Small world gbsim... let's see, where to start... I'm from VA. Took a roadtrip back there from Ohio recently to visit family. My wife and I are both UVA grads (is that where your son is? - please don't say he's at Va Tech ). I grew up on a large farm (at least my teenage years) and owned and cared for horses in addition to other animals - worked for a horse trainer part-time one summer. My wife and I also lived in New Orleans for a couple years in the late 1970's - right down the road from you.

Have a wonderful trip. Keep us posted on your aventures and have fun. I bet you will see some very nice scenery and beautiful leaves. Check out motorcycleroads.com for great reviews of the backroads in every state.

 

Hi everyone,

Got my adventure kit 2 days ago as well! Some nice little stuff, all the same that was mentioned. The secret envelope was found immediately - since I had read previously about it. how it works.. I am clueless!

I need to get our 2 Mini's together in a nice spot and take some photo's! Pictures will be coming!

 

Got my adventure kit, too! Some neat goodies, but I agree about the secret envelope. No idea what to do with it. If I find out, I'll be sure to let you know...

 

Sorry to hear about your mishap! Have fun on the twisties and do send pics!!!!

Clueless here too!!!! Pics pics pics!!!!


Question - does anyone have tips on cleaning the anthracite headliner? I noticed a two small shiny spots on Hilla's, I don't know what kind of stuff it is and won't bother with it if y'all think it may get worse by trying to clean it.

 

Yeah, what's with the ad with dotted lines - anyone one know what that is? Or does anyone have one?

 

Have a fun, safe trip! My wife's Mom and one of her sisters live in VA (Smith Mountain Lake area). We visit every year or so and there are some great motoring roads out that way. We've can't wait to take the Mini...

 

Ok - so today is a MINI day. I received my MINI Note - MINI Parking Only Sign. I'm guessing I should have received that before the adventure kit, but hey it's still pretty cool.

My side scuttle was replace by my dealer. That's a $94 lesson! I will say this: a MINI might have a lot of plastic on and in it, but it's expensive plastic.

Since I was already spending money I also picked up a digital MINI tire gauge reader. Silly I know, but hey. I've spent more on a meal and not been that happy with the food

The final MINI news for me today was that I finally broke through the 1200 miles!!! Oh, I also was able to purchase $2.72 premium gas today. That car has been driving around forever on nearly $4 gas. I was afraid that by the time I actually needed to fill him up the price would have gone back up, but lucky me I get to drive the cheaper gas like everyone else

Nothing like driving around just to use up the expensive gas to be able to buy cheaper gas. Well there's also the thrill of the MINI - which is a great excuse in my book to drive.

Keep motoring 32s

 

Mrwickham,

What a great note. I loved reading it. You did have a MINI day. Thanks for sharing!

 

Mrwickham, great update!!!! These days any piece, plastic or otherwise is not going to be inexpensive. Great you got in on the reduced gas price, knowing how far MINIs go on a tank, you may just miss it if you don't pay attention!!! Keep motoring mrwickham!!!!

 

Yes, received my decal a couple of days ago also! Very happy with it. Roadtrip did a great job. Sorry for posting late - haven't had a chance to surf the web, much less post on NAM during the last few days. Good to see others pop in to say 'hi'.

BTW, the camping trip was fun. Wife and kids survived the two night trip (dare I say enjoyed it?). Went with three other families (9 adults and 8 kids ). My friends who reserved the campsite picked a great location - Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, CA. I might even be able to convince my wife to go again .

 

Where's my kit!!! Waaah!!

 

Yes, photos please, so we can live vicariously through you!

 

Couple of updates...

I got my MINI Motoring Kit today. Mostly boring. Included my MINI Roadside Assistance card.

I removed my checkered mirror caps and reinstalled the OEM white ones. I'm going to get the MINI Challenge side stripes and that will be a bit much with checkered mirror caps (which also are a different pattern). Besides, I just didn't like the fact the checkered caps aren't painted. The stock white ones are.

I got my chrome turn signal bulbs from Stealth Auto. They have no visible hint of amber (until they are on), whereas the BMW ones I got before have a bit that shows a little on the front lights. So I put the Steath chrome ones in the front lights and moved the BMW ones to the rear signal lamps. I also swapped out the side scuttle signal bulbs with clear ones last week. Now it all looks great. No egg yolk look at all.

I bought the MINI Roadtrip Fitted Luggage from FastMINI.net. We'll be using it for our next road trip, to the 12 Hours of Sebring next March.

