So I've only had my MINI for 3 weeks and it seems to have developed a bladder problem. It is constantly leaving puddles of an unnamed liquid. It may just be water, but I'm not sure where that much water would be coming from.

That's beside the point.

Yesterday, I stopped by Otto's in West Chester to make an appointment to get it checked out. The guy filled me in as an emergency service and I was supposed to bring it in this morning. I get a guy I work with to follow me to the dealership at around 9:10 AM. I park the car and this guy takes the key, fills out a little sheet, and puts my info and key in a cubbie hole.

I was in cubbie hole number 2. There was somebody else's information in cubbie hole number 1. So I wait. And wait. I ask the lady at the service checkout how this procedure works. She says after the first guy checks me in, I have to wait for a "service advisor" to take my information.

Twenty minutes pass and cubbie hole number 1 still wasn't taken care of. I'm beginning to get anxious. My coworker is beginning to get anxious. Finally somebody takes cubbie hole number 1 and helps that lady.

I wait... And Wait... And Wait... BMW employees are milling around ALL OVER the place. Nobody is helping. I ask the service checkout lady if I can give this info over the phone, I need to be somewhere. No. Can't do that. But I can fill out an envelope with my information on it and put the key in it. Hey, thanks for telling me that 45 minutes ago. I start to fill it out when a "service advisor" finally asks who's next. It takes me five minutes to tell the "service advisor" my problem and get out of there.

Now I have a couple questions:

Do any dealerships have they're own MINI Service Department or are they all serviced by the BMW side? (MINI of the Mainline is my other local option)

How come every other service department in the world has you bring in the car, take your information, ask's you what's wrong, and sends you on your way. I don't need a "service advisor". Look under the car. See that leak. Fix it. It was such a stuffy, snobby, holier than thou, operation. I am literally sick just thinking about it. If I buy an $80,000 BMW, would I still have to wait 45 minutes to be waited on, just to drop my car off. :evil:

My sales experience with Otto's was wonderful, but this "service" is ridiculous.

Sorry for the rant, but it shouldn't be this difficult. I just want my MINI to stop peeing all over the place every time I park it. Thanks for reading...

Raj

PS: Of course they didn't get to it today either.

 

There are several dealers that have their own service departments instead of 'sharing' with the BMW side, but regardless of that, they all set their own proceedures - soory you got the stuffy one ...

and as for the 'peeing' , it is from your air conditioning system (most likely) and if you try leaving the a/c off, the puddles should go away ... (it's just condensation draining off).

 

I thought it might be just condensation, but is seemed to be A LOT of condensation. More than I've had with other cars. If that's the case, so be it, but I figured I get it checked out anyway to be safe.

 

Make sure you post your problem in the "Dealer Rating System" section of this site!

Something tells me that the MINI Division robot isn't going to chime in on this one.

 

For anyone who's interested:

Fire up your car and run the A/C (I think just running it hot without the A/C will do it too, via the radiator, but I'm not postive). If you look underneath the car, in the general area of the front passenger wheel, but inboard, you'll see the water pouring out of a little tube. I discovered this when researching the "pee" all over my driveway.

Enjoy!

 

I feel silly now that they are going to tell me that's it's only condensation.

I've been running the climate control at 70 degrees. It works so well I never ever had to touch it. I figured the heat would be running most of that time so it wouldn't be causing condensation from the air conditioner. Live and Learn.

It just goes to show that I should turn to the "Site formerly known as MCO" for the answer before I go to MINI.

That's still no excuse for that darned service department! :evil:

Raj

 

>>I feel silly now that they are going to tell me that's it's only condensation.
>>
>>I've been running the climate control at 70 degrees. It works so well I never ever had to touch it. I figured the heat would be running most of that time so it wouldn't be causing condensation from the air conditioner. Live and Learn.
>>
>>It just goes to show that I should turn to the "Site formerly known as MCO" for the answer before I go to MINI.
>>
>>That's still no excuse for that darned service department! :evil:
>>
>>Raj

I get this all the time. It used to concern me, but I smelled, but not tasted the "pee" and determined it was just water.

