I recently put a "Mini Do More" trailer hitch onto my clubman. Sadly, during the install, we had a thunderstorm roll through. I started the car and back into my garage before it rained, but I had the bumper cover removed at that point and it had a lot of angry errors about parking sensors and tail lights/turn signal lights/backup camera being disconnected.

When I got everything buttoned back up, I now have a "Parking Assist Disabled" error. I'm not sure if one of the sensor was damaged, or if the MINI's brain decides that, since the sensors were disconnected, they need to be recalibrated or otherwise factory reset. I wonder if anybody knows...or if anyone has a tip for a good scan guage or troubleshooting steps that could tell me (I'd be happy to buy a gauge if it can tell me specific error codes for things like parking sensors).

My car is a manual transmission. I did try putting the car in ACC (starting all the electronics without starting the actual engine) and putting it into reverse gear with the parking brake on. I then got outside to listen for the sensors clicking, but heard nothing from any of the sensors. Of course, I'm not sure if the Clubman's sensors even make an audible acoustic click, I never bothered to listen for them before.

Thanks for any tips!

 

Not sure if it will fix this issue, but a good scanner to have with a MINI. Will do resets, adaptations, battery registration, etc.

 

Thanks! Just ordered that up, now I wait...

...In what may be a related issue, my power windows have also got a bizarre problem since the bumper removal and reinstallation: only the front passenger power window switch works. None of the switches on my driver's door work, and neither of the rear window switches work. The sunroof switch still works, at least.

When I use the keyfob and do the lock-lock-hold-unlock, all of the windows open, and when I use the keyfob to do the unlock-unlock-hold-lock sequence, all of the power windows close. So, I guess this isn't a fuse problem, or any problem with motor regulators or motors themselves.

I'll try this gauge and reset the BDC or whatever needs resetting, to hopefully get the backup sensors working. Then we'll see about those switches...I'd find it bizarre if these are related issues. Hopefully I didn't void my entire vehicle warranty just by removing the bumper and hacking up some of the plastic bits underneath ;-).

 

Well, I got a NT510 scan tool and it seems to be garbage?

When I set it to auto-scan for my VIN, it doesn't find a car. When I manually select my car by body code, it finds no error codes (even though the dash and infotainment system show a PDC error). When i scroll through the 'Body' section of the manually-selected F54 it shows fails to communicate to any of the body components. Tried it a few times, with both the ignition on accessory, and with the motor running.

The tool does spot my VIN, at least. If I manually select the F54 chassis, and then auto-scan for errors (it finds no error codes), then go back to the beginning and 'search for VIN', it times out, then shows my VIN on a manual entry box. But when I click OK that my VIN is entered correctly, it gives me an error saying that it failed to decode my VIN.

Basically it looks like the NT510 does not know about newer MINIs. I did hop over to the foxwelltech site, registered an account, registered my tool, and checked for updates...the latest firmware for BMW/MINI/Rolls Royce was updated in January 2019, and I have the latest version installed already...and apparently this version doesn't even know about PDC errors. So....not a great tool for brand-new F54s I think.

I've emailed the support team there for guidance but I'm not too optimistic. Given that I've already registered the device I'm not sure I can return it ;-).

Can anyone point me to a scan tool that works with all the goofy little sub-controllers on a new MINI?

 

Assuming everything you unhooked has been properly reconnected and that nothing you have added is blocking any sensors, some have had success by making sure the key fob is far away, popping the bonnet, closing the unlocked doors, waiting a few minutes to make sure everything is asleep, then disconnecting the battery, waiting a few more minutes, then reconnecting the battery, then retrieving the fob, then starting the car.... I'm NOT offering this as guidance, just simply putting it out there for your consideration. Best of luck.

 

I'm curious to learn more about this magic reset procedure....does it wipe a tune (my motor has the JCW tune option from MINI)?

 

I would confirm this with my dealer, but replacing a battery shouldn't wipe a tune, and, essentially, that's what the car should think you're doing with the magic reset procedure. But I would confirm with the dealer that if the battery is disconnected and anything happens to your tune, the dealer will reload it as a warranty fix.

 

Okay, I'll consider the unplugging the battery trick. For now I've made an appointment with the mini dealer (sigh) to see what they say.

Back on the topic of scan tools, has anyone found a decent scan tool for more recent MINIs? It seems that the NT510 recommended above explicitly does NOT support gen3 Minis, the vendor hasn't been very helpful, and I'm out a bit of money since I registered the thing for firmware updates and thus can't return it...

