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Hello Mr_Taipan, I saw your post regarding the MINI tailgate switch. I believe I have the same root cause after finding a small square "cap" that fell out of the entire switch/light rear hatch assembly as soon as I removed it from the car. It was the same small square cap as your photo. I see you were somehow able to neatly remove the glued-on cover that sealed the switch and circuit board within the switch/light rear hatch assembly. How did you break the seal so cleanly?
Hello Mr_Taipan, I saw your post regarding the MINI tailgate switch. I believe I have the same root cause after finding a small square "cap" that fell out of the entire switch/light rear hatch assembly as soon as I removed it from the car. It was the same small square cap as your photo. I see you were somehow able to neatly remove the glued-on cover that sealed the switch and circuit board within the switch/light rear hatch assembly. How did you break the seal so cleanly?
Hi, I just prized it apart carefully with more luck than judgement. If you look at my pictures you can see how it clips together, so I just carefully unclipped them. Fiddly but doable but I did go in with the attitude that I had nothing to lose. Good luck.
Hello Again Mr_Taipan and thanks for the quick response. Most of what I've written below is already familiar to you however I've included more detail in case other readers have interest. I followed your brave lead and was able to remove the entire switch+circuit-board+lights cover. It appears to be glued around the entire perimeter, most likely for weather proofing. I just started at one corner to break the seal/glue and then worked my way along a long edge very carefully alternating two flat-blade screwdrivers. Once the front edge was free, the back edge could be "hinged" several times to break the glued interface. It’s clear that the switch cover/spacer that you referenced broke away from the switch as you had found during your root cause investigation. I can see that one of the tiny tabs on the “cover/spacer” snapped-off so the cover/spacer could no longer grip the micro switch body (see photo). An unbroken cover/spacer grips the switch body yet allows some small travel to provide switch-actuation when the rubber hatch handle is pressed. It appears that your solution was to glue that cover/spacer to the underside of the rubber handle assembly such that it still pressed on the switch but was no longer mounted to the switch. Since alignment to the switch will then be more critical, I plan to eliminate the small cover/spacer and will use a larger area plastic “plate” ~ 5/8” long x 3/8” wide x 3/16” thick and then glue it directly to the underside of the rubber handle assembly as you did with the cover/spacer. In essence, it’ll be a larger area “finger” to press the micro switch button to accommodate the wiggly characteristic of depressing the rubber handle from outside the car. There is some slight risk to this approach. Specifically, when neither of the tabs described earlier are broken off of the cover/spacer, it looks like the bottom edge of the tabs MAY provide some small degree of travel constraint such that there's not too much pressure applied directly to the button of the switch. With the "plate" approach I described, there's no such limit stop. I hope the switch itself is internally mechanically limited. I also have a backup plan I hope to implement should there be another failure and I’ll post it if it works. Thank you for your guidance!!!
My editorial to MINI: While I appreciate what the original MINI designer was trying to accomplish with this hatch release mechanism, the design approach and implementation was awful. The designer clearly had no training or experience in Robust Design, Design for Reliability or Design for Serviceability. Even with a poor design such as this one, if the switch was at least accessible then a new plastic cover/spacer could be snapped on to the switch. That cover/spacer, which is only about 3/8” x 3/8” x 5/16”, is most likely produced for literally tenths or hundredths of a cent each, yet it ends up costing the consumer $200+ to have the entire hatch handle assembly replaced. Brilliant.
Last edited by TomSweazy; Jul 12, 2016 at 08:02 PM.
Reason: I wanted to reference Mr_Taipan to show it was a response to his input
Our button release stopped working and googling brought me to this thread. Once I tried the helpful trick of checking the wiring (will only work when the car is unlocked) with a paper clip, I knew it was the switch itself and not a wiring fault. So I decided to take it apart to see if it was fixable. I didnt have to worry about breaking it since it was junk anyway.
What I found was there is a small micro switch with a cover/spacer thing on there which presses the microswitch when you depress the rubber button. This plastic part had come away from the microswitch so the button couldn't activate it. So I glued it back on with no nails and its all working again.
Great job and thank you for the pictures.
I have all to lose but this info could help to get the work done and if any is bad you just could glue the parts back and wait for a new "super button all inclusive"
My button is not working and I can feel with my fingers that there is something broken inside.
My editorial to MINI: While I appreciate what the original MINI designer was trying to accomplish with this hatch release mechanism, the design approach and implementation was awful. The designer clearly had no training or experience in Robust Design, Design for Reliability or Design for Serviceability. Even with a poor design such as this one, if the switch was at least accessible then a new plastic cover/spacer could be snapped on to the switch. That cover/spacer, which is only about 3/8” x 3/8” x 5/16”, is most likely produced for literally tenths or hundredths of a cent each, yet it ends up costing the consumer $200+ to have the entire hatch handle assembly replaced. Brilliant.
Welcome to the MINI world!
The main idea is "Please do not fix it, just buy a new one (our official MINI store) and replace it".
MINI team does not have the intelligence to know that I would spend the same amount of money on accessories instead of replacing functional parts, and I would be much happier with my car and with MINI.
If you had not published your post and pics I would never have dared to do this repair task.
I realize the same repair than you (I used liquide silicone to glue the button because the silicone is resistant to vibrations).
Everything is working perfectly since that!
That is about all I am doing trying see what works, I would like to buy just the switch.
But once I can remove the license plate screws rusted on I will connect the wire see if I can see what it needs to work.
There really it not much there to hold it together!
The whole handle does come with the new light housing/bulbs so if you light housing prongs are all corroded like mine our then it fixes that problem also.
The electronic board light assembly are in okay condition given I would expect this on a 20$ toy, not a 20,000$ Car.
