Hey guys,

I have a 2008 Mini Cooper and there is a clicking coming from the fuse box in the passenger floorboard. I'm thinking it's the relay located at the bottom of the fuse panel.

Could anyone tell me where I can get a replacement relay and more specifically, which relay to purchase?

Thanks for any feedback!

 

behind the kick panel on the passenger side is the fuse box. the relays are internal to it with the exception of two relays.

when do you hear the clicking?

 

Any other symptoms other than the clicking noise? When do you hear it? (i.e. only while driving, when the key is in the ignition, etc).

 

I hear it when I put my key in the ignition and after I take it out after turning off the car. I've never heard it while driving though.

 

I just tried my car, i think it is the accessory switch relay. Totally normal. Now that you noticed the click, your ears will be very sensative to the " normal" click of the relay. Ignore it

 

I know the click you're talking about, and this isn't it. This is a similar sound, but very rapid. I'm tempted to say "sizzling" almost, but nothing is burning that I'm aware of.

Now that you mention the accessory relay, I'm wondering if that's it. Sometimes when I turn my car off, the headlights stay on when they shouldn't, and occasionally dash lights come on that quickly go away or disappear completely after turning off and restarting.

Sound likely?

 

Try to remove the whole kick panel and press on the connectors to make sure they arent loose. Also, be aware of water seepage from both sides of the inner upper panels. They leake for ne reason. Also check the FRM module since it is the one responsible for the lights and Windows.

 

What is the FRM module?

 

It is the footwell module or body control module

 

I am having the same problem. When I take the accessory switch relay out the noise still occurs and when I put the key in the windshield wipers come on. It seems like it only happens when it is hot because early in the morning it doesn't do it. Also my DTC and brake (yellow) light comes on on the cluster. It does sometimes not come on but 7 out of 10 times the lights do come on. Would that have anything to do with the clicking noise?

I also have a new battery in the car as well.

Can anyone give me some advise what this may be?

 

Was this ever resolved? I’m right where you were. DSC and brake light on (yellow) and clicking sound from fuse box when the key is put in the ignition and as the car is turned off.

Research pointed me to CAS module but I’m still not certain. The car is hard to start sometimes cause it only cranks for like 2 seconds then quits. Once it starts there are no issues except occasional clicking noises from the passenger footwell fuse box.

Anyone have any info on this please? Much appreciated

 

I created a video showing whats happening so it can be watched here:

 

as you mentioned, take that ignition switch and make sure the ribbon wiring is not loose.

Also, make sure that fuse box is tied securely to the bracket for ground connection.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have checked all the basics, key slot ribbon, battery, connections, ground etc. I want to try a different key slot but I have not found conclusive info as to whether a key slot is plug and play or if it has some dealer programming drama that goes with its swap. Anyone know whether a key slot swap is plug and play?

And for clarity, This is the part I mean by key-slot (Without the key of course)

 

The key slot IS plug and play and needs NO programming.

I wonder if you have codes stored? you need BMW/MINI specific reader. read the CAS codes and SPEG (fuse box) codes.

 

I waiting on a code reader and it just got delivered. I ran the CAS codes and got this, don't know what any of this means

 

as always, clear and see what comes back. try reading the CAS few times even after starting the car. same with the fuse box.

 

One day this week I left it outside the garage it went all crazy, it wouldn't start, made strange noises and as soon as i put the key in the ignition, All lights (headlights and tail lights) started flickering and would not turn off, I had to unplug the battery for the lights to go off. When I would plug it back up the lights would go at it again. Left the battery unplugged overnight, and the next day the car started right up and no issues.

So I have driven the car around the past few days and deleted codes and came up with these persistent codes.

DME Code:

301E DME: Enable Line, MSA activation

CAS Code:

A0B4 : Engine start, start operation.
A0A9 4CD8 DDE control unit internal
A0BE CAS: Terminal 15 output 1
A0BF CAS: Terminal 15 output 2
A0C0 CAS: Terminal 15 output 3

The "Orange DSC and Brake" Light keeps coming and going away on it's own. ALL ABS sensors are working as far as I saw on the data stream (with or without the DSC light on.)


I also tried a different ignition switch and it did not make a difference.

