Anyone else seemed to have trouble with traffic signal loops not detecting that you're there? Not always, but I've had it happen a couple times now since I got my MCS a little over a month ago and no, it wasn't the same traffic light. I'm used to this happening when I'm on my motorcycle (2010 Triumph Tiger 1050 - an all Brit garage now!) but never has happened in a car. Is the MINI so mini that it's not tripping the loop? Or it could just be the cheap loops they installed in my city!

 

So many things can affect those loops. Being that some of them put out a signal that is interrupted by your car, some detect magnetic signature, and I'm sure there are some out there that detect weight. They could have an intermittent problem with a connection, etc, etc. Being that they get driven on countless times a day, it's not surprising that they fail from time to time. Also the deeper they are in the pavement, the bigger the vehicle it takes to trigger them. I wouldn't worry to much about it, except if there was one that fails consistently, report it to the powers that be, maybe they can fix it.

Buck

 

I doubt it is mini related...
Just like on s motorcycle, roll forwards and back a few times...it should trip.
I bet it does it for many vechicles.

 

Yeah, that's sorta why I asked - to see if other MINI drivers were experiencing this - because this has been my first experience with it happening in a car. I have always understood that the loops are tripped by interrupting an electro-magnetic field. Even though the MINI is small, I thought ok, surely it's a big enough hunk of metal to do the job!

 

I used to have trouble with a couple intersections with my old 1982 Rabbit - curb weight about 2000#, but not with the MINI.

 

the loops can be weight or magnetic based....from the number of cuts/seals around many/most traffic lights, it is easy to see they fail frequently.
Some intersections around have 2 or 3 sets where they have been vut, and new loops put in, then filled in/resealed....and with budgets getting so tight, I'd guess that many public works departments/state dot's are letting the timers do the work as the main fallback rather than sensors...due to $$ concerns.
Often the old sensors can work with one layer of fresh pavement, and they are usually designed to work with a motorcycle...so a MINI should be plenty big...our cars may be small, but they weigh more than many cars of similar size (Honda's etc) due to their sturdy construction (and iron block on gen1).
Most intersections have 2 or more loops at a light...one near the line, and one further back....so the lights may be waiting for BOTH of them to be tripped to let more cars through...so that is why sometimes rolling back a bit works...
Yes...I grew up around this stuff...my father is a traffic engineer...made for some interesting dinner conversations...but did garner some useful info....and having a REAL set of traffic lights/walk signals in the basement, with a controller to play with did make things interesting!!