Forum user siriuszero, in a post in the Fuel Effiency thread mentioned that if your car is in GREEN mode but doesn't coast, it may be due to an error which occurred in certain cars during a SW update and it was on MINI's radar.

I've been the squeaky wheel with my SA since Toaster lost the coasting feature last year after a SW update. The other day I received a call from my SA telling me that he received a Bulletin from MINI and wanted me to drop my car off so they could run through the fix process outlined in the bulletin.

As I was dropping the car off yesterday morning, my SA showed me the bulletin and the steps involved in the fix. I didn't think of asking him for a copy, but from what I can recall it involved a few restarts of the car and a SW update / patch / whatever performed in a specific order. Apparently, more involved than just a simple SW update.

The bulletin also stated that if the fix doesn't work, MINI USA would have to be called and arrange to remotely program the car.

I received a call earlier this morning letting me know that, in fact, the fix didn't do the trick yesterday, and they've made arrangements for MINI USA to remote into the car and do whatever they need to. I'm in the queue for today hopefully.

I have no clue what SW updates on cars really involve from a programming perspective. I'm sure they're inordinately complex, but I'd be happy if they wiped the car clean and installed a fresh copy. That always works on my MAC when I've beta tested SW and need to start fresh. LOL

I'll post updates as they become available.

 

What does "SW" stand for?

 

SW = software

 

Duh....Thanks...

 

I say you do what we did with Blackberries that froze: BATTERY PULL (while it was running)!

 

Hope they figure it out!

 

Green mode
What is it?
Is it just a sprint booster with a green light,

 

No it's green as in eco-friendly. Better gas mileage supposedly. A trap door opens under your feet and you push the car along like Fred Flintsone. The rumor is that BMW did it in order to boost the gas mileage figures a tad. Remember Obama has ruled that US cars average 52 MPG by 2025 or something. Good luck with that. I can see it now, they'll bring back the "gas guzzler tax" to pay for Obamacare lol.

 

Just wanted to close the loop. After a connection with the mothership - toaster is fully functional again.

 

I tried green mode a few times. Granted I'm in the SF Bay Area, but I hate not having throttle response to get out of jams, and it's impossible to use in bumper to bumper traffic. I guess I can see it useful on highway with low traffic: set cruise control, use green mode, relax. Out here we rarely have that condition.

I have trouble not having in sport mode continuously. Half of my interest in chips is to have sport mode response without having to hit the sport switch all the time, ha.

I guess my gas mileage isn't priority...

 

Hooray! Glad you got it fixed!

I keep meaning to do some unscientific testing and drive a tank in GREEN to see what my mileage is, but I can't bear to be out of SPORT mode for long...

It does make the car feel more sluggish - I think it would be more useful on the freeway where the coasting feature could do its thing, but I drive 90% city traffic with lots of lights and/or traffic. I hate hitting the gas and just. not. going!

 

Exactly how I feel about Green mode - better use is on the highway/freeway. I'd like the car to get going when I step on the gas and Green mode doesn't provide a satisfactory response the way Sport or Mid mode does.

 

I got a F56S for a loaner, and that car didn't have Green Mode Costing working. I tried disabling and enabling it, but it never coasts. Both cars are built around same time frame, around September 2014. It must be a real problem with their software.

Another things is that my green mode bonus mile counter stopped working. It counts sometimes, but most times it's just stuck even if I coast for more than a mile. It's currently at the shop. I'm hoping they can flash it with updated software or something, but that's just my hope.

When you coast, your RPM should stay at 1000 rpm. That's when the engine is idling and transmission is disengaged.


On another note, F56S in Green mode feels much more powerful than the F56 in Green, obviously. It almost feels like F56S in Green mode is just a little less responsive than the F56 in Mid mode. lol.
I think the F56S gets better gas mileage in highways than the F56. Worse in the city though.

 

It most definitely is a software glitch. MINI knows about it, so ask your SA. Mine had to connect to MINI USA in order to get it working again.

