Here's a strange one for ya:

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny warm day here on the Jersey shore...took MINI Boognish out for a spin along the coastline in the afternoon.. about 20 minutes into the drive, looked up at the clock, and it was BLANK. The orange LEDs had completely shut off. Looked at the dash, all the LEDs were fine.

Of course my first thought was "what the?" so I pressed the right side button on the clock (minutes) and voila, the clock lit up and showed the correct time, 3:55 PM.

I tapped the clock housing a few times to see if it was a loose wire or something...it didn't turn off and stayed on the entire trip. I'll check it over the next few days see if it happens again.

Things that make you go hmmmmm.

-Joe

 

I just got a new clock installed because of the same issue. I thought my clock went blank because it was cold.

 

Yep, replace the clock. If you want more insight/discussion (not that you'll wind up anyplace other than "replace the clock&quot, see the various Clock Losing Time threads.

I'd always assumed that an accurate and functioning clock was a sign of automotive evolution...especially given the fact that the clocks in most cars (American and European) I owned before 1985 always had clocks that functioned sporadically until they fully gave up the ghost (usually just around the time that the basic 12,000 mile warranty expired). I guess the MINI's clock is supposed to harken nostalgically back to that era of "excellence" in automotive electronics.

 

>>
>>Here's a strange one for ya:
>>
>>Yesterday was a beautiful sunny warm day here on the Jersey shore...took MINI Boognish out for a spin along the coastline in the afternoon.. about 20 minutes into the drive, looked up at the clock, and it was BLANK. The orange LEDs had completely shut off. Looked at the dash, all the LEDs were fine.
>>
>>Of course my first thought was "what the?" so I pressed the right side button on the clock (minutes) and voila, the clock lit up and showed the correct time, 3:55 PM.
>>
>>I tapped the clock housing a few times to see if it was a loose wire or something...it didn't turn off and stayed on the entire trip. I'll check it over the next few days see if it happens again.
>>
>>Things that make you go hmmmmm.
>>
>>-Joe
Sorry but your clock going dead is not a performance modification or then again maybe it is.

 

I think it is a performance mod, since it allows you to travel through time. And you don't even need a flux capacitor.

 

That's kinda funny...kinda not.

I did just have the car to dealer last week and they reflashed the DME with version 36... so maybe that's a new performance modifcation to help conserve battery life.

Here's the program, written in MINI-Code or something:

IF <insert Driver Name> does not glance at clock for more than two times in X Minutes <Where X = time of ignition + 15> THEN make clock display go blank.

If it does it again, I'll remove the clock housing and fabricate a new clock enclosure. Then I'll install a nice analog watch in there, like a Brietling or a Tag Hauer or one of those other time pieces that cost more than a MINI itself. Those are German engineered watches, no? Gotta keep the heritage....

Rock On,

-Joe

 

Moved to Beneath the Bonnet