 

Any resolution? I don't really wanna go on a parts buying spree, but I also don't want my little cooper to stay dead. I'm not sure if extra input will help or not, but I hit a pothole pretty hard on the passenger side front and the horn decided to blow for a few seconds. I'm leaning towards a wiring harness issue, but I'm kinda lost on this car. I usually only work on American and Japanese.

 

SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the CAS Module. Checked all of my basics and couldn't narrow it down to anything until I read a thread with very similar symptoms to what I had.The Fuse Box Noises as soon as the key is in the ignition. More so on Hot Days for some reason.

The car threw various random CAS Module Codes and DSC Light kept coming on. I read how the Dealer charges $1200 to correct this with a new CAS module because they have to program it. Honestly I've never been to a dealer so I have no idea but I believe it.

I suspected I needed a new CAS module and it is a car specific part and has to be dealer programmed. ...... I got to digging on the internet and Alas! I found a ~ $200 Solution. I went to the local junkyard that had a Mini Cooper 2010 like mine. I pulled out the CAS module from this car myself (Its a self service junkyard) and paid $35 for it.

I had found a guy on ebay.... bimmermaster in Florida. This guy can clone a CAS module for you using your original faulty CAS and one from a donor vehicle. Here is a link to his ebay listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-CAS-Mod...-/283548330921


I removed my faulty CAS module from my car, sent the two in, he cloned it for me, ALL ISSUES GONE, NO CODES!!! PLUG and PLAY!!! SWEET VICTORY!!!

 

I got frustrated with it one day when I got home and the headlights wouldn't go off and I told the car to just sit there and die (real mature I know). Three days later, I decided to go charge the battery back up and try troubleshooting again. It cranked right up with no issues and has been perfect since. Not sure why, but also not complaining. If she crapps out again, I'll be trying the CAS module. Such a fun car to drive... when it's not acting up.

 

That was one of the issues I had as well, sometimes my headlights would just refuse to turn off and I would have to unplug the battery. The strange thing with is that the symptoms were never consistent, it just did a lot of random crazy stuff.

1. Headlights refusing to turn off and would only turn off after the battery is unplugged.

2. All lights flickering like the battery is dying or there's a bad connection, this would happen when the key is inserted in the cradle.

3. Clicking rattling noise from the fuse box that happened as soon as the key is inserted in the cradle and sometimes even after the key was removed it would continue.

4. Difficulty starting the car, happened very inconsistently, car would crank once and stop, car would start and die in 2 seconds.

5. The car would throw a bunch of random CAS module codes that were never the same.

6. The DSC Light would come on a lot, I could even make it come on by wiggling the key in the cradle. (I had already eliminated the cradle as a culprit by swapping it with another) I could also produce the clicking on the fuse box by wiggling the key in the cradle, And I could also shut off the car by wiggling the key....... STRANGE!!!

The CAS module also seemed to be triggering other codes when it was acting up (All are gone after CAS replacement) such as SPEG codes, ECU codes and others I don't remember.


All the above symptoms could be treated by unplugging the battery for 2-3 days. After doing this the car would run for about 2 weeks with no issue at all then they would all return.

This is my first Mini and it does the strangest things among all cars I have owned. I have been a benz driver for the most part and have been able to solve benz issues relatively easily but also because of the abundance of information on the benz forums compared to the not so much info on NAM. I hope I was descriptive enough to help anyone who has these issues. There are youtube videos on the dash removal, very easy to do when removing the CAS. The ebay cloning service works and the link is above. Search for LKQ junkyards in your area, they are in many states, you pull your own parts, and they're way cheaper than ebay or new. Some of The cloning service guys can provide the donor CAS but it will be an extra $100 if they do.

 

I had this same problem with my daughter's 2008 R56 and it turned out to be the CAS module that needed to be replaced. I called both RPM and Bimmerscan for quotes. RPM was about $400. Bimmerscan was $200. I shipped the faulty CAS and a spare CAS module that I have in my R56 parts surplus (I'm on my 6th R56 and have had a terrible history with timing chains and HPFP's...long, epic story!)
Bryce at Bimmerscan was helpful on the phone and very communicative throughout the process. He even sent pics of the CAS on his "bench" as he was doing the cloning. He shipped it back and I was able to get it late on a Saturday.