 

>>I get this all the time. It used to concern me, but I smelled, but not tasted the "pee" and determined it was just water.

That's the thing. I guess it was mixing with the other chemicals already on the asphalt so it appeared to be discolored, but it didn't smell. With all the talk of coolant leaks and such I didn't want to take a chance.

 

raj,

Sounds more like service from a state or federal office than a BMW dealership but it does happen.
So many people, so little action. Sorry to hear about it.

I like to get to know one service advisor and then send gifts (little ones like stuff to eat) just to be friendly and get their attention. Sometimes they remember you and will be a little more energetic.

On the other hand was it a monday- a busy day usually and all things are running behind- maybe just a bit of bad luck.

 

Thanks for the sympathy, minihune.

Although it was a Tuesday, not Monday. And there were service advisors sitting in their cubes. The service cashier actually went to them (in front of us) and asked them if they could take the next customer. The one advisor said, "No, I've been waiting 20 minutes for an answer about this from so-and-so." I guess service advisors aren't taught multitasking in Service Advisor School because it literally took five minutes when he finally got to me.

Life's too short to let these little grievences bother me, but this one really got to me.

However, I did grab one of those late night/early morning drop off envelopes so I can just fill that out and drop it off next time.

Raj

 

>>
>>Do any dealerships have they're own MINI Service Department or are they all serviced by the BMW side? (MINI of the Mainline is my other local option)
>>
>>

That's the same way I felt every time I went to the MINI MainLIne (Don Rosen) service department went it was with the BMW service. However, since they have moved MINI service over to the MINI sales location, everything is much nicer!!

[no BMW service advisors or owners to "minigle" with )

_________________
<IMG SRC="https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...humb.jpg" "http://www.mini2.com/gallery/persona....JPG">

BRG/White Cooper/Sport/MFSW/AutoAC/ChromeLine/OBC/Cloth

 

I get in my car in the morning and as I'm backing out of my driveway I can see the line of water coming out of my car onto the driveway. I've had the car 11 days so THANK YOU so much NA Motoring people for telling me it's the AC. I have it set to 72 and have just left it there. I learn something every day I read this forum!


and are you sure you were at a BMW/MINI service dept and not at the County Courthouse ??? Where's the work ethic in this country gone?

 

That's your tax dollars at work. :evil:

earl

 

That's the problem with the whole MINI service situaiton. It'll done by idiot service advisors who any mini enthusiast is infinitely smarter than.

 

>>That's the problem with the whole MINI service situaiton. It'll done by idiot service advisors who any mini enthusiast is infinitely smarter than.

While this sad situation may be true at many dealerships, it certainly isn't the case @ Rasmussen MINI. They have their own service dept. w/ a service manager, and I have had no bad experiences there to date. In fact, the opposite is true. I always feel like I'm being very well cared for, and that they bend over backwards to make sure that I feel that way.

 

I agree with fms ^^^. Anne (SA) at Rasmussen is incredible; knowledgeable AND nice. I've gotten nothing but the best service. I guess we're lucky in Portland.

 

>>Now I have a couple questions:
>>
>>Do any dealerships have they're own MINI Service Department or are they all serviced by the BMW side? (MINI of the Mainline is my other local option)
>>

I bought my car last May at Prestige Mini in Mahwah, NJ. They are a superb, 5-star, stand-alone Mini dealer. My sales experience could not have been better. When I need service, I get a quick appointment, usually within a day or two. I'm greeted by name and offered coffee (although I usually bring my Dunkin' DOnuts coffee with me). The service manager does a quick interview (although he basically already knows what the problem is), takes my key, and my car is returned - washed - in the promised time. I've been spoiled rotten by Prestige and I love it. Now I'm looking forward to their next rally.