I have a 2004 Cooper S with Rainsensor wipers. Just recently I have experienced the wipers stopping in mid wipe. The controls are no help, I have tried multiple settings and even pulled the wash to try and activate them. This happened twice in one day while driving a fast speed on the freeway in an Oregon rainstorm. Both times I had to blindly manuever myself off the road, shut the Mini off and start it up again, in order to "reset" the wipers to functions.

I took it in for service yesterday and they couldn't get it to duplicate the problem or see what was causing the problem. I was driving into work this morning and they froze up again.

The temperature is not a problem. It has been in the 40's and low 50's lately and the Mini is kept in the garage. I hve experienced some electrical glitches with the instrument panel around the temperature setting displays, not lighting up on occasion and seems to be remedied by restarting the car.

Any suggestions or tips I could give the Mini service people when I go in for round 2?

 

British cars have so much character!

 

That was so very helpful, as always......

 

I have owned 2 MCS with the rain sensor wipers ('04 and now '05) and never experienced the problem you are describing. It could well be you have a problem with the actual windshield mounted sensor, the BCM (Body control module) or the actual wiper motors.

The problem with dealers now days is that if the "tech" doesn't see an error code, then there is "no problem". These folks simply refuse to troubleshoot these kind of problems, but they are bounded by the warranty to diagnose/repair as required.

Can you take it to a different dealer? If this is not feasible, call MINIUSA and get the service manager involved in the problem.

Having wiper issues is considered to be a safety related defect. Don't take a "can't reproduce" for an answer.

 

A few questions come to mind:

1) Have you had the windshield recently repaired/replaced?

2) have you installed an aftermarket stereo?

3) have you performed any sort of electrical work?

 

4) Was you car assembled in the United Kingdom?

(Ok, I'll stop...)

 

The same thing happened to my 2002 Cooper S...I don't have rain sensing wipers though...
It was rainingand on the drive home the wipers stopped mid wipe. I checked the fuse and found it had burnt out.. Replaced fuse, they started working again after a few turns of the keys (off and on)..
About 4 weeks later, same thing happened and this time it wasn't a fuse...
The wiper motor had "shorted out" according to the report.
I noticed this happened on days when it had been raining for 2 days straight (monsoon season in South FL).
I can only guess that water leaked into the housing and shorted it out....
All was replaced under warranty but apparently, so I was told; it is a fairly big job.(Had to leave my car at the shop but I did get a 2006 330i loaner..WooooHOOOOOO) Motor on!!!!

Darko

 

The 2004S is going back to the shop today, so they can have another look at it. Here are some answers to some of the questions.

I did get a windshield replaced, but it was last year and completed with the factory spec windshield and so on. It was quite some time ago.

The Mini has the upgraded factory HK soundsystem. I have an Ipod auxillary port plug (Mini/BMW authorized part) plugged into the AUX port of the back of the stereo.

Some electrical problems I have encountered are:
The temperature display will sometimes not display and I have to turn the car off and then on again to get the display to come up.

The stereo will occasionaly not receive a signal on any of the presets OR the same station will come across the speakers on every preset display.

When playing the Ipod, the sound will only come out of the right speakers and then after some time it will come back in stereo. (The last time it did this...The speakers went back to stereo and then about 30 seconds later the wipers froze up). I have checked the conections and everything looks kosher.

I will update you all on what the "doctor" says. Until then I'll drive the Rover and hope it's British cousin doesn't pick up the same illness.