My 2015 CMS All4 only has 30k miles on it...bought it pre-owned in 2018 with 14k miles. I think it likely had a new battery in it when I bought it, but not sure. I am starting to get the battery symbol at times when my phone is still plugged in and I turn the engine off. Not sure if that means the battery is getting weak or not. It still starts up fine, but Winter is about here, so I'd like to plan ahead.

Do I have to go to a MINI dealer for a new battery or can I do it myself?

Thanks for any advice,

John

 

I’ve read on the forum before that the dealer needs to do the reset when the battery is changed. You may be able to do that yourself if you have Carly which is a plug-in on the obd2 port and the app on a tablet or mobile phone. If anyone knows this, please chime in.

 

I just recently had the battery replaced in my 16 CMS All4. I didn't have a Carly at the time and was a little worried about how much it would cost but as far as MINI service items go it wasn't completely terrible at about $300. To get to the batter you have to take out some trim under the hood. Its also an AGM battery I believe which is probably a little more expensive. The charging voltage changes over time so when you get a new battery you need to code it to the car to reset the voltage. (I think it goes up over time to compensate for the batter degredation)

 

I just replaced a 2014 Mini CMS All4 battery and it was the original factory installed, with a date code of 10/2013. Carly is your friendly MINI tool to code and perform routine maintenance. Please keep in mind that the battery cowl cover will probably break and you will need to replace. Gets very brittle over time. I broke 2 trying to replace the battery, 3rd was the charm.

 

No tricks into removing it without breaking? also-have a link for the replacement plastic you show here?

 

No I spoke with a mini tech after trying and they said expect it to break. They always quote a new cowl with a battery replacement.
It's really tight along the glass and this is were it cracks and breaks. Try some soapy water to provide some ease in the extraction maybe.

 

I had my windshield replaced 2 yrs ago and they broke that cowling twice while reinstalling. I gave up on them after they cracked the 3rd new cowling and simply epoxied it underneath where it wouldn't be seen....

 

Link to ECS Tuning for the cowl cover $59.28. I paid $75.00 at a local stealership a few months ago.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...-/51719808096/

 

I haven't had trouble removing the cowling. I didn't know they quoted a new one in battery replacement! Wow!!

The cowling pops up at the front (two clips if I remember correctly). Before I bought my mini it was ONLY serviced at the dealer, and even then they broke at least one of the clips on each cowling.

After unclipping the passenger side cowling, it SLIDES in place toward the drivers side. If you look at the pillar, you'll see it is actually fitted underneath. So you can't just unclip it and yank it out.

Lastly, I always spray key points of these kind of assemblies with silicone lubricant when removing. It really helps. Just keep it off the paintwork. It won't damage paint but it makes respraying difficult and it sticks around for a surprising amount of time. John

**EDIT** I should add that while I haven't had trouble, it requires patience to get it off. Probably took me a good 20 minutes to remove both left and right cowling. Wipers obviously must be removed too for the driver's side. They simply fit on a serrated shaft. After removing nut, you pull straight up. Those require some muscle. I hit them with a touch of grease when refitting so this doesn't pose a problem next time. There are also nuts fitting the sides of the cowling to the body of the car if I remember correctly. Those fit the cowling on welded in place body studs. It's not as convoluted as I may be making it sound. Goodluck!