Hello Folks,
I'm looking for some help with a weird and random issue... At completely random times I will unlock the car and get in to find that my front map lights are on. I never touch them. I will turn them off and they will be fine for a couple days the at random they will turn on again after unlocking the car. I searched google and others have also had the same issue however no solution or reason was ever posted. Curious to see what the community thinks could be causing this. Any insight would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

 

I have seen it happen too. Perhaps we locked the doors with a door open or something with the trunk. I don't know.

 

Ya maybe. I went out and tried it and the lights did not come on. Those darn mini gremlins.

 

I too have had this several times. For me I only noticed it starting when I enabled the auto lock feature. I have not disabled it yet to see if it goes away.

 

This happened to me once but not since. Very strange.

 

Thanks for the post...My 2012 does this; my '07 didn't.

I only time I have noticed this, is when I have opened and closed the rear hatch.

 

Happened a couple times in my '11 club, but never the '08. It seems like some combination of lock or unlock and the hatch (well barm door) button on the remote, possibly if one of the others is hit with the back open. I've never figured out what causes it but glad I'm not the only one.

 

I'll add myself to list of MINIs infested with the map light gremlins. '11 MCS. I haven't seen other discussions on this, but does this seem limited to '11+ (refresh) models?

 

This makes sense...when the doors are all locked, open the hatch with the button on the fob and then unlock the doors????

I seem to remember doing something like that sequence and finding the lights on.

 

Hey all -- my first post here!! I purchased an '11 MCS a few weeks ago. Chalk me up for gremlins in the electric system. I've had same issue as OP on my car twice since I've bought it. Strange! I was actually searching for "electric issues" when I can across this thread. Not only have I entered my car to find both map lights on, but I've also had strange issues when auto-rolling up the windows (go 1/2 way up and stop, then back down). My iPod connection (using USB port and factory connection) will just be dropped; however, when I go to "AUX" in my mode setting, my iPod music still plays through the radio.

Since I'm new to Mini, are these minor annoyances par for the course for some Minis, or should I be more concerned? Car is still under warranty. Sorry to jack OP thread!

 

I guess I should stop blaming my kids for playing with the lights in the car...this has happened to me a couple of times.

 

Must be some kind of software glitch. Ibmiked, the thing with the windows was a big problem in earlier 2nd gen models which I think was also ultimately some kind of software glitch. It was a big problem on our 08 until it was reprogrammed but has been fine since.

My club once in a while does like you said but I haven't worried about it.

 

Yah, that's it, it's the kids - but who do the rest of us get to blame.

When it first happened to me I wondered if I had turned it on and didn't remember until I realized both map lights were on and there was no way I would have turned on the second light.

 

This happened to me this morning after posting last night. The last time it happened was over a month ago. Definitely has something to do with the rear hatch. I wonder how long the map lights would stay on if I didn't notice.

Also curious...if dealer had a fix for the software glitch, would it affect any other codes changes I made through NCS Expert?

 

Have had it happen to me twice and it turns out that I bumped hatch release button on fob while in my house. Go out next morning to find map lights come on when I put fob in ignition and also get "hatch open warning" in display.

 

I tried a bunch of fob button combinations today and, guess what, nothing.

I wonder if there is a time issue. That is, does the rear hatch need to be open for a certain period of time after hitting the right button combinations????? It does seem to have to do with the rear hatch.

 

I have owned my '11 club for almost three weeks. This has happened to me twice. I was unable to make it occur, but I my efforts have not exhausted the options. Lets keep plugging away at finding what is doing this.

 

Me too, but if this is my only issue, I am okay with it. It's only on when I get in the car - never noticed any lights still on when I get out and it's easy to turn it off when it's on so I'm not losing any sleep on this one.

 

Good point. Another difference between the MINI and the other cars that I have recently owned. The lights do all go out when you leave the vehicle. Now if only my wife's car did that!

 

Yep, this happens on my '11 too. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. It's completely random. But, I figure hey, it's just a MINI quirk. I have squeeks, rattles, and gremiln lights. I chalk it up to character and just motor on :-).

 

Hey, this has happened to my '11 a few times as well. Interesting...

 

This is really sounds like a software bug in the FRM module!!

 

Thanks for all the feedback folks, glad to see that it's just not me. I cannot replicate the issue and get it to happen on demand, sooo weird.

 

Happened again last night, never opened the barn doors. Just went out to get something and relocked. Some time later noticed the map lights on. Hopefully they would have gone off after a while!

 

Dealer looked at me like I was crazy. Everyone else I told thinks I'm an idiot. Glad I found this thread. It happened twice in the past month.