Basically looking for a scan gauge that actually supports Gen3 Minis and which can talk to BDC/FRM to read and reset errors. My wild speculation is that, the various FRM modules control both power windows and turn signal lights, and that starting the vehicle with all of the bumper lights disconnected cause some sort of major fault in one of them (still curious why the passenger front power window switch works ;-), maybe its switch is connected to a different module or something). Plus, I'd like to see if I actually damaged a PDC sensor while the bumper cover was removed, or if the PDC module just needs a reset, prior to going to the dealer...

 

Did you buy it from Amazon? Send it back if it doesn't work for your car.

 

I got a little further troubleshooting this evening. What a weird electrical gremlin I have! I first tried disconnecting the battery for ~10 minutes. No luck.

I pulled my bumper cover off again, and disconnected all of the rear sensors and lights, then started the car on ACC. The power windows work!

Now I reconnected each of the sensors one at a time and found the "bad sensor" (only, it's not the sensor that's bad, but we'll get to that). That is, found the sensor that, once connected, is causing the issue of the power window switches to stop working.

I swapped the suspected bad sensor over to a different side of the bumper, and the car starts up fine (again on ACC mode, power windows all work). I put one of the known good sensors into the bad sensor spot, plugged it in, started the car again on ACC, and got the no-power-windows thing again.

I checked the voltages of the lead that connect to that suspect sensor, and the voltages were wrong: between pins 1 and 2 was fluctuating -3 to -3.5 volts, and pins 1 and 3 was reading a steady 9-9.3 volts fluctuating, and reading across pins 2 and 3 was a steady 12 volts. When I check all three other leads I get 11.5v steady between pin 1 and 2 (pin 1 is positive), 12v between pin 1 and 3, and 0v between pins 2 and 3. So...whatever module is responsible for sending voltage/receiving signal from that sensor lead is toast. I also checked the sensor lead for a short while the car is off, it seems fine.

I guess the F54 has a dedicated "PDC Control Unit", I'd love to understand how a fault in this unit is causing issues with the power window switches (and again, only causing issues on three of the doors)...maybe the PDC connects to one of the FRMs, in particular an FRM that is solely responsible for driver door windows switches, and rear door window switches? Seems odd...I checked through every other electrical doodad that I could find though, and nothing else seems to be affected by the PDC issue when a sensor is connected to that faulty lead.

Interestingly I do NOT recommend repeatedly pulling off the rear bumper cover. I've broken most of the clips on the rear wheelwell trim, and two of the clips on each side of the bumper. Ugh. I'm debating re-assembling everything prior to taking the car to the MINI dealer, for fear that the mechanic will want to pull the bumper off yet again. I'm pretty sure I've narrowed down the problem to one of the control modules anyway, hopefully I can convince them that I'm right ;-).

Also still up for debate is how the PDC control unit got damaged. I wonder if, and why, something like this would happen simply from having sensors disconnected...and why the lines would not be isolated or fused in some way. Ohwell.

 

Sorry the magic reset didn't work. Thanks for the detailed report.

I probably should have mentioned that the moon has to be full, a small animal must be sacrificed at precisely midnight, and you have to place a winning lottery ticket next to the fob in order for it to fix anything. I'll be more specific next time. Best of luck at the dealer. They will get it sorted. Who knows, maybe the Ghost of Lucas Electric is alive in your MINI. If Lucas made guns, wars would never start.

 

I was going to make a joke about whether this battery disconnection/remote in distant place/waiting for the lights to go out, required any offerings, but wasn't sure how said joke would go over. I guess it would have been fine.

Well, I did a little more troubleshooting because I can't stop myself. I pulled out the rear passenger side panel, where the PDC controller is. Except, the wires from the sensor don't go to the "PDC Control Unit" at all! The wires on the offending sensor lead are white with a blue stripe, red with a blue stripe, and brown. I managed to find a white with blue stripe and red with blue stripe wire in a large bundle in the back of the vehicle, the wires head towards the front of the vehicle. Probably they either tie into the BDC or the FRM, and whichever it is, is probably the problem. On a lark I unplugged the "PDC Unit" and tried starting the car, and the windows did not work...so, that's not it.

