Three or four times within the past week, I've gotten this "ding-ding-ding" in the morning. I look down at the instrument panel. I don't know how to explain my instrument panel but to say the attached to the steering column is one big tachometer with a little screen where the computer shows one of several displays. At the time, I had the speed showing--or that's what it was set for. What it actually showed, flashing, was the temperature. I think each time this happened, the temperature displayed was 37 degrees. After a few seconds of this, the screen went back to MPH and the noise stopped. This happened at least once soon after starting the car, and another time after driving on the freeway for 20-30 minutes. Any idea what this is? Is this the official mini way to notify me that it's dang cold?

If it helps, it's been very cold here in southern California recently. Seriously. There were polar bears and penguins, but they got cold and left. Where's our federal aid package. Daytime highs have only been in the 50s. I'll bet none of you has experienced something so brutal.

Anyway, thanks if you can shed some light on this.

Mike Todd

 

It's a frost/freeze warning - letting you know it's possibly icy

 

From about mid-March 2002-on, the engineers worked a warning into the MINI Cooper that alerts you of the dangerous possibility of black ice on the roads. At around 3-degrees Celsius or 37-degrees Fahrenheit, the system will beep or chime and your temperature readout will flash to alert you of this potential driving hazard. Nothing is wrong with your MINI – just pay extra attention to road conditions!

 

So it really is the car's way of saying, "Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Thanks,
Mike

 

You got it so keep her warm. Lol

 

Cold Weather!! See that one all the time, here in Canada.

 

I thought that was a warning telling me my co-pilot would automatically start out-whining the SC because the top is still down.

 

Glad I wasn't the only one baffled by this, for the first 6 months I owned my Mini I was always alarmed/confused when this happened. Took me a while to figure this out. ...Canadian winters.

 

I had a slow leak in one of my tires, so when the TPMS kicked in, it'd make that same ding... confusing.
Annnnnnd, I have this song on my ipod that's always hooked up to the stereo.
listen to the 0:36 mark, it has the exact same "ding" that my '05 has. So in the summer I'd be like now what's wrong with you, every time the song came on.

 

Wonder why somebody from Southern California wouldn't know what the "icy conditions" warning was. Glad to see you guys are experiencing some of what we mid-westerners go through each winter