Well, I thought it might be useful to have a thread where MINI owners can post useful little tidbits of undocumented information about their cars that others could benefit from. Even those that are documented, but rarely encountered, hard to find, etc....

I'll start this off.

DID YOU KNOW THAT:

The rear wiper has different speeds?
On my 03 MCS with rain sensing front wiper, the rear wiper is on a long interval setting when the front is on auto, and the rear changes to a short interval wipe when the front wiper is set to slow or fast but not auto.

With Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) programmable option enabled, DRLs only come on after you release the handbrake. In addition, if you set the light switch to position 1 (position lights only), you can turn on the fog lights when parked, but as soon as you release the handbrake, DRLs will come on and the foglights will go off. Foglights with DRL enabled will only be on (when driving) with lo-beams on (light position switch 2).

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.

Has you lower black grille on the MCS ever gotten knocked off? Mine has by a bit of tire debris on the road. You can tell by (in my case) the lower edge of the grille having a gap to the back bumper edge, and the little plastic catches are showing. How to get them back in? The wheel stud cap removal tool is ideal for the purpose: this is in your tool kit, and is a little metal ring with a short straight piece and a short hock. Insert this hook just above one of the plastic catches on the lower balck lip, and pull, this will click the retaining clip back into place. Do this for all clips that have come undone.


Now it's time to post your little helpful tricks and hints....


Markus

 

if you hold the unlock toggle up on your dash/console your sunroof will open and your windows will roll down.

--
Cheese

 

If you want to see the odometer or the time when the car is off just push the odometer reset button and voila the speedo and clock light up. Don't worry, you only reset the odometer when the car is on.

If you don't have the convenience open feature on your key remote or realise you want to use it after getting in the car, just keep your finger on the doorlock toggle switch in the unlock position and both windows and the sunroof will open.

 

D'oh!!! macncheese beat me

 

whoops double post.

 

If you turn the radio on with the car off, the horn buttons light up.

--
Cheese

 

>> if you hold the unlock toggle up on your dash/console your sunroof will open and your windows will roll down.

Ah, something I didn't know.......can't wait to go out in another hour to test it out.

Thanks cheese.

 

Documented but often forgotten, if you have your windows and/or sunroof open and your car is parked, you don't have to get inside the car, turn the key and hit all sorts of buttons and switches to close everything up. Simply insert the key into the doorlock, twist and hold it in the 'lock' position and everything will close. GREAT for when you have your car open and it's threatening rain (or is already raining and you are rushing around trying to close up the car! )

Also, the sunroof: With the key in the accessory-only position, you have to hold the switch to open or close the glass. In the run position (engine running or not) it will auto-close or -open (one-touch).

"Euro parking lights": With the key off, headlights off, you can light the parking lights on either side of the car by switching the turn signal to that side. The 'dim' lights will remain on steady (white light up front, red in back, and the amber and red side markers).

_________________
'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

 

Cheese...I tried the lock toggle trick on my 2002 MCS and it didn't do anything. Any knowledge as to why it might be different?

 

Nice tricks but you should note that a couple of the above are not universal and may depend on how the Vehicle Memory is programmed and what model year and build date your MINI is.

For example, the auto lock on my Cooper also locks at about 10 MPH but does not require a previous locking with the remote. All that's required is that the car is turned off and key removed from the ignition for the auto lock to be ready again when I start and reach 10 mph.

One-touch close and open works always on my Cooper, in any key position, on my sunroof. I do have to hold the switch to open/close the sunroof's vent position.

I have never been able to get the toggle-up or toggle-down trick to open all glass or shut all glass. My guess was that this was a result of enabling Comfort opening from the remote. But that's just my guess.

 

>>
>>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

 

That's it? I wanna know some more tricks!!!!

Just to get this thread rolling again:

did you know that if you have the auto-dim mirror, it has two light sensors, one facing the driver, the other facing the front of the car. If you hang a parking tag off the mirror, the mirror will dim

 

Okay, who has the answer to this...
How do you shut off the ABS to the rear wheels so you can do e-brake slides? Can it be done? ('03MCS)

 

Bump...

Anyone know the answer to this. They did it in The Italian job!!!

