Things You Didn't Know About Your MINI

[Minut]

Originally Posted by snakebitdave

Noob here,
I havent read all the pages yet which, by the way, are very helpful and informative. Tried a search but couldn't find an answer.

Why is the space in the odometer reading between the 4th and 5th didgits instead of the third and fourth?

Example: My '04 reads 6 1234 instead of 61 234. Is this a British thing? Something to do with metrics?

There is no space at all on mine. Are you reading the odometer, or trip odometer?

[snakebitdave]

The odometer.

When it turned 62,000 the space is now where it should be; 62 000.

Weird.

[MiniCarolinaGirl]

Originally Posted by krenzkes

This sounds like it couldn't be true but I have tried it and it works.

If you lock your keys in the car and you have your cell phone call your wife/spouse and have then push the unlock on the key while you hold your phone near the door and the door lock will open. May take a few tries and you may have to move along the side of the car with your phone but it will work without having to brine ght espare keys to the car.

Big time saver.

OMGosh - This is too cool - I have a MCS05 and yesssss it works! I even tried this on my hubby's 2007 Trailblazer SS and it worked also - not sure how but it does.

[thecigarman]

I thought this had been pretty much debunked because the key fobs are not high pitched sounds but radio freqencies and so can not be sent over a phone.

When you did this was the person other phone less than a few hundred feet away?

In every case I have seen where this claim is made the keyfob being pushed is close enough to open the car. For example if your car is in the garage or in the driveway the keyfob will work and so if the person on the other end of the cell phone is in the house or nearby it is not the phone but the fob that is working.

Try this out the next time you are about a mile or so away from the caller and then come back to post that it works.

Actually a great emergency alarm is to hit the panic button on your keys when you are in the house and your lights will flash and horn will sound. Just tell your neighbors if they see that happening that there is an emergency and they should come to your aid or call the police.

You may be surprised how far away this works.

[MotorMouth]

Originally Posted by MiniCarolinaGirl

OMGosh - This is too cool - I have a MCS05 and yesssss it works! I even tried this on my hubby's 2007 Trailblazer SS and it worked also - not sure how but it does.

I call shens.

does NOT work.

[R53 Speed]

Is the glove box really refrigerated? I have an 02 just a cooper. I don't recall reading about the glove box in the owner's manual. Is this something only on '04s and up? Does it run off the A/C?

[thecigarman]

My '02 justacooper had a refrigerated box just like my '03 MCS. On the upper left rear is a control that can be rotated to allow AC to be diverted into the glove box. You can pput a can of soda in front of the opening it will keep it very cold.

[TRPete]

1686 posts. I read them all. 3 days of reading. Lots of good stuff, lots of repeats.

I have had my 06MCS for 10 days, what a blast to drive. Chilli red - white stripes, white top.

About that parcel shelf thing

just kidding.

I've had no time to take pics

Pete

[lilcoopr]

Originally Posted by Minut

The screw behind the middle spoke of the steering wheel is off-center and will now drive you nuts if you feel back there and have even the slightest case of OCD.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels for that screw in traffic (this was not meant to sound dirty, sorry! :P) and gets annoyed by it's off-centered-ness! Just like a mindless emotion really, when I'm in traffic trying to find something to occupy my time.

Originally Posted by MiniBetterThanBeer

I've been reading this whole thread since I joined 3 years ago and I regularly check to see if there's anything new. Being quite a MINIac, I tend to just see repeats or things I was already aware of. THIS, THIS IS NEW. I work at a dealership in Canada and after I showed my co-worker/boyfriend, he ran up to the MINI Next JCW and it has it!! And the coins do stay in when it's closed (not sure about driving it though). So we looked at each other and wondered if our 06 R50 and R53 have it... he ran out to check: YES!! I knew about the pen holder and I just can't believe I missed this!! Thanks so much, MiniBetterThanBeer

[LeahLuvsMINIs]

hehe, for me only the quarters stay, everything else falls out.

[04MINIR53]

I have an 04 R53 and was wondering why my headlights point down then back up again everytime I start my car.