 

I like the luggage, great idea!! The checkered mirrors, are they decaled?

 

No, they're molded. What I don't like is the white part of the checkers isn't bright white like the roof paint, but more of a dingy plastic white. It's not bad looking. I just decided I didn't like that look after all. I'm after more of the MINI Challenge look.

My wife is mad I took the checkered mirrors off. She really liked them. She'll get over it. It is my car after all.

 

Warning.... long and not all happy. You might want to start with the now!

We had a mostly (see end of story) great trip up to VA. Had plenty of room and really enjoyed ourselves! I LOVE a roadtrip! We took our time and went off the interstate for the first 150 miles or so on some backroads in LA and MS. Then drove interstates through Jackson MS, over to Tuscaloosa/Birmingham/Chattanooga/Knoxville and spent the night east of Knoxville. Got off the interstate after crossing into VA and took some great side roads (Hwy 58 was beautiful and mostly fun....see end of story), got back on I-81 south of Roanoke and arrived here 980 miles later in time for a burger with our son at a little pub type place that we like.

I've got some great photos, but left the camera in the Mini for the night!

"Here" is Lexington VA....where our youngest son is a Sophomore at Washington and Lee University. One of our our other sons also went here so we're old hats at knowing where to go in town and we love the place. Wish we could enroll as "nontraditional" students if someone would foot the bill!

It was a full day today and will be crazy all weekend: classes, open houses, concerts (our son sings bass in an acapella group, the chamber singers group, plays trumpet in wind ensemble, and founded and is leading a new pep band for the football games... and no he's not a music major!....Geology. Great times and memories!

NOW for the bad news. First let me say that having car problems stinks when the nearest dealership along a 2,000 mile trip is hours away.

Preface: last week when driving around 30 mph, I had a brief moment when I thought the steering froze up. It was very brief, I was about to turn left in a slight curve and the feeling went away before I could even put my finger on quite what was going on. I convinced myself that nothing really happened.

Fast forward to Wednesday about 150 miles from home, I was going about 60 mph and began braking to turn left onto another road (all two lane). Just as I began to turn the wheel, the wheel "froze" up, warning chimes began going off and a symbol popped up on the center screeen. This is all VERY hard to process when you are hurtling toward a ditch and barbed wire fence. A later look at the manual confirmed that it was the power steering out symbol. Now lest you think that our little cars probably don't really need power steering , I'm here to assure you that they do. That wheel was going nowhere in a hurry and just as I was about to give it a hard wrench and was braking to slow down enough so that we wouldn't wind up in the ditch if I couldn't get it turned, presto! power steering came back on! Scared the daylights out of me! All of this lasted maybe 5 seconds, but it seemed like a lifetime.

Called my dealership at home to ask how to check out the power steering system myself and was told by the service manager to check the brake fluid reservoir... that it also supplied the power steering. He was certain that it was "just a little low" and must have triggered the sensor when I went into the curve. We had already looked at the brake fluid reservoir and it was fine, but we checked again... Full. No more problems for the rest of the day and I gradually regained confidence in left hand turns and relaxed.

Then my husband I began to brainstorm and that led us to began to really doubt that safety wise it would make sense to combine the brake fluid with the power steering fluid as far as losing both in the event of a leak.

So Friday AM, I tried to call the Mini dealership in Richmond VA which would be the nearest to us on our trip. Left a voicemail with service and then on a whim called Classic Mini in Ohio since I had heard such good things about them. At first I was told to check the brake fluid reservoir and then when I questioned this, he apologized and said that he forgot that the Clubman is 100 percent electric. There is no fluid and no pump. When the Richmond dealership called back they confirmed this. To my extreme frustration, neither dealership could or would tell me where the mystery EPAS (electric power assist system) resides so that I could check the wires for a possible loose connection. Both said that there was nothing I could do and they were sure that it was just a fluke and would probably never happen again. This did nothing to make me feel better.

So off we went of Friday AM for the last 300 miles or so of our trip and we decided to go for it and drive the back roads we had planned on driving. I was much more tentative and have to say that the handling was slightly sketchy most of the time. I could never decide if it was just me, the runflats or some vague steering problem.

THEN, again I lost the "power"/electric steering for "only" about 3 seconds this time and not long enough for the warning chime and lights to trigger. Was in a curve (left again), wasn't braking and just as I gave the wheel some muscle, it popped back on and we had quite a jerk and oversteer due to my wrenching the wheel which could have been as bad a scenario as anything.

