You might want to check your local laws. Some states don't allow blinking brake lights, though you can get away with adding another light that blinks.

 

Hey all! Hope everyone is well and enjoying their cars. I've got 3500 fun-filled miles on mine and still can't help but to go out to the garage or my office window and sneak a long stare.

I took time out to pamper her this morning; I changed the oil. Pretty easy and ...free! (I got 5 qts and filter free from my dealer as part of my deal)

I don't have any complaints about the car except for a couple of buzzes/rattles. Nothing I didn't expect. Lovin' the increase in power over the MC!

Has everyone seen the new Coupe and Speedster? What do you think? I may need a weekend car right about the time they come out. Weird coincidence, huh???

 

I hit 5000 miles this past weekend after driving to and from Austin for the 4th(?) time since I got Bonnie. She achieved a record-breaking 38 mpg on the drive there and back. I usually get about 32-34 so I've been extremely pleased with my choice. I have one rattle in the driver's side dash that only seems to rattle when I'm accelerating to 30 mph, but other than that the car is perfect. I finally refilled the windshield washer fluid and I'm going to have to check on the coolant level. Is it ok if it's a little below the Min level? There's still plenty in there but it is below "the line" so to speak. I'm planning on talking to the dealership about it this week.

Other good news: I finally have a job! Granted, it's a temp job, an on call temp job, but it's a job and I get paid to answer the phones and read during my downtime. Hopefully a full time job will result but I'm simply thankful for this job.

How is everyone else? If you're experiencing the fall foliage, will you please post pictures? We only have summer and winter in Texas, no fall, so no pretty colors

 

Congrats on the new job and hope it turns into something permanent.

Here in Central California we are pretty much like Texas--two seasons--Summer and Winter. My sister lives in Boston and we are going there for Thanksgiving, so hope to see the end of the fall colors there.

Note for Santacruzer or anyone else in the Central Valley: MidCal Mini run coming up in October:

"Due to unanimous vote we are changing the date of the run to Tioga Pass
& "Whoa Nellie Deli" to Saturday, October 17, 2009!

The Fresno meeting location will be at the Starbuck's at Shaw just east
of 41 at 7am. We will leave there by 7:30 am so we can caravan to the
meeting location in Oakhurst about 8:00-8:15. The Oakhurst meeting
location is Raley's Parking lot on the corner of HWY 41 & HWY 49. We
will then head back onto 41 and on to and through Yosemite. There is a
$20 entry fee to the park. If you have a handicap card you can get into
the park for free. We will go over Tioga pass and into the town of Lee
Vining & the Famous "Whoa Nellie Deli"! We will arrive around 12:00-1:00
depending on traffic, and how many stops we make. It is about a 3 ½ to 4
hours drive one way. It is very worth the drive though."

 

It actually feels like fall!!! It's a miracle. So how is everyone doing at our 4 month anniversary? Do y'all wish that y'all had waited for the 2010's? I had wished that the HK stereo had been available long before they released the news that it would be back. My dad has it and loves it, but I love my car and the speakers aren't too bad. It really seems to depend on the volume and how it was recorded. Metallica doesn't sound as great on them, but Phantom of the Opera does remarkably well.

 

I had an HK system in my last two BMW's and I really see no difference between that and what I have in the Mini. Of course, I am hearing impaired....it was a big joke that Jiminni talked me into the 10 speaker system. Anyway, as for Fall--I am bummed. I bought tickets for the family to see Michael W. Smith in concert at the Fair next week and we are expecting a downpour! Oh well, will just wear a raincoat. I AM NOT MISSING IT! We are second row!

 

I LOVE Michael W. Smith! I only have three of his songs but I got to sing with him at the Billy Graham Crusade at the Cowboys Stadium years ago. It was so much fun. Y'all should definitely go. This is what poncho's are for!!

 

Hi Lacey - we're all awash in fall colors right now here in Boston. I'll try to take some pics for you. I'll be in NH this weekend picking apples; will be able to take even more colorful snaps then, since theirs are slightly better than ours. Congrats on the new job!

Just passed 8100 miles, and doing well... though, I've noticed on 2 or 3 occasions, when initially starting the car and driving away, there's a very loud and grating noise from under the hood that subsides after 3 or 4 minutes... enough to be heard from many hundreds of feet away. Will update you if I find out what it is.. hopefully no one else suffers from that. Would like to visit the dealer and do an initial oil change anyways.

Mrs J, great choice for Thansgiving dinner! Fall is absolutely beautiful here... you might change your mind if you stay long enough for the snow

 

HI guys... 2650 finally!
And im happy to say I saw at least 8 Coops/Clubs on my way home from the CalifCoast last weekend and got waves from EACH AND EVERY ONE! WOOHOO!

i also managed a nice 35.6 mpg at an avg. speed of 43mph... so I'm very happy about that! course, my wheels are COVERED in break dust form all the twist and turns coming home... but it was worth it!

kev

 

Congrats, RadioFlyer! I now have over 5800 miles on my car. My commute to my temp job is approximately 30 miles each way so the miles add up quickly. Thankfully, for both my bank account and the environment, my aunt and I carpool about 50% of the time so it's not as bad as it could be.