 

I'm so glad my car doesn't have a Green Mode. Or the Auto Stop feature. Or the feature that changes the Auto Climate Control back to baseline every time you restart. I know, you don't have to use the Green Mode or Auto Stop, but the climate control thing drives some owners nuts and they're stuck with it. All this stuff to get you better gas mileage is garbage. Who cares? Nobody buys a Mini to save money on gas. Buy a stripped down Prius or some other EconoSled if that's your deal.

 

Well, Green Mode does add some value. Part of the selling point of MINI hardtop is good gas mileage. Maybe not for many of people here on the forums where there are more enthusiasts.

Even if you don't use Auto Start Stop, it gives an upgraded battery (AGM chemistry) and longer lasting starter motor, but we probably paid all that extra $$$. I don't mind though, and I use idle stop only when I know I'm going to be stuck for more than a minute.

I don't know why they did the climate control like this though. It should just remember whatever the last setting was, and even remember that it was off. Climate control is not related to gas mileage.

I'm still in a loaner F56S right now, and pushing the car a bit when there's no traffic and having fun with it. lol. I'm amazed it still gives me good gas mileage (about 35mpg for the last 120 miles).

While in Green mode, I found out little bit more about the gauge. When the white stripe is on the most right end, it means you are pushing it too hard (flooring gas pedal). In that case, a icon shows up that indicates to go easy on the gas pedal. I had no idea how that gauge was working. When you do engine braking, the white stripe will stay on the most left end where the green bars end. I don't know how to get that to the most left of that gauge. When you coast, the 1/3 point will glow. The Green Mile savings counter doesn't work properly on the loaner I have, and coasting doesn't work either. (bad software)

 

Well Newt, since this thread exists obviously you are wrong about 'nobody'. Some of us are driving enthusiasts and also want to get terrific fuel economy when we choose. I am an autocrosser and former road racer, and when I don't choose to drive briskly, I want to maximize fuel economy. Fortunately MINI gives us the choice.

 

This whole forum is full of jerks, trolls and the easily offended. It's ****ing disappointing.

 

It's better then some of the other ones I've come across.

 

"car is in GREEN mode but doesn't coast,"
How can it not coast ? Please explain, I am confused. Clarity please.
Does this SW update affect F56 2015 models built in July 2014 ?
Thank you !

 

On some cars, bad programming can cause this feature to not work. A reprogramming will fix it.

If yours works, you don't need to worry about it.

 

When I was referring to "coasting" I was referring to the feature where the transmission decouples from the engine when certain conditions exist (ie. road grade, engine temp, speed, etc). This "feature" needs to be specifically enabled in the GREEN mode settings for it to be triggered. You can tell if yours is enabled, if you're in GREEN mode, and while, lets say you're on a flat road, speed up to 40mph or so (safely of course), and let go of your gas. You'll see your RPMs drop down to 1000 or so, as your car basically freewheels down the road.

 

Sal,

Sorry to resurrect an old thread here, but is there any chance that you have a service bulletin number for this issue? My car's experiencing the same symptoms. I asked my service adviser about it, but he and the tech didn't know anything about the issue.

Thanks,
Win

 

With the latest software update (Nov. 2016 version) the GUI has also changed on the speedo. The green mode gauge and the engine temperature is way more intuitive than before. I posted a picture somewhere on these changes. Also, I had no problems with tracking the Green Mode "saved miles" for the last three fill ups. I think they finally fixed it this time. Previously the green mode tracking would sometimes reset or not count at all on its own so I did complain about it couple times every time I visit the dealer.

I thought the non-functioning coast problem was sorted out long time ago. Definitely get the software update. Don't just ask for a software update, just complain about the trunk opening while the remote is in your pocket. MINI released a change in behavior of the trunk opening as a workaround. They will reprogram the car (takes 3-4 hours) and probably fix your green mode problem with that.

 

Thanks HP - I'll give it a try.