To make the digital clock change between 24 hour "military" time (like 19:30) and normal (like 7:30 PM) 12 hour time, hold both Hour & Minute set buttons down simultaneously until it changes mode (a few seconds).

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Tom Clark, Clarksville MD: CR '02 MCS

 

Just tried that holding the lock toggle to open everything and it didn't work

 

Wow. I feel like a total toolbox. I can't believe that I didn't know about the windows and sunroof key thing. I feel like I've wasted hours this summer closing those things, especially when I get out of the car and notice that my sunroof is still in vent mode when I forget to hold the button.

 

The only thing that sucks about opening everything by holding the toggle up is that the doors have to be closed. I have tried to do it with the driver door open and it doesn't open anything.

 

For those who are able to open everything with the lock toggle held in the unlock position, do you have that feature on your key as well?

 

Yep I can do it via my key. I think your car can probably be programmed for it. Actually it is a 2002 so I forget if you can or not. I have a very early 03 and it came that way from MINI.

 

Those who have a MCS and the jack in the boot tied to the floor, you can stuff this into one of the side cargo hatches to clean up the trunk floor. It fits if you turn it upside down and maneuver it in.

The airbag 'generators' for the side curtain airbags are not in the a-pillars as you are led to believe by the 'airbag' lettering on them. They are in the back next to the rear seatbacks inside the panels.

A MCS has a 200 amp fuse in the trunk.

The clutch pedal arm is made of plastic.

You can 'disable' the seat heaters from being too easily turned on by putting a rubber band around their bases. This is for people like me who put water bottles and other trinkets between the seats and suddenly get a warm front moving in from the south on an already hot summer day.

There is no mention in the owners manual regarding the power steering fluid and it's reservoir. It's grayed out in the manual. It's also been a critical issue on many cars.

The dash and all the controls and displays are illuminated with LEDs.

The brake lights nor the headlights will work with the key off.

The turn signal/hazard flasher is actually controlled (flashed) by the body computer and the 'tick tock' sound is there for familiarity; it's not a relay or flasher, it's simply a noisemaker built into the hazard warning pushbutton switch.

Pressing the defrost button in cars with auto a/c brings on a torrent of air and noise and turns on the rear defroster as well. Trying to readjust the fan speed or anything else but the temp will put it back out of defrost mode entirely. To stop this effect, hold the defrost button for a few seconds to gain 'normal' control over it and keep the airflow on the windscreen.

 

Aren't these the airbag sensors in the side cargo hatches?



Wouldn't putting the jack in there possibly interfer or possibly trigger them? I would think there's a logical (precautionary) reason that MINI did not stuff the jack in the side cargo areas rather than put it on the boot floor.

Hmmmm....

 

Those are grounding points for the wiring harnesses. They can be found all over the car. Basically it's a big terminal lug connecting several circuits (lights, etc) to the body for grounding. There are no active or passive components in there.

 

Is there a way to turn off the heat in the outside rear view mirrors? Or do I have a problem? I just noticed the other day when I accidentally touched one that they were both hot and I don't think it was because it was 90 plus degrees outside. It never occurred to me that they would be perpetually on. Thanks.
(in deference to WW, no smileys from me)

 

Not exactly a trick, but a tip: if you have the recirc function on (I have the ACC, can't speak for manual), some/many MINI's have a very irritating high pitched hum/squeal which kicks in at speeds over 70 mph, sounding like radio frequency interference. Turn the recirc button off, and it stops. Drove me crazy until I found the source of the problem.

 

Yeah they are on all the time, which sucks if you forget to wipe water droplets off the mirrors because then it dries up and leaves marks. I wish there was a button for it.

 

>>The E-brake will lock up the rear wheels really nicely if yanked. No need to worry about the ABS.


Nope...not in my '03 MCS. Whenever I yank the e-brake I get the ABS duh-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d. I have looked pretty silly a few times when I yank it to swing the back end around, only to get the d-dd-d--d-d-d-d-d and a big wide sweeping turn
I have been tossin around front wheel drive cars my whole life, so it's not a matter of skill.

 

If you have the auto climate control, you can change from english to metric units by holding the auto button for about 5 seconds. This also changes the temp display on the tach.

 

Wow! Great tips!

If you leave the hatch/door open, the interior lights will automatically go off after about 10 minutes. Pressing the fob will re-light them, but only for about 30 sec -- close/open something to get another 10 minutes.

The auto AC is colder on "Lo" than it is on "60F"

You can hit the cruise control power button to disengage CC w/o turning it off -- same effect as hitting the brake or clutch but much easier. When the road clears, the resume button will take you back to your previous speed even if you're now in a different gear.

 

Not really a tip, but something you might want to know...

If you leave your MINI parked for 6 months, you can unlock the doors, but the battery will be toast.

