turned North and drove up Broad street hoping to get there before any of my tires quit on me.
After about 20 minutes I arrived, only to be told that they did not have tires in my size and that they couldn't patch. At this time however I wasn't even sure if what I needed. So, I got out the tire gauge and checked the tires. They were all indicating high pressure (what I normally keep them inflated to (cold) with a couple extra pounds accumulated from the high ambient and rolling temperature).
I thought about it for a while and decided that my options were to find a hotel near a real tire shop, and park for the night so that the next morning I could find appropriate tires if needed, or continue down the road seeing how far I could get. I had a spare in the car. And I always carry a can of "Fix a Flat" (FAF) in my road kit.
Not wanting to take a chance that the one can of FAF would be sufficient, I decided to buy a bottle of "Green Slime." I chose a bottle big enough to inflate 4 tires and decided to get back on the road. Before I left PEP-Boys, I checked the tires again - they were all still indicating high and it had now been about 50-60 minutes since the warning was triggered. So, I reset the TPMS system and resumed my southward trip.
From the Airport to about Newark I was saw a number of cars dead on the side of the road with blown out tires and there was tire debris all over the interstate.
I drove almost to Richmond before stopping for the night and there was not another warning from the TPMS. The next morning the pressure in the tires was lower but I attributed that to normal cooling overnight. I got home last night and checked my tires this morning - they are all normal.
So, I my thinking now that my trip to PEP Boys was unnecessary even though I am glad I picked up the large bottle of slime - it is going into my road kit. My best guesses as to why the TMPS system triggered within a minute or so of passing the wreck is that:
- My BMW has learned to read my mind and threw a warning because it knew I was worried
- the TPMS system was just reacting to the condition of high temperatures on Sunday and just co-incidentally triggered at the site of the wreck,
- my tires have some kind of self-sealing technology I have not heard of, or
- as I rolled past the accident, one or more of the tires picked up debris from the wreck. It did not puncture the tires, but it did ride along on the tires for long enough that the pressure calculator was thrown off - then the debris was thrown off after the warning was posted.
This was a new experience for me, and I am posting in case someone else has a similar event. If it happens, I suggest you,
- pull over and check tire pressure,
- drive cautiously for about an hour or so and check your pressure again
- If you are not near a large city and you do not already have some - stop somewhere and get a large bottle of slime
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