Hey everybody

So I try to get in my Mini yesterday to go to work, and the dash lights all just go crazy. Battery is somehow discharged. I don't see any lights on, and all the doors were securely closed, so I still can't figure out what that was about.

So I took the battery out and got it charged. Now the car runs, but I can't get rid of one of the dash lights. Its the ! in the triangle between the odometer and trip meter. Same one that comes on when you get the low fuel warning. I had 75% fuel at the time, and just went and filled it up anyway. Still can't get the light to go off. Also tried turning off/on the traction control and reset the TPMS.

I'm afraid its just time for (another) trip to the dealer. Any idea what the light means though?

This thing only has 3k miles on it...

EDIT: here's a pic

 

I think it means "dealer time". Probably one of the computer systems was confused by the low power, or an important setting was lost when the battery was disconnected or reconnected. The dealer should have all of the tools and info they need to set everything back to normal.

 

The "Exclamation in a Triangle" simply means that your MINI has stored a CEL Code, now if you don't have a Code Reader I suggest you learn a bit about them, pick one up yourself, but in the mean time I would also suggest you make that trip to your MINI Dealer. Your MINI is trying to tell you something, like it did with the "Dead" Battery.

Why didn't you call MINI Roadside Assistance and have your MINI towed to your Dealer? If you are under Warranty they would have given you a Loaner and taken care of your MINI for you.

 

Well I've had other CEL's before, and I've borrowed a reader from my friend a couple times. I could try that, but this light is different. Its not the full yellow light that comes on, its just the ! next to the trip meter.

Could have, but I needed to be at work in 20min. It was parked in my garage, and I have my wifes Scion and two motorcycles. The dealer is over an hour away, so if it was just a low battery, I didn't see the need to having them come down and tow it all the way there.

I've got an appt Wednesday at the dealer for the ridiculous rattles, discharging battery, and constant CEL's. Just hoping it was something simple to keep from having to go through all that.

There was a woman totally blow through a red light at an intersection today. My initial reaction was "dang, if I was only 3 car lengths ahead, I could have gotten a check from State Farm..." That's really not how I should feel about a 4 month old car.

 

editorial comment

MINI does not provide loaners

dealers do

or more specifically

SOME dealers do

loaners are not included in your warranty unless something has changed since I bought my last one

 

I apologize if I came off as crass, but so many people on NAM just don't or aren't wanting to understand their MINIs. But I knew what the "little" light was so I thought I'd try to offer some assistance. With that said this little light says that your OBC has picked up some kind of error code, once you pull that code you will know what the problem is or was.

And no it is not how one should feel when having to deal with issues like this on a 4-month old MINI. I'm at 3.5yrs. I still love my MINI though!!

I've had my share of CELs and this last one came up 4-times (fixed on Wednesday), but I'm one of the lucky ones I guess my Dealer is only 16mi. from home and 2.5mi. from my work.

There is a New Bentley Manual out for our MINIs 2007 - 2011, some NAMers are buying it from Amazon, it might be something to check out, it does offer information on CEL Codes.

 

The dealer I purchased from does offer a loaner. There is a valet service for $25 where they have a driver come down with a loaner mini and trade you cars. When the service is done, they trade back. Its worth it for me since I'd have to take a day off work and drive an hour up there.

 

Well to be fair, I'm not typical clueless driver. I'm not a hardcore gearhead, but I do a lot of things myself (more so on motorcycles than my cars). I even have a tire changing press in my garage for trackdays and whatnot.

I just figured since it didn't trigger the full CEL that I've pulled codes from previously, it might be something different.

 

I too had a stored Check Control message that I could not view using the SET/INFO, CHECK INFO sequence. Although there was no TPM warning, a TPM Reset got rid of the check.

 

Just added a pic to the OP.

 

The only time I have seen that exclamation point is when my TPMS needs to be reset. The first time I saw it was when I rotated my tires. Took me a bit to figure it out.

 

Hi
I got a mini cooper 2010 base model 2200 km tried to start it today the key stack in the ignition and the start button was not going down when i was pushing it my feet was on the break finally i took the key out but still the button stack also once i brought the key close to ignition with out touching the button and with out insert it in the ignation the engine stared kind of scared me need ur help plz

 

I have had the same issue after the Low Octane fuel was used. Warning triangular shape disappeared immediately after filling with the correct fuel type!
Hope that helps someone.

 

It's a coulpe of years old, but I bet it's for reset the clock after disconnecting the battery...