I just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S and on the tach theres a exclamation point inside of a triangle the owners manual said this means that the engine may start next time with out pressing the clutch and/or the brakes

Is this something i should worry about?

Also on a cold start i hear a weird scratching noise almost sounds like a cd skipping (there is no cd in the player I checked first thing >.<)

any ideas?

 

Is the scratching noise affected by clutch pedal movement? Is it repetitive and/or rhythmic?

 

no it doesnt seem like it has anything to do with the clutch i also noticed the lights kinda dim wen i crank it right as i hear the noise

 

Well, if it's not clutch related, maybe I can suggest a couple of other things.

For the "CD skipping" noise, how long does it last? I think it's normal that on a cold start you get kind of a tapping noise for up to 90 seconds or so. Mini has issued a notice that this is normal behaviour for a car with hydraulic tappetts. Does it sound like valve-related noise to you? I would describe it as more of a "tapping" rather than "scratching" noise. Can you locate where the scratching noise is coming from?

With respect to the warning light, is it there all the time or has it disappeared now?

 

Not sure on the scratching noise unless you are meaning the lifters.
The triangle with the ! mark will go on mine if I take my seat belt off
before stopping and turning car off. It is gone next time I start the car.

 

the triangle was a gas warning >.<

i thought it might be ac related but i turned my ac off prior to cranking and still there

im not to car savvy what exactly do u mean by the lifters?

i also had a friend say it could just be the fact that its cold the oil isnt on all the parts and that could cause it

someone also said it sounded like the starter but would a car being cold or hot affect the starter in anyway?

 

Triangle shouldn't be gas warning.
Is it showing up in the square on the tach?
My manual merely says 'engine will start next time possibly w/o the brake
or clutch being applied'.
If low gas you should get a flashing on your candy corns (gas gauge).

You really need to post a video sound of the engine because you have
an 07 MCS and they are known to have faulty timing tensioner issues.
Believe me, mine did. It'll sound like rocks bouncing around in the upper
engine toward the curved shroud on the left side.

These are overhead valves and direct ignition so you will hear a slight
taping and whizzing sound upon start up until the oil circulates through.

It is also VERY important to keep a close eye on the oil level (check weekly) as well as the coolant level (know to leak at the thermostat).

 

The low fuel warning is a small yellow "!" inside a triangle down where the odometer is, not up in the square on the tach.

 

On the 2012s, at least, it also shows up in the upper window on the tach when you first start the engine. The warning chime sounds at the same time, just so you pay attention, and it shows the distance-to-empty readout for a bit.

Lifters are some of the parts inside the engine. They are in between the camshafts and the valves--the bumps on the cam push on the lifters, which then push on the valves. (Indirectly, leaving the rocker arms out of the description for now.) They are filled with oil to make sure they stay exactly the correct length, but if oil leaks out of them they can rattle a little bit until the oil gets pushed back into them.

I hope that answers at least part of your question about lifters.

 

I have the same idiot light. I just spent my whole lunch hour searching this and other forums and I have not found the reason for it.

Like the original poster - I have an exclamation point inside of a triangle the owners manual says "the engine may start next time with out pressing the clutch and/or the brakes"

I can't believe that it could be so difficult to diagnose. The closest mini dealer is an hour away and the light is not on all the time. I just know it will go out when I pull in the driveway and they laugh and mock me

The first post in this tread has a pic of my triangle.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-go-away.html

 

I can tell you this, when my wife rides with me she always removes her
seat belt before I park and stop the car. Within a couple seconds after
she removes the belt the little symbol appears and the seat belt warning
chimes actuates. When I start the car up next time, it's gone.
May serve multiple things??? But I know it'll activate due to my wife and
her removing her seat belt.

 

This is stated about the Triangle with the Exclimation Point - Only if it shows up in the Square Box closest to the center of the Tach - Not what it means if it is down by the odometer in the lower screen of the Tach.

That little triangle down by the odometer can mean a whole host of different problems. It is listed this way in the manuals I have for 2008 and 2011

2008 Page 56 - This symbol indicates that a Check Control Message has been stored. Check Control messages can be viewed whenever it is convenient.
Viewing Stored Check Control Message (it goes on to tell you how to check them and lasts the rest of the page).

2011 Page 53 - This symbol indicates that a Check Control Message has been stored. Check Control messages can be viewed whenever it is convenient.
Viewing Stored Check Control Message (it goes on to tell you how to check them and continues onto page 54).

I would be willing to bet that it is in all the model year manuals but on slightly different pages, but close to the early 50's pages somewhere.

So what the little symbol really means is that there is "something" wrong and you must do more to find out what it is.

 

Hey I'm a used car tech for Chrysler.... Had this 2009 min cooper come in for the same light multiple times...
First off make sure you check every single light. Fog/reverse/interior bulbs was my issue for the light... But it came back a week later same issue. So you also have to make sure that the bulbs are put in in the same direction or the will blow leaving you wondering why.

 

Okay - so if I'm understanding the OP correctly, HIS owners manual is saying that the symbol indicates "engine may start next time without pressing the clutch and/or the brakes"

Could this MINI be fitted with "remote start"? Could this be a reminder to the driver to *not* leave it parked in gear in case they hit the start button?

My MINI does not have this feature, but I believe it may have been offered in '07

I too just purchased an 07 MCS used, and utilized the BMW Archive VIN decoder to get a mini (no puns intended) build sheet for my car. You might try keying in the last 7 of your VIN into this tool and you can see if it came with remote start.

www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

It may be that you can disable remote start and the warning will go away (or you'll just know what it means)...

Hope this helps,

- Will

(a fellow MINI newbie)

 

I just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper and the 'yellow triangle with the quotation mark '!' in the centre came on a couple of times in the 5 days since I've had it. But my lite came on, then back off quickly while I was driving the car and hasn't since.

 

Could be any number of things, from buckle you seat belt, low on fuel, temps below 38*F, washer fluid low, bulb out, etc.

 

have you read the owner's manual?