 

>>Is there a way to turn off the heat in the outside rear view mirrors? Or do I have a problem? I just noticed the other day when I accidentally touched one that they were both hot and I don't think it was because it was 90 plus degrees outside. It never occurred to me that they would be perpetually on. Thanks.
>>(in deference to WW, no smileys from me)

Not that I know of, they are on all the time, I have the same issue with that, the drying drops. Is there a reservoir in the MINI somewhere for JET-clean (dishwasher clear-dry liquid)?
When I re-did my door panels I noticed that the external mirrors are connected via a plug to the wiring harness. Didn't have time to fiddle with it, but eventually I will interrupt the line to the wirror heaters and feed them via a switch mounted in the door pockets.

 

>>A MCS has a 200 amp fuse in the trunk.
>>




That's a great tip! I've had the same problem!!!!


>>The turn signal/hazard flasher is actually controlled (flashed) by the body computer and the 'tick tock' sound is there for familiarity; it's not a relay or flasher, it's simply a noisemaker built into the hazard warning pushbutton switch.
>>

Like one of my first digital cameras, a Kodak DC260, that would generate a 'kerchunk' SLR type noise when taking a picture, this in response to user's complaints that they could not tell when the picture was actually taken!!!



>>Pressing the defrost button in cars with auto a/c brings on a torrent of air and noise and turns on the rear defroster as well. Trying to readjust the fan speed or anything else but the temp will put it back out of defrost mode entirely. To stop this effect, hold the defrost button for a few seconds to gain 'normal' control over it and keep the airflow on the windscreen.
>>

but if you want to have just regular airflow through the defrost vents WITHOUT this defrost function, PRESS AND HOLD the defrost button for 5 seconds, and the defrost vent will open withoutt activating the other defrost functions that Greatbear mentioned.

Thanks!

 

>>Nope...not in my '03 MCS. Whenever I yank the e-brake I get the ABS duh-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d. I have looked pretty silly a few times when I yank it to swing the back end around, only to get the d-dd-d--d-d-d-d-d and a big wide sweeping turn
>>I have been tossin around front wheel drive cars my whole life, so it's not a matter of skill.

Sounds weird, bisch! I was at driving school this weekend and we were doing skid pad stuff with an instructor in each car (a group of a dozen MINIs). The instructor would yank on the handbrake and without exception, every single car would skid. We did this about a half dozen times each. Nobody's MINI was ABSing on them...as far as I understand it, the handbrake is just a simple brake to the rear wheels. I was under the impression that it didn't even run through the ABS system...

Would anyone else care to elaborate?

 

The e-brake handle is a direct, mechanical link to the rear calipers. you just have to pull up HARD to get them to lock. Make sure to keep the button depressed when doing this so if you chicken out or want to straighten up you dont have the brake 'locked' and you get in trouble. If you are using the service (pedal) brake at the time you pull the handle, the ABS will kick in as the wheel starts to lock, but if you dont have the e-brake pulled tight enough to lock the wheel on it's own it will keep freeing it up. This is because you are adding braking force with your foot to the force you are providing with your hand. You need to apply enough force through the ebrake so that when the ABS removes the additional force your foot provided, it's still enough overall force to remain locked.

In other words: Pull harder!

 

Bisch,

You're not using the brake pedal at the same time, are you?

 

Since the battery is in the trunk, there is a heavy gauge cable bringing power to the front of the car. EVERYTHING but the starter current passes through this. The cable runs inside the vehicle. If something were to short that cable out up front, the battery has sufficient energy to overheat and melt that wire causing a fire if it weren't fused.

The starter has it's own cable which is slightly heavier still, and this is run underneath the car outside of the passenger compartment. This is not fused, however. Trying to fuse a cable that powers a starter motor that draws around 500 amps surge current is difficult if not also troublesome on it's own. You risk the fuse blowing unnecessarily if you make it too small, and it's doubtful the battery could actually open up a 500 amp fuse before what shorted out in the first place simply burns out.




_________________
'03 MCS, Dk Silver, 17" R85s, NAV, DSC (often turned off!), Packs #1 and #3, Rally lights, etc, etc. Fulton, MD. FRS 7-21
Let's Cooperate

 

>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The auto lock programmable feature locks the doors when you exceed a speed of 10 mph. However, this will only happen if you have previously locked the car with the remote. If for example you pull into a gas station, stop engine, get out, fill up, start caragain and drive off, the doors will not lock at 10 mph, unless you actually locked the car via remote before opening again and starting.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>thanks markus. i didnt know this one. i swore after it ake gas, the car always locks..hmm..i will try it out...i gotta wait till thanksgiving to do that
>>
>>Mine does. I pull into my garage every night, unlock the doors with the toggle, get out, do not lock the doors, and when I take off in the morning my doors auto lock.



yeah ronvan..mine does what urs does
i am confused by what markus meant

 

I went camping once in May and started off with the temp at 30 degrees. The chime sounded when it got UP to 37....

 

Maybe they changed this.

In my MINI, when I drive off and the doors lock, and then stop and turn off the engine, and leave the car but do not lock it, then come back, start the car again and drive off, it will not lock the doors at 10 mph. It will only lock them (if they are unlocked) if they have been locked before starting the car again.