THEN tonight.... went out again. This time going straight down the road, about 35 mph. Chimes went off, warning symbol and lasted about 10 seconds.

So.... that's where we are.... I'm not TOO worried, but my confidence in my car is definitely shaken. Steering and brakes are the two biggies. If you can't trust them, then you're nowhere. We're heading home Sunday afternoon, so going to the dealership on Monday in Richmond isn't an option. If it goes again and stays out, of course we'll call the Roadside Assistance, but hopefully we'll make it home and then of course the dealership that doesn't even know that its an electric system will get a chance to add fluid to it and search for the nonexistant pump.

Venting to my week 32 friends, but I'll be posting a shorter version on the issues forum and hoping for help!

 

gbsim,

Wow! What a story. I feel kind of scared just reading about it. As you said, having the steering go out is about as bad as it can get - that's one essential system. Take it easy going home, and I hope there are no more "problems" until the dealer can check it out.

W&L is a great school, and Lexington is a very pretty little town. My parents lived very close to Lexington for many years, and I love that area. If you've not done so, be sure to visit Goshen, Natural Bridge, and Hot Springs. There are lots of great back roads in western VA.

 

Gbsim, are you sure you shouldn't call roadside assistance? That sounds pretty dangerous, if you do drive be very careful. I hope the rest of your trip is uneventful!

 

Thanks Phantom! Haven't been to Hot Springs or Warm Springs. We love the drive to Goshen and have done it 1.5 times before, but no time this year! Lexington is the perfect college town.... really a magical place.

We've told one of our sons about this problem and tongue in cheek have said that if we run off the road on the way home NOT to assume that we just "missed" the curve and or fell asleep!!!!

 

RE roadside assistance.... am I wrong in thinking that it's just towing??

No dealerships in MS, none in AL, none in eastern TN, none in Southern VA.... we're talking hundreds of miles to tow! But that may wind up being what has to happen.

 

gbsim - found this info directly on miniusa.com. I would strongly suggest you call mini roadside assistance and confirm this info, but if they offer this, GET YOUR MINI TOWED!!! There is more info on miniusa.com ... sorry the site does not allow cut and paste so I am only copying the most relevant portion of the FAQ. Just type in "mini roadside assistance" in the site search form field and you will get the FAQ link. Good luck!

WHAT SERVICES ARE COVERED UNDER THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM?

Trip-interruption policy:Reimbursement of lodging, meals, substitute transportation to reunite you with your MINI - For mechanical breakdowns covered under warranty when 100 miles or more from home. Limit $1000 per incident up to 5 days. Exclusions apply.

 

gbsim - I also recall someone on NAM mentioning that mini's have to be put on a flatbed truck and cannot be towed... not sure why, but if you are worried about damaging your baby on a long tow, that may not be a valid concern. Again, please confirm this info., but thought I'd throw in this tidbit also.

 

Good point! When you call MINIUSA / roadside assistance you might just confirm that they know to send a flat bed! Gbsim, kechman8 summed up the services pretty well!! I would give them a call, whatever is wrong you don't want to hurt yourselves or cause more damage to Bernard! The coverage is there, please take advantage of it.

 

Gbsim, when we picked up Hilla we also signed some paper work for a loaner car, if Hilla had to stay at the shop. You may have the same coverage, ask your dealer I am sure they can check for you. Actually, I am a little surprised the dealership didn't tell you to call for the roadside assistance right away! Hilla has those stickers plastered all over her, so I guess they really want us to use them! Please let us know that you've called and we'll know you all are safe!

 

Local dealership in LA and Classic both thought it was nothing and not to worry after the first incident. Crown seemed a little more concerned at least.

Last nights freeze up was the longest and we decided that we'd call Roadside Assistance this AM. Drove from the hotel this morning to our son's frat house about 2 miles away and the warning light blipped for about 2 seconds though I never felt anything as I was going straight. Now waiting on the tow truck to come to the fraternity house and haul Bernard over the Blue Ridge (225+ miles) to Richmond/Crown Mini which is open today to accept cars, but no service dept.

No idea how we'll get to Richmond or back and Roadside Assistance couldn't answer any questions about "reuniting". Plus my husband is having hip replacement in 2 weeks and has a very important doctors appt this Thursday in Baton Rouge. Oh well we forged ahead and at least got here for Parent's Weekend.... can you tell that I'll go through thick and thin for my four awesome sons? It would take a lot for me to cancel a trip to see one of them!

Sigh.... I never thought I'd be the first Week 32er to call Roadside Assistance