Took my 2006 non-S hardtop to an independent service shop today. (Okay, I was looking into taking it there, but they won't actually see the car for a few weeks.) I was interested because although we've had the car since new, we've done very little besides oil, brakes, and power steering. The guy said when they do look at it, they will want to see what software updates my car has, and if there are any to put in, they are about $100 a pop. Any insight into what he's talking about?
Thanks,
Mike Todd

 

I'm not sure what a 2006 model updates would be, but they do have them. Generally the dealer does it when a service requires it (and you get basically all the standard updates to that point). A $100 per update sounds a bit shady to me. A $100 to bring the whole ECU up to date seems more reasonable...(I'm mean, essentially you're reflashing/imaging the EEPROMs). Independent dealers have to buy the equipment and pay to keep current, so this mechanic may be trying to cover his expenses and passing the cost onto to you.

I'm still relatively new to Mini's, so perhaps someone can correct me if I'm wrong.