So, I was on my way home from Ritz Camera tonight when i happened to notice that the lower dash under the steering wheel has started to detach from the upper part, just below the left airvent near driver's side door. It kinda looks like something just popped out of place, but i'm not sure. When i got home and in the parking garage, it was too late and with crappy light to take a pic. Hopefully I can get one tomorrow and post so it makes a little more sense.

Has anyone else had this happen? I took delivery of my 08MCS about a month and a half ago. I dont know if it's something that can be simply popped back in or if i have to make an appointment at the dealership.

Any thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks.

EDIT: here is a picture...

 

No ideas or advice on your particular problem, but my Left Rear Tire Pressure Monitor was hanging by the wires in front of the driver's side rear wheel a week after I got my MCS home. Calling the dealer, nobody there even knew what it was let alone how to re-mount it... Rather than take it in, I secured it back in place with some zip ties and it's been good for several thousand miles now...

Only thing I can suggest is look at it in daylight and see what you can find... It sounds like it should be something you can secure yourself, but if you are close to your dealer (I wasn't) take it in and let them earn their money...

Mark

 

I'm about 40minutes from a dealership but i'm heading that way this weekend out of town. Unfortunately, if it is something that they'd need to fix, there's no way i'd be able to get a weekend appointment so soon! i'll check things out a little more closely tomorrow (and in more light!) to hopefully be able to fix it. BUT ... being a brand new mini, i dont want anything to be secured by zip ties for the rest of it's life (... with no offense to you, btw).

Thanks for posting!

 

I'm sure something just snapped out of place or wasn't securely snapped to begin with. Just look at it with more light... When I picked up my car, the gas cap was loose, it caused the check engine light to come on. The tire pressure on all 4 tires was 28 psi, that caused the tire pressure warning light to come on, and the right front wheel was loose, it was banging around when I hit bumps. All these things should have been checked by my dealer so I don't blame Mini so much as I do the dealer... Of course I corrected everything myself instead of driving 20 miles back to the dealer. It's a little scary getting a new car and having all kinds of lights, warning, and noises going off... The car has been great since, no problems...

 

That panel has two keepers on tabs. The keepers have to accept the tabs in perfect alignment to hold them; if they're tweaked the slightest bit, the tab will look like it's going in but it actually goes to the side of the keeper and then pops out later.
A good pair of needle-nose pliers, a small flat-blade screwdriver, and a nice trouble light will fix you right up.

 

Pics have been added in the original post for clarity. If i went back to the dealership, they wouldn't charge me to fix it, would they?

 

Yea, it just looks like a fastener has come loose. I doubt it is anything serious at all.

 

Awesome! ... but how do i fix it?
I emailed my MA this afternoon but haven't heard back from him yet.

 

Did you try snapping it back in place? I can't tell from the pictures, but if the fastener there is anything like in the R50/R53, it's just a pressure fitting that snaps together.

Edit to add more clarity:

If you were to remove the three screws on that panel and then pull (really hard) on the opposite side (near the center stack) at the top of that same piece, the whole thing will swing down. On the bottom part of the loose piece, there should be tabs that fit into the bottom of the dash. Then just pivot it back up and snap it back in with some pressure (you'll see where the posts snap into the fitting).

Now if you're super leery about it, then by all means take it in...but it should be a pretty simple fix if you don't feel like going to the dealer.

I added a picture, you can see the circled area...the thing sticking out of the top of the panel in your photo snaps in there. Just make sure everything is aligned right first, and see if it goes back together.

 

Yep, I tried snapping it back in but it didn't stay there for long. I didn't want to push it in too hard though b/c i didn't want to break something (still new MINI, can you tell?!)

I guess i'll just wait and see what my MA says hopefully tomorrow and go from there.

 

Yeah, something is probably misaligned down at the bottom then. There are three little screws down there, you could pull them out and yank the whole thing down and put it back in and see if that fixes it...but again, if you're leery, then let them fix it tomorrow.

 

There are 3 screws on the bottom of the knee bolster which generally do not come loose. However, at the top of the bolster there are 2 plastic pins that snap into a receiver. Those pins have a tendancy to break. You can check this by removing the lower screws first and then pulling toward you on the top of the bolster in each corner. Do not pull down but straight toward the driver's seat. Check the pins. If one of them is broken the bolster starts to slip down. Dealer has an easy fix. Just had it done

 

pathetic. and what dealership was this btw?