45K miles, and I assume the original battery was replaced under the maintenance plan at some point and that I'm on battery #2.

That said, last few weeks I've seen some odd symptoms. Three or so times the car was a bit slow to turn over, and when it did the interior lights were reset to max bright, the clock was "--:--" and the computer travel numbers were all zero'ed out. Odd thing though was that the radio station settings were not lost.

Sounds like I need a new battery, but was curious what others thought.

SM

 

Your symptoms say "low voltage" which certainly could be a battery. It is the first thing to replace, but it is always possible that you have some other electrical issue which is causing the battery to not be fully charged (alternator, regulator, voltage drain at rest, etc.).

Why do you "assume" the battery has been replaced?

- Mark

 

Before you buy a battery, remove the battery cover and check the actual terminals. I had similar problems with a used Mini, bought a battery, and when installing it, found the connectors at the terminals were not really tight. If your battery is the original, it may be about time.

 

Look at the date code on the battery, too. If it is original, it is quite likely ready for replacement. Ours have lasted about 5-6 years in our R50 & R53.

 

A new battery in 5 years, 45k? I wouldn't automatically assume that, although it wouldn't surprise me, either. I replaced the original battery in my VW at 8 years, 165,000 miles. The battery in my 1997 Jeep was still the original battery when I sold it in August, at 90,000 miles.

My MINI does have a replacement battery, but the car came into my possession at 8 years, 123,000 miles.

 

Mini oem batts tend to have a short life....
in the location, in the s, a good batt should have a long life.
many cars got free replacement batts due to short life under a recall/service bulletin..back on many 2004/2005 cars...
50k or 4 years seems to be when many die....

 

Zippy is right, there are a rash of batteries that didn't last too long. However, there are also a lot of stories about batteries lasting a long time (over 6 years and over 100k miles).

I checked on how long my '04 R53 OEM battery lasted -- 6 1/2 years, 95k miles which I thought was pretty impressive.

OEM battery life discussion:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...tery-last.html

 

Hello,

I just bought an 06 MCS two weeks ago and this same isssue has happend about 3 times. Also, to add which i am not sure if this is related but i have had issues with my wahser fluid pump for my sprayers not working in the morning then working an hour later or when i leave from work. The wipers do work though. I am going to check the terminals today to see if they are loose. And i am going to do the ground wire fix to see if that helps the washer pump.

I just wanted to know if the OP had a fix for this problem.

 

I read this in a AAA email. It could apply to you. It is a plausible explanation for battery drain.

"AAA Fleet Manager Peter Jaeger of St. Petersburg, FL, relates the story of an American luxury car with what appeared to be a chronic battery or charging system problem. The AAA service tech discovered a dead battery in the almost-new car. But it jump-started easily, and a test of the battery and charging system showed no problems at all.
Then a week later came another call. The battery was dead again. And the perplexed owner explained that the vehicle had been parked in the garage all week long.
Suspecting some type of energy drain, the service department at a local dealership was contacted. After a series of questions to track down the problem, the technician asked where the owner kept his electronic "keyless" entry fob. The member indicated he hung it on the wall of his garage next to the vehicle.
"That could be your problem," explained the technician. "That electronic fob sends a signal anytime it's within a few feet of the vehicle, telling it to prepare for action. Looks like the car isn't getting a chance to fully shut down."
The "fix" in this case was simply to move the electronic entry fob further from the vehicle!...."


I have had the original batteries in my 08 and 10 MINI's.

 

Just an FYI I checked my battery and the red positive terminal was loose. I cranked down the bolt and windshield washer sprayers work great! I am thinking that this should fix the other electrical issues the OP mentioned above and the exact same thing my car was doing.