Hello all! I am looking to buy a mini and join the mini cooper family but first i need ya'lls help.i am looking at a 2002 mini cooper S,the fellow that owns say's that it started leaking in rain water and there was a decent enough sized puddle in the floor board to get the fuse box wet,so that has basically killed the mini,it has been parked for 2 months now and he hasnt messed with it and wants to sell it,I am going to try and buy it for cheap enough to make it worth my while,but i would like yalls input on how i could go about fixing it.


He said the key will turn on and all the lights freak out but it wont turn over,so please give me some advice fellas..i appreciate it!

 

If it has a sunroof it's probably a leaky sunroof drain. Very easy fix with a screwdriver and about 15 minutes. As far as the electrical issues, that's something entirely different. You could also have rust problems under the carpet depending how long it leaked and sat.

 

Thanks for the reply Gitmo!. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening before?(Regarding the electrical issue) I think if it got wet,and dried out,and its been sitting for a few month it could possible be battery related now(if the box has dried)

 

The fuse box didn't get wet, that's fairly high on the drivers side. Odds are the BCM (Body Control Module) got fried - it's way down low on the passenger side just in front of the door. Don't know if it could be ok, but there have definitely been some horror stories after flooding. A new BCM might fix it, but it might not. Really a crap shoot.

 

MINIs seem to be so electrically challenged that this could turn into a 'money pit'...real quick.

 

I suppose much depends on the asking price and your tolerance for working through the electrical problems. Others have found corroded wires that need repair along with the BCM or fuse box. If you're handy and don't need the MINI right away- and the price is right, it might all work out- but you just won't know about it until you're already in.

 

FWIW, The driver side kick panel fuse box could certainly have gotten wet from the sunroof drain failure. Actually local club member is going through it right now.

The back of the fuse panel gets exposed to the water as it passes and causes corrosion... and the electrical gremlins love that.