I was missing the blue plug & turns out the spacer under the blue plug fits into the metal peice that no longer can clamp to switch. These pieces I found as I left it on the car on a towel, where they came from I do not know as had to wash this throughly to get the dirt out. Was expecting to find them in sink drain!
The plastic peice that pushes on the switch also is missing the sides that hold it clamped onto switch.
Best I can figure is some silicone around the perimeter to hold it together.
As Tom said above Brillant.
For Mini saving$ in manufacturing.
Hello Seaswood.
I had tried to find replacement parts back at the time of my earlier post, but to no avail. However, even if I was able to locate the parts, I'm not sure I would want to end up with the same inferior components that would just fail again in the future. So, what to do? I added a secondary switch in parallel that I feel is better than the original squishy rubber handle. I don't have a photo of the finished product as installed on the car, but I provide here some photos that'll give you an idea of the approach. The switch (found on eBay) is a normally open momentary push button type that's nearly flush with the underside of the plastic assembly on the rear hatch and located left of center. I can obtain a "finished product" photo if you'd like.
I don't remember what I used to glue the assembly back together, but it most likely was Gorilla Glue and many clamps to assure a good seal.
Here's a link to the switch I used (I chose the black color so it's practically invisible when installed against the black plastic of the assembly):
Seaswood, I updated my post to include a link to the normally open momentary push button switch that I used for the modification. In the final installation, I just reach under the left side of the tailgate handle assembly and press the button. Since the switch is electrically in parallel with the original switch, the function to unlock the hatch is identical to the original switch.
You'll also notice that there's "excess" wire folded near the switch. If you study the tailgate handle assembly closely, you'll see there's access to loosen the nut that holds the switch in place. In the unlikely event that the new switch fails, I can loosen the retaining nut without disassembling the tailgate handle assembly again. The excess wire will allow the switch to be pulled away from the vehicle for replacement without affecting the connection to the old switch. But I've used the new switch dozens of times and so far it's been flawless.
Last edited by TomSweazy; Jan 9, 2018 at 05:24 PM.
Reason: Add comment on flawless performance to date
Tom thanks I ordered two in front of the mini is a Land Rover that has always needing something fixed. This is what they should of installed originally.
When my finger actuated hatch release began to become intermittent in operation and then started self-releasing while driving, I noticed that the factory installed rubber 'dam' cover (that your finger touches to trip release) was rotten and failing. (Less than 30K miles and Always stored inside Garage or aircraft Hangar, fingertip oil? perhaps.)
That square actuator that Mr_Taipan described above was fine, as was the switch. They were loose and misaligned due to deterioration of their outer cover.
I realigned and fastened parts using 3M's exterior mounting tape (the thick foam stuff) and then I just fashioned a replacement 'dam' cover from weather resistant vinyl tape and then coated it with "Liquid Electrical Tape" sealer.
Now After several years usage, its never again spontaneously released itself and always responds to a finger's touch.
Art
Measured the fob battery voltages. Daily driver was 2.8, the spare was 3.0. Both fobs would not unlock the boot when car was locked. Could only unlock it with the fob button. Ultimately determined the issue was related to the proximity of the fob to the car. For example, when I stood perpendicular to the car (facing the left side) with the fob in my left pocket, and right arm fully extended to pull up on the grip, it would not unlock. When I stood facing the rear of the car in close proximity to the door, it worked fine. Maybe my arm grew longer since first getting the car because this never used to happen.
Tested new switch wired it worked the original switch in pieces parts of switch missing.
now to glue it all back together.
This was not made to last.
Thank you Tom for advise on switch & correct wiring.
Last edited by Seaswood; Feb 17, 2018 at 03:19 PM.
Hello Seaswood.
I had tried to find replacement parts back at the time of my earlier post, but to no avail. However, even if I was able to locate the parts, I'm not sure I would want to end up with the same inferior components that would just fail again in the future. So, what to do? I added a secondary switch in parallel that I feel is better than the original squishy rubber handle. I don't have a photo of the finished product as installed on the car, but I provide here some photos that'll give you an idea of the approach. The switch (found on eBay) is a normally open momentary push button type that's nearly flush with the underside of the plastic assembly on the rear hatch and located left of center. I can obtain a "finished product" photo if you'd like.
I don't remember what I used to glue the assembly back together, but it most likely was Gorilla Glue and many clamps to assure a good seal.
Here's a link to the switch I used (I chose the black color so it's practically invisible when installed against the black plastic of the assembly):
If the link above doesn't work, go to eBay and search for "16mm Black Stainless Steel Water Proof Starter Switch Boat Horn Momentary Button"
Best Regards
In the 1st picture can you clarify where the non-red/black wires are going to that are soldered? I see 3 others going out of the picture but not too clear what to. I assume they are jumping the contacts. Thanks! I ordered the button and will be attempting this myself.
If you go back in this on page 3 up a bit Tom has a picture of wires 1&3 being used.
I bought a newer better soder set up to do this tinning the wires helps. Check utube to find a good vid to help As I had not sodered electronic boards before this.
I used b5200 to seal up the cover & waiting for that to set before it goes back together.
I saw that. I was a little confused because it looks like there are 3 other wired in that image going to 1,2 and 3. Wasn't too sure what that was about. do all 3 get soldered together?
If you look at my pictures you can see how it clips together, so I just carefully unclipped them. Fiddly but doable but I did go in with the attitude that I had nothing to lose. Good luck.
started self-releasing while driving, I noticed that the factory installed rubber 'dam' cover (that your finger touches to trip release) was rotten and failing. (Less than 30K miles and Always stored inside Garage or aircraft Hangar, fingertip oil? perhaps.)
