Major Problem? need a solution or at least a direction to go...

Suddenly my MC is acting strange. When the car is running the headlights, climate control and windows work intermittenly. Sometimes they will stay on for hours, sometimes minutes.

When I turn the ignition to run, everything works fine (I roll the windows down before I start the car now). The battery and charging system all check out fine and all other things work without any problems (radio, turn signals, parking lights).

One other issue that has just popped up is my fuel gauge, it doesn't register quite full even though I just filled the car up. Sometimes it also doesn't move off of empty and the low fuel light is on.

Car is a basic stock MC, 87k, just had the PS pump and various gaskets replaced at dealer ($2000 OUCH) so you can see why I'm looking to fix this or at least have them just order me a part.

Thanks!!!!

 

that eaither you have loose connectors on the center stack, or it sounds like the body control module is sick. Hope for the first, and fear for the second. It's not cheap! Lowest price I found through wreckers was a bit over $300. A lot more from Mini!

But a lot of these systems report diagnosit information if you know someone with BiM-COM. If not, a factory scan tool will let you know what the systems think are cooked. I'd start with that. Some independant BMW shops have the proper diagnostics if you live too far from a dealer.

Good luck!

Matt

 

I'm not up on cars today, with computers and all, but I know a faulty ground can cause all kinds of strange happenings. Check your battery terminals and chassis grounds.

 

Loose connections on center stack?

Center stack is???????

Called MINI and they gave me the body control module diagnosis, sort of, kind of, maybe...bring it in ($200 and two hour drive) so we can look at it thing.

 

all the stuff like the radio/heater controls and the like.

$200 for diagnostics? They should charge you the minimum for a car scan. Plug it in and run the scan. Including putting the car in the bay it should take all of 15 minutes.

Did they give you a price on the body control module?

Matt

 

No price as of yet, but of course they say that I need to bring it in to have them check things out first and the body control module has to be programed in some way???

I'm still stinging from the $2k for PS pump and gaskets they told me needed to be replaced. I love this car and drive the wheels off of her but if she's now going to just keep costing me money I'll start looking for another one with lower miles.

 

what could be wrong in the center stack??

Loose plug or something and how would I go about checking into that?

 

do you have the auto climate control? That has a connector on the back as well. But the lights are done via a steering column stalk, because of this, I'd guess you're going to be getting a new BC unit. If it's $200 to fix, go for it. If it's just $200 to diagnose, that's extreme.

The check the connectors on the center stack modules, you have to take out the down tubes, and then you'll see the screws that hold the toggle panel and the like in. The get the down tubes out, you pull on the base of the plastic dash covers to get room to pull the top of thetube back to you, and undo the two screws on each side (two per tube).

Based on all the symptoms you're listing, I'd think it's a BC module. If you don't want to spend the time at the dealer (if you're out of warranty), I'd definantly take the time to find an idependant Mini/BMW service shop that has the right tools. The cost to diagnose will be much less.

Good luck!

Matt

 

wow this definitely sounds like a BC1 module problem. thats gonna be an expensive part(around $1200) but it could be something else.

the Kombi(speedo) is the communication gateway for you car modules, maybe that is your problem. which could also explain why you have issues with your fuel gauge. thats a lot less expensive than your BC1.

and theres always the chance of a bad ground/connection somewhere in the car.


ps: it could also be like in your second-modded car, a stripped 02 sensor causing the dsc to come on... i work next to the guy who worked on your other car, man that was a lucky find...

 

Now I'm insane!

Everything works fine now, drove it to Classic on Sunday and everything worked like a champ.

So now it's at the dealer (another issue needed addressed also) they are going to run the scan for free since they are the ones that screwed up the other issue.

Another wrinkle to this mess is; when flooring the throttle the battery light comes on and then some of the gremlins pop up. We will see....

 

Well, apparently it's too late to say this in your case, but it it happens to anyone else, before you go to the dealer and incur expenses, disconnect the battery for 10 - 15 minutes and reconnect it. Sometimes, that corrects gremlins in the system. Sometimes not. But, it's free. Of course, you will then need to reset all your preference presets.

 

I changed out batteries, I put a Yellow Top in my MCS so I decided that possibly it was an electrical issue with the battery so I swapped them. I left the battery out for about a half hour, cleaned all the grounding points on the body and block in the mean time.

 

remember intemittent fault codes. The scan should help you narrow down the search.

Matt

 

GOODY GOODY....

Seems my alternator is putting out 19v so I need a new one of those and a new leak has manifested itself now that I had the PS pump replaced. I need a new F'n steering rack.

Today's bill $2700...last months bill $2000....I guess after 70k miles ya just unload your MINI due to all the problems

 

I guess if you yell loud enough...

The factory rep did a warranty on the steering rack and they're giving me a small discount on the alternator.

It's still going to be about $1200 with labor, but that's a far cry from $2700. I told them to make sure and service the CVT because I don't want that to blow next.

Thanks for all the replys and PMs