Anyway, my vehicle is a 2019. Please send thoughts and prayers that whatever the issue is, it ends up being covered under warranty. I'd really rather not buy a new BDC or FRM module. I suppose if the dealer says that I need to pay for it, I can always just pull the rear bumper cover off again, disconnect the bad sensor lead, and live without the parking sensors. Or, code the feature out in software with esys if I'm too afraid to pull the cover off again, which I might be.

I'm trying to think of a reason why starting the car with bumper disconnected could have caused the issue, and I'm coming up blank.

 

Parking sensor circuit issue and the windows won't work??? Who says these cars are not British?
Please do let us know the outcome.

 

Heh yeah I'm looking at the other active thread (interior dome lights don't work) and wonder if the poor fellow is having similar problems with one of the computer modules. I guess the various control modules (FRM, BDC) are kinda weak points of Gen3 MINIs?

I can't wait for some decent repair manuals, and decent diagnostic tools, to start showing up for these cars. My appointment with the dealer is Tuesday, here's hoping that my self-diagnosis is helpful in getting them get the problem solved.

 

Well, MINI dealer solved it, and it's actually embarassing.

Turns out, the 'kick sensor' lead (kick sensor is the thing under the clubman door where you can wave your foot around and the door will automatically open) and the middle right parking sensor lead have the same keys on their plugs. So, I had the kick sensor lead plugged into a parking distance control sensor, and the parking sensor lead plugged into the kick sensor. Overcurrent protection was shutting off one of the body controllers. So I'm out a tiny bit of money for diagnosis, but the car is all fixed. Woop.

 

Thank you for the update, and the honesty. We've all been there and done that, and many of us have shed blood in the process of working on our MINIs, so, since your adventure was bloodless, and all is now well, I say it never happened and you never have to cop to it again

 

Haha. Yeah interesting that all the cables on the rear bumper have little keys on them (plastic molding to prevent mixups from plugging the wrong cable into the wrong sensor, more to help initial build and body shops than idjuts like me). I guess just those two use the same key. Next time I'll be more thorough and write down wire colors for which sensor wire plugs into which sensor. Sigh.

Hey on the plus side, if someone google searches for odd window behavior, maybe this thread will save them some money.

I also dug a bit more into scan tools for Gen3 MINIs. Turns out Foxwell does make a scanner that is supposed to work with Gen3...the NT510 above definitely does not, but the Foxwell NT530 is reported to work. ECS Tuning sells it under the "Schwaben (by Foxwell)" name. Will reply here again once I have it and verified that it can work with an F54... See update below, I don't think the Schwaben tool is a NT530, but rather is an NT520...

 

A quick update:

The Schwaben tool from ECS Tuning DOES NOT work with my F54.

It has taken a while to untangle Foxwell's compatibility chart. The company is kind of maddening, if you look through their compatibility lists (what vehicles are compatible with what hardware scanner), you find a lot of conflicting information.

From what I can tell, the Schwaben Tool on ECS Tuning is a NT520. When I registered my tool with Foxwell it reports that the version is NT520BMW_MINI_SCANNER_14020SCH. Foxwell has a post which says that the NT520 is specifically NOT compatible with F-series BMWs nor F-series MINIs here:

http://www.foxwellsupport.com/foxwell-nt530-vs-foxwell-nt520-vs-foxwell-nt510/

That chart does have an error of course: the NT510 should also say "Yes (No F Chassis)" for BMW/Mini Compatibility.

Foxwell says that the Schwaben 14020SCH is actually a NT530 under the hood here)

http://www.foxwellsupport.com/schwab...-with-foxwell/

(Note, I think this second post is entirely wrong, since my device shows up as a NT520 when it is registered. The Schwaben 14020SCH was introduced a long time ago, the NT530 was introduced in July 2019, so I can't see how they are the same model...Foxwell marketing has numerous posts which incorrectly tag models NT510, NT520, and NT530, so I think their own marketers have no idea what they're writing about).

Anyway, I'm trying to return my Schwaben scanner to ECS Tuning now, and trying to convince ECS Tuning to update their 'vehicle compatibility' list for that product to exclude Gen3 MINIs. Since I'm going down this rabbit hole I will buy a NT530 next and try it out. I will say that Foxwell support is terrible: no response to my support requests, in spite of having two different scanners registered ;-). So, take their 'free updates for life' and 'free tech support for a year' with a grain of salt.

 

Just PM you, we need your Vin as we have seen F60 platform have an updated system it would not communicate, your F54 might be the first I have seen not work. F54/F60 share a lot more now. F56/F55/F57 have worked.