Erin, I would love to see pictures! We seriously do not get pretty foliage here in Texas. We have only 2 weather conditions: really cold and hotter than Hell. So what's the word on that sound your car is making? That doesn't sound good. I would have already freaked out and called my father, my grandfather, and the dealership, in that order, and may have tracked down our old mechanic who is now retired near my old lake house. I feel kind of like one of those first time parents you see on TV. I freak out at the littlest things and try to remind myself that it's ok...it's just a car...nothing is perfect. Y'all have all owned other cars before, do y'all feel the same way about your MINI?

 

MWS was rained out I really wanted to see him

 

Like Jiminni said, Michael W. Smith was rained out. Bummer--2nd row seats! We found my first ding on the car. Did not realize it at first, cuz did not think a karate chop to the top would leave a mark. Thanks to Jiminni's drunk cousin.......No more first ding jitters and you really only see it if you look for it, but when you know it is there it is glaring . Took it to Bakersfield on Monday--averaged about 78 mph (don't tell the cops!)--all straightaways and got 35 mpg. I don't think that is too bad for an "S".

 

That's really too bad. He's amazing. They couldn't reschedule it?

Don't tell the cops but nearly everyone that drives the same hwy as me in the mornings and afternoons believes that the speed limit is optional. It's ridiculous. 35 is great!!! My dad hasn't kept track of his mileage on his S but he's always complaining that it only gets 26 mpg. Sorry to hear about the ding. Have y'all done any more mod's to your car?

 

No he could not reschedule, since the Fair ends this Sunday and he is on a concert tour. We have already seen him in concert once, so we will be able to see him again.

I have not been doing too much to my car lately. The last thing was adding the stubby antenna. My next project will be the ceramic brake pads. I need to get my 5000 mile oil change. Our mini mechanic refuses to believe that the oil will last 15k miles. Says the oil may last, but the oil filter will not. Feels better to be safe than sorry and I tend to agree.

 

Well, this weekend was largely a wash for picture taking. Rain for 3/4 of it, and snow for the rest... SNOW! Okay, not much; it didn't stick... but no sunlight reflecting off of leaves, either... There was an hour or two of clear sky; just managed to take a picture of an apple stand in New Hampshire. (in my gallery)

The rattling sound happened again over the weekend; I'm calling the dealer this morning. I'd swear that it was running low on oil, but with 8k miles? I doubt it. I'll check this morning before work. Weird.

I've owned quite a few cars, but I agree... the Mini's are different. Maybe that's what BMW Marketing wants us to think, but... doesn't change how I feel

 

Have you found out what the noise is yet ERINBR? We are going to Boston over Thanksgiving--Hope we see some fall colors, although I fear it will be toward the end with possibly some snow.

 

Umm, I love snow, especially since I don't have to drive in it. As my uncle, who lived in Michigan for years, pointed out: you don't have to shovel heat in the summer. No... you just bake in it. Anyway, I'm sorry to hear that there was so much rain on your trip, Erin! That's never fun. I've noticed that a lot of my coworkers put up true fall scenes as their backgrounds on their computers. Somehow heat simply isn't as pretty as changing leaves and snow.

 

I have an appt on friday w/the dealer... they explained what they thought it might be, but I didn't understand what they were saying (measurement of the camshaft?) Will find out on Friday. They said it will either take 2 hrs (if it's not what they think), or 7 (if it is).. ugh.

Lacey, more pictures coming... Sunday's supposed to be nice

 

My baby's back... they were right on the money! It seems there's a known issue/bulletin on this one. There's a problem with the timing chain tensioner. It produces loud, grating noises on startup sometimes... replaced the tensioner under warranty. Yay! I swapped the oil and filter for good measure, too.
Let's see if the weather's nice this wkend for pictures..

 

Lacy, we had great weather today. Try http://www.kitsune.cc/autumn

I guess we kind of take them for granted... or, we subconsciously realize that brightly-colored leaves bring colder weather. Either way, they're nice while they're around.

Mrs J, what city are you going to? I live just a little bit north of Boston. Will you be driving your baby(ies) up or flying? (not sure where you're coming from) You should have *some* nice leaves up there; it's not usually snowing on Thanksgiving.

 

We will be in Hanover, MA. We will be flying out of San Francisco (a wee bit too far to drive ). We are hoping to see lots of historic places.

 

Hanover's quite a ways away, but please let me know if you'll be going Downtown while you're here... might be able to stop by

 

hi all... I am FINALY! getting to see the Factory Rep for the dripping nozzle/windshield fluid damage done to my hood. geez, it's only been 5 months. also have three nasty rattles i need to deal with but he isn't there to look at those.

wish my luck, i just want it fixed!

kev

 

I know we are crazy, but we plan on going to one of the big malls in Boston for Black Friday! We fly into Boston on Saturday, 11/21 and are going into Manhattan Sunday-Monday. We are going to do a 'Duck Tour" of Boston sometime during the week as well. My sister is doing all the planning. She just took a new job in San Diego, so she is going to be leaving Mass. soon as well. j.

 

Good luck Kevin. Let us know how it goes. As for the rattles, you're better off trying to find and fix them yourself. When I ask the dealer to fix rattles they tell me that they either 1) couldn't duplicate it, 2) they fixed something completely unrelated and the rattle is still there or 3) they fixed it but the rattle is still there.

BTW, i'm closing in on 5000 miles. No issues so far. I've avoided the dreaded warping hood scoop by making sure the press-in post holding the back of the scoop is not engaged in the hole it belongs. Also, I'm going to rotate my tires myself and while I have them off I'm going to give the wheels a deep cleaning front and back.