Ok, so I have spent the weekend racking up 500+ miles on my new baby and I have a few questions that I wanted to ask everyone about...

1) When I get up to highway speeds or on roads that aren't in pristine condition, I hear a rattle over my left shoulder, it sounds like it is in the door and may be something just vibrating against the panel, but I don't know for sure because I can't drive and locate the sound at the same time. Anyone else have this? My passengers haven't noticed any such sound on their side.

2) My steering wheel is slightly off center. In other words, if I turn the steering wheel so that it is level (MINI logo horizontal), the car goes to the right. It doesn't appear to be alignment as driving down the road the MINI doesn't want to drift one direction or another, it just seems like the steering wheel was off by a notch when it was put on... (I'm nit picky, I know)

3) The accelerator seems very finicky. I keep getting jerky starts even though I'm trying to ease on the pedal. Could be my transition from the R50 and CVT, but I thought I'd check.

4) Bad design and my poor luck has caused the first casualty to my MINI's looks. I got in one day and when I shut the door apparently the seat belt got pinched between the door and the seat and now the inside panel on the door has a small indent. I've tried to push around the area to reform it, but no go. Any thoughts?

 

1. check the panel that hides the trunk area. Make sure the bumpers are there. I padded mine a bit and it helped
2. have dlr correct.
3. I found that to be "normal" in non sport mode, Try sport mode and see if it goes away.

4. interior panel? Likely will need replacing. Exterior--dent busters

 

On #2, if there is not much "crown" to the road, that will happen. They are set up to be level on a crowned road, (middle being higher) that way as you hold the wheel to correct, it will be level.

At least that is what I was told once.

 

+1 for the sport button.

If the acceleration feels off after that, look to what you're feeding it. Some people can't tell when they're running different kinds of gas, I can tell if someone has put something other than V-Power in my car and I get irate about it.

There is a buzz in the dash on the driver's side in the MINI. I hear it when I get up to speeds over 50 mph, and it goes away when I get the car up over 55. From what I've read in the forum, it's just an extra piece of plastic from when the dash was molded and this sound does go away eventually.

Your other issues, I can't speak to, but good luck on getting those resolved!

 

1) Same here, rattling sometimes. I think I will finally go outside now and check the back hatch as that is probably what it is (as others have said). There are some other threads about rattling.

2) I don't know... I suppose this might require a trip to the dealer.

3) Same here, it's finicky.

4) Same here on this, too. There's a little thingy on the seatbelt strap that you can slide up and down, to adjust where the buckle stops on the belt. I slid mine up a bit to get the buckle higher up.

 

1.. Check the hatchback bumpers. Give them a twist or two counter clockwise.
2. Centering the steering wheel is a simple task completed in a front end alignment. Squint at your SA. He should jump-to.
3. Standard or Auto? Either way, fiesty is fiesty. You say go, it says gone.
4. Ouch. No help here. Make up some story about how your MINI got the scar saving some pretty young thing from a corvette.

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