[thecigarman]

Your car has sensors for auto-leveling your headlights, a feature of the Xenon Lamps. They dip down and then up to a level position when you trurn them on. That is what is happening.

[edgein]

I've heard this mentioned many, many times. So I wonder what happens if you turn your lights on while on a hill? Anybody here from San Francisco?

[City of Glass]

They stay in reference to the angle of the car. They will be slightly raised when going down a hill, then slightly lower when you go up one. Noticed this while strolling through the Blue Ridge Mountains on my way to DC a few months ago. Kind of cool if you ask me. I also find it hillarious when at a stop light, not moving, they decide to slightly adjust them self.

[City of Glass]

BTW, mine is a 02 R53

[DaveVT02S]

I kinda like how they dip when I pull out to pass...

Haven't noticed what they do when you look for the cat in the tree (re: unauthorized owner's manual cover & p.20)

[City of Glass]

Yeah, forgot to mention they are speed /acceleration dependent.
Gosh, they work amazing as spotlights! In a tree, field, you name it.

[joe_bfstplk]

Originally Posted by DaveVT02S

I kinda like how they dip when I pull out to pass...

They do a pretty good job of keeping the same amount of road illuminated, assuming a relatively flat surface or an incline of relatively constant slope. I first noticed it about three nights after I got mine, while driving home across the rez.

Thanks to all who have posted on this thread--it's been *very* informative.

C ya,
Dutch

[JacksminiS]

I finally have my 06 MCS and it's great. I had an O2 sensor out in it and when I had it changed, my on the road gas mileage went from 21.9 to 29.7 immediately after the dealership changed it. When I bought the MCS from a local dealership the Service Engine Light was on. The next time I came in to purchase the Mini the dealership told me they turned the light off, but thought it was an 02 sensor default. Since I agreed to take care of the 02 sensor, I took my Mini 287miles to the nearest MINI/BMW dealership for the work to be done. What I didn't know was, since my local dealership wasn't equipt with the correct diagnostic computor for Mini's, when they turned the Service Engine soon light off they erased the diagnostic history of the car.
To make a long story shorter, it's finally taken care of and I am happy again!

[City of Glass]

I remember there being questions about the random void on the dash just behind the speedometer. Can not recall if someone ever determined its purpose. I had my dash off today to work on some wiring and it is part of the ac system. It assists the front vents in cooling/heating the car, but is not part of the defrost system. Just random FYI if someone was curious.

[NightFlyR]

Originally Posted by youngsota

Seriously? BMW omitted it intentionally?

The problem for me is that I am tall and the steering wheel blocks my view of the top portion of the speedometer, and sometimes it matters. The LED, on the other hand is located at the bottom of the cluster.

They should have left it as is.

+1 on this, I mounted my scanguage next to the tach and set one of the guages on it to MPH much easier then trying to see my speedo when I am over 70 MPH

[rduke222]

Originally Posted by Outbackbob

If you pop the rear hatch with the front doors locked the hatch will re-lock when you close it. So don't lay your key down inside the boot to get something out and then forget the key when you shut the hatch.
This happened to me but luckily I was at home so I had my spare key in the house.

On my 2010 MCS with Comfort Access ,,,if you do happen to close the hatch with your key/fob inside, the hatch will unlock itself.

[AliceMCooper]

Really great stuff here! So much to read and so much to absorb. Wow, y'all rock! We are in love with our new MC and really look forward to years of driving fun. This has to be the best car ever. I came here to find out how to level the headlights. I am so very glad to have found this place.

[rduke222]

Originally Posted by AliceMCooper

Really great stuff here! So much to read and so much to absorb. Wow, y'all rock! We are in love with our new MC and really look forward to years of driving fun. This has to be the best car ever. I came here to find out how to level the headlights. I am so very glad to have found this place.

If you have Xenon headlights, they level themselves automatically.

[DaveVT02S]

^^^ X2 - when I first started driving mine I thought they were a little low, but then realized what they actually light up, I was good - I think it's the combination of the sharp top cut-off and the whiter color...

Enjoy!