Today - Sunday - I spent a good part of the afternoon installing, testing, and scanning the car to get it back to normal. The car started up immediately once I installed the CAS and reattached the battery cable. No clicking noises from the fuse panel. No lighting issues. It has started perfectly many times today and I took it for an hour long drive with frequent stops and starts.
I DID have a ton of error codes but was able to clear out most of them with my Foxwell scan tool.

However, I could do nothing to get rid of the error code in the picture. The code is 5DE3. "DTC---DCS Control unit encoding error"
All the DCS lights are on in the tach on the steering wheel, including a big yellow "ABS" warning light.

Nothing that I could do with the Foxwell would make the error lights go away.

I decided to text Bryce at Bimmerscan, even though it was Sunday, and let him know about the issue. I gave him the option to ignore the message and we could talk tomorrow but he responded and suggested that the "DSC unit needs to be coded, not programmed just recoded. Probably got corrupted, via battery disconnects or low voltage." He also said that "NCSExpert can do it."

Unfortunately, I haven't tried to tackle using NCSExpert yet. I've read about it all evening and I've concluded that the learning curve seems a bit steep. For now, I have to figure out some other alternative so I can get the car back to my daughter.

I'm wondering if this was somehow caused by the reprogramming of the CAS but I don't know enough about this process to even know what, or whom, to ask.

I'll keep everyone posted on the solution that I am hoping will come from an assist from Bryce at Bimmerscan. I will also try to connect with the Florida person that was mentioned in this thread as well.


SYMPTOMS:
1. Loud and persistent clicking noise coming from the fuse panel
2. Car would either start immediately, eventually start after repeated attempts and methods, or not start at all. It would turn over as long as there was enough battery power but when it wasn't starting, nothing seemed to work. We noticed that it was most problematic when it had been sitting in the heat and direct sunlight (Houston, TX).
3. Brake lights would remain on when the car was shut off and the doors locked. This would drain the battery if not noticed.

Fix Attempts:
1. Replaced battery - it was overdue anyway.
2. Replaced alternator - it tested poorly but probably didn't need to be replaced yet.
3. Replaced starter - It had clearly degraded in effectiveness due to some of the harsh repeated attempts to get the thing started.

 

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to let people know that as these cars age this seems to be a common issue especially in warmer climates due to the CAS module being under the dash. This was the only thread I could find where someone was having this same issue with their vehicle, which lead me to the CAS module. Fortunately for me this was exactly my issue and having the CAS module repaired fixed the issue completely.

Vehicle Symptoms:

-Intermittent starting. Sometimes starter would engage, other times it would just click like a dead battery.
-Clicking from the CAS relay in the passenger side fuse panel when key was inserted.
-Sometimes clicking from the module itself, sounded like it was coming from under the dash near the steering wheel.
-Wiggling the key in the dock would cause the car to die(when it would start).

Resolution:

-I personally went with a repair of my existing module through RPM Motorsports out of Canada. This was preferable to the Ebay route for me because it only required me to pull my old module and send it, along with the keys, in for a bench repair. Cost was higher, but for me it was worth it because I just don't have time to track down another CAS for cloning as per the OP. RPM was excellent to work with and once I completed my order, called me to ask about the issue and walked me through what the rest of the process would look like. I shipped my module to them on Monday and had it back by Friday afternoon. From what I understand they repair the module and include some kind of heat treatment or wrap on the module to prevent the issue from coming back. Total cost was in the $500 range. I would highly recommend using RPM, they were excellent to work with.

FYI, this was a very tedious undertaking, and there are really no good instructions on removing the dash for the Countryman model that I could find. You will need to have various star bits on hand. A ratcheting screwdriver and/or a drill with speed bit attachment will help, along with tons of patience and ziploc bags to keep the screws organized.

I hope that this can help someone with a similar issue in the future, as these vehicle can be extremely expensive and finicky, and going through a repair shop can quickly bleed you dry.

Cheers,

 

This is good to know, especially that RPM coats/heat shields the CAS. I'm still using the cloned CAS to date and no issues, however, I kept the original faulty CAS and If I run into this issue again I may just send the original one that I kept and have it repaired by RPM.