 

Most likely they disabled the entire ABS system in the stunt cars (along with the airbags). The e-brake is independent of the ABS, pull up hard and the wheels lock. You might get an ABS warning light as a result though.

Helpful hint: Wanna know the time and you dont want to put the key back in the ignition? Press the odo reset button and not only does the odo show, but the clock as well. It wont reset unless the key is on, so you won't lose your trip mileage.

 

The stunt drivers in the MINI show in England last year said that they removed the DSC circuit fuse to eliminate any "interference" from the electronics. Perhaps there is also an ABS fuse you could remove?

The rear wiper is programmed to wipe once every three front wipes (after the first few continuous operations) so it runs more or less frequently depending on front wiper speed.
With the rain sensing, I guess they did not want to wait for three perhaps very intermittent wipes, so it then wipes once every 10s.

The dimming mirror works even when the lights are off, which is strange!


One of the most useful tips is probably the auto-dipping window reset for cars that have lost its function (just hold the window up switch for about 10s).

_________________
Ian C. Gloucester, MA
<A href="http://www.gbmini.net">"GBMINI"</a>...uot;</a>

CWFFC member. Indi Blue / Lapis Blue MCS ... body color exterior trim, chrome grille, painted roof Union Jack, Euro shelf and rear fog switch

 

Whoever it was that said the horn buttons light up when the radio is on (w/o the key), what do you mean? Are you talking about the cruise control button lights? I didn't think the horn buttons were capable of lighting. Anyone else see the horn buttons light?

FUN FACTS:

When the temperature reaches 37 degrees, a tone will sound and the temperature reading will flash to tell you that the roads could start to freeze.

Also, when it's mightnight, the clock reads 0:00 and 0 for the mightnight hour.

 

You can toggle between the automatic interior lights going on or off by pressing the center dome light button until it blinks a couple of times as posted just now on another thread. Neat. You learn something new about the MINI every week if not every day here on MCO.

I tried turning on the radio without the key in the ignition and it works. I have never seen a car where the radio works without a key, although I have not ever had this desire for the intimate details of any other automobiles either. This feature might get me in trouble if I leave the radio or cd on after I leave the car. Anyone know how long the battery lasts when you leave the radio or the park lights on all day?

 

All BMWs do the radio w/o the car on thing. It will only stay on for 16 minutes, then shut off (so not to run the battery down). Yes, it's a real nice feature--especially at a gas station when you turn off the car. People inside can still listen to the radio .

 

This may not be where this thred is supposed to go but...

If you dont' have the NAV system, there is a hole/pocked under the passenger seat that has a foam insert. If removed, you can put a very thin amp or whatever there.

If you don't have the emergency boot release under the rear seats, you can hook a pull cable up to the latch. (you'll have to search for the details.)

A good route from the bonnet to the cab for wires is via the main wireing bundle located behind the battery and under the steering wheel. (left hand drive MC)

You can run a 6 foot power cable from the lighter plug to the top center of the windsheild for a radar detector by tucking the cord under the headliner then around the "A" piller, then down the door rubber, to the side of the dash, then running the remainder of the cable under the steering wheel to the lighter plug (whew!)

The Color "Liquid Yellow" consists of about two thirds white and the rest is bright yellow followed by a tanish yellow. Most other MINI colors consist of 5 or more tonners. :evil:

MINIACK

 

>>
>>>>
>>>>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.

 

>>Okay, who has the answer to this...
>>How do you shut off the ABS to the rear wheels so you can do e-brake slides? Can it be done? ('03MCS)

I do it all the time in my CVT Cooper!!! =)

 

I did a good trick the other night --- At a star-gazing event, parking was such that my headlights were pointing into the parking lot where telescopes were. When I was leaving, I didn't want my headlights to flood the viewing area. I hadn't thought of this before, but if you hold the hand brake on just slightly, it keeps the lights from coming on automatically.
Cooper drivers are nothing if not polite.

 

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

 

Wow...thanks for the holding lock toggle up to open everything, and turning the key in the door to close everything up. Those are awesome.

I dread the winter when all the people that got their cars since March hear the 37° chime. Maybe we can make a sticky post explaining what it is.