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MINI Cooper Dash and Instrumentation Questions

andi11andi11 Member Posts: 1
in MINI
I just bought a Mini Cooper S last week & from day one there has been a yellow warning symbol that pops up when I turn on or turn off my mini. It looks like a screw with an exclamation mark in it. Does anyone know what this is? I'm trying to avoid going to a mini dealer as they are all about a 45 min drive from me. Thanks!
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  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Could the "screw" be a key? Since it's coming on when you turn the car on and off, it sounds like it might be some kind of light associated with the anti-theft immobiliser. I've seen posts from VW folks where an indicator light symbol of a key was mistaken for a screw. That's the first thing I tought of when I read your post.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Quick start guide or owner's manual I am sure has what the thing means.

    Might be a low key battery warning light though.
  • zgrrrlzgrrrl Member Posts: 147
    It could be your tire monitor light informing you your tire pressure is low or you have a flat. Since you don't seem to be having an actual problem, you can just reset it.

    If you don't have your manual handy, you can find your car's owner's manual online in the owners' lounge at miniusa.com

    good luck
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    The icon you are seeing is the TPS (tire pressure sensor) monitor. You see it when starting the engine, as it is going through its diagnostic mode, like many other sub-systems do...

    All dash icons are listed and explained in the owner's manual. Did you not receive one with the car?
  • my1minimy1mini Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with my 2008 Mini Cooper and I was told by my car dealership that it is a Transmission Warning Icon. I took my vehicle in last week and received it back on Tuesday of this week and on Thursday the icon came on again. They are picking up my vehicle they believe it is a sensor problem because everything else checked out okay. It only comes on when the car is stopped and not running it is an Exclamation point within a screw. It is not a tire pressure problem.
  • tammy21063tammy21063 Member Posts: 2
    My 2008 Mini Cooper is doing the same thing. Doesn't do it everytime I turn the engine off. Very sporadic and I haven't identified a pattern. Has anyone found out any more info about this???
  • fendeefendee Member Posts: 1
    Hi Guys,

    I jus got my mini 2 months ago. Now, I drive about 2300 miles, but the number appeared when I start the engine is still said at 14000 miles to get the service from dealer. Anyone knows about this please let me know. :(

    Thanks in advance. :D
  • coastalcoopercoastalcooper Member Posts: 3
    Hi All:

    If the ! is inside a triangle, its the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control System). It's normal for it to come on for a second when you first start up, supposedly normal for it to flash when activated by erratic driving. There's a description of it in the owners manual (page 72 in my 2006 version.)

    For some reason though, mine has started coming on after a hardish brake or turn and it stays on until I turn off the car - toggling the on off switch for it does nothing once the light comes on. The light is supposed to indicate a malfunction but I've noticed no change in how it handles.

    At the same time, my Service Engine Soon light has turned on, I thought maybe in response to some bad gas. It turned off for a day by itself and is now back on.

    Anyone have either of these problems?

    Coastalcooper
  • wilemakeitwilemakeit Member Posts: 17
    My Mini has 2 codes 1612 and 1613. I have Googled and can not find anything out on them.
    HELP :sick:
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I asked at a friend's repair shop this morning and those codes are not in their OBD II lists either, so I started digging around. The codes from P1610 to P1620 are something called SBDS Interactive codes across all makes. SBDS stands for Service Bay Diagnostic System, which is what lets you read codes about what's going on in your car. So I'm guessing that those codes are indicating that something is wrong with your onboard diagnostics system.
    I have seen some reference to a "software fault" with regards to these so I'm thinking my guess is not too far off.
  • wilemakeitwilemakeit Member Posts: 17
    Well my speedo and tac are not working. I will assume this will be a dealer only thing. Thanks for your help :confuse:
  • dwake95dwake95 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2006 Cooper S Convertible and the bonnet/hatch indicator light is on. And it flashes when the headlights come on. Any suggestions? The bonnet and trunk are both closed securely.

    Thanks for any help.
  • mjr4mjr4 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Cooper "S". On 3 occasions now, some of the instruments have stopped working, and then started again. The symptoms are, the temperature gauge goes to full "hot", the tach swings to zero and the speedo stops working. The actual water temperature is normal. There is no overheating, I have measured it with a thermometer. The engine runs just fine. Then, without any warning, the situation is corrected. I took it to the dealership. They had no idea but suggested I get a new thermostat and/or a new ECU! Is there any history of bad electrical grounds on Minis? If so, where do I look? I had a similar instrument cluster problem on a Neon a few years back, and it was traced to poor electrical contact of a ground wire onto the radiator core support.
  • stevenm5stevenm5 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2010
    Two issues: 1: There is a TSB (technical service bulletin) out on the climate control issue. MINI committed the cardinal sin of "daisy chaining" their ground wires, thereby creating a "ground loop", they ARE charging to effect the repairs.

    2: A weak battery can cause all sorts of funkiness with the K-bus, CAN-Bus, I-Bus, D-Bus. Mine just did this, and my symptoms were just as you describe, even with a weak battery it started, and ran perfectly.

    One caveat, after replacing my battery, my temperature meter didn't return to normal, it's still stuck at full-range, but everything else is now happy.
  • rmhettingarmhettinga Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Mini Cooper base is having some problems, When I turn the car off I will hear a loud buzzing noise and when I turn the car back on the instruments have reset them selves, by reset, I mean I need to reset my clock and my trip meters have all been set to zero. The radio still has all my presets, so its not that part.. I'm not sure what the problem is, can anyone help? :(
  • kandrivekandrive Member Posts: 19
    This is probably a stupid question but is it normal to have a warning light "Passenger Front Airbag is Not On" (up above, near the map lights) to be on when no one is sitting next to you? The manual says to ask the person in that seat to adjust their position because the seat sensor doesn't detect weight but doesn't address the fact that I'm driving alone. The warning stays on the entire drive and it's freaking me out!
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    No, it's not normal. I suspect the passenger seat airbag sensor is failing. It was a common issue on thec1st generation Minis.

    Question... Does the light go out when someone sits in the seat? If not, then the seat sensor is at fault.
  • kandrivekandrive Member Posts: 19
    Thanks for your reply - I very much appreciate it. I've only had my 2012 MINI Countryman a week so I'll call the dealer. And to answer your question, yes - the light goes off as soon as someone sits in the passenger seat and does not come back on until there is no one sitting there again.
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    First of all, your Mini is new, so whatever the problem is, it won't cost you anything to get repaired.

    Usually one sees the symptoms you describe when they have bags or other items (book bag, etc) in the passenger seat that have enough weight to trigger the sensor, but as the seat has "smart airbag technology", it thinks a child is sitting there, so it disables the airbag to avoid injury in case of a collision.

    If the light goes out when an adult sits in the seat, the sensor detects the weight of an adult in the seat.... And enables the airbag.
  • DaveDDaveD Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible and the instrumentation as gone dead. The on column computer has lights but no information. The center dash odometer/speed indicator does not work and the gauges are all inoperable. All fuses are good, so any ideas? My dealership is 300 miles away.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Since the fuses are good, possible that a connector has worked loose? Trying to start at "simple"...
  • leankenleanken Member Posts: 1
    Hi i hope someone can help, we bought a 2006 mini cooper convertible, our fuel gauge wasnt working properly so we did an ECU reset and now nothing is working in and ons the car

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