Can someone please tell me what this light is? I test drove a mini yesterday that I liked but this light was on.

 

I do believe that lite means the ASC or DSC - depending on which the car has - is off...if it was on steady. From the owner's manual for an 04 (you did not specify year but this is same for all GEN1:

 

DSC. Sometimes accidentally bumped instead of locks or windows since those are close by. Sometimes purposely turned off (meaning light will be on like it is here). Some people like having it off due to loss of power when taking off from a stop. It senses spin and cuts power. I like to run with mine off (light on) most of the time. On mine, I just push the switch up to turn off or push up again to turn back on.

Autocross people like to drive with it disabled. I am not Autocross but I like to know that when I pull out the car is going to go. You'll probably get a bunch of opinions regarding safety, etc. Personal preference.

They even make a t-shirt:

 

Just curious... did you ask the person selling the car?

 

Thanks. It's a 02 Manual trans. The car is for my g/f she looked at it and test drove it yesterday. There were 3 light on, so she took a pic of them and sent it to me. I knew what 2 of the lights were, but I wasn't sure about this one.
I'm sure she hit the button or it was turned off.

I'm going to look at the car tomorrow and take it for a test drive. She choked it off while she was test driving it and it wouldn't start. The seller said the battery was dead and he was in the process of charging it when she got there. I'm not to sure about the car.

I have been reading reviews on the mini for a week now and it seems you either get a real good one or a lemon.

If anyone has any sugestions of what to look for I'm all ears.

thanks again

 

What were the other two lights?

 

That might also mean there is a Wheel sensor problem (I had that when the dsc and tire pressure sensor light came on just by turning the steering wheel all the way to the left) or something else with 3 lights on at the same time.

I'd be very careful.

 

Maybe they should add "or wheel sensor problem" to the t-shirt!

 

One was the tps I don't remember what the other one was. It was something stupid that she should have know.

A.K what was wrong, how did you fix it?

 

We also have the TPMS light on... aftermarket wheels without sensors. I have one of these " " over the light.

Do you know how old the battery is? We just replaced the battery on the '05 because it wasn't holding the charge anymore. Perfect now.

If you flip the switch for DSC and the light goes off and all the tire pressures are good... you'll probably be ok. I'd be more worried about if the battery was new and wasn't holding charge. Also, how did the g/f "choke out" the car? Maybe she didn't and there's something else wrong with the car?

Good luck. Hopefully it will work out for you!

 

^^^ Thanks ... She has been driving a 97 civic with a wore out clutch. She said she wasn't use to the clutch release point. IDK to be honest there is no telling. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow. The TPS is not a big deal to me I have aftermarket wheels on my 350Z and my light stays on.

I've never liked the TPS, IMO if you are not smart enough check you tires you are not smart enough to drive. I'm sure she will want to put a set of wheels on it if she buys it.

 

02 through 06 models don't use TPMS sensors in the wheels. They somehow figure it out by rotation?? don't quote me on that. I have winter wheels that I have to reset the sensor when I swap them over. Just press it down and hold for a few seconds. After a minute or so it will go out.

The guys at the shop helped me remove the Steering sensor from under the dash and replace it. About $150 for parts and sweat. PITA by the way.

Minola also pointed out a wheel speed sensor could be the cause as well. not sure on replacement of that, haven't been there.

 

I believe that the 1st gen don't use sensors in the wheels for the TPS. They use the wheel speed sensor to determine if one of the wheels are turning at a different rate than the others. This usually means that the tire is not inflated properly.

 

Sorry for TPMS confusion. I have two MINIs. Both are 1st gen but one is '05 and one is '08. They changed to TPMS for '08. HATE IT! I agree with you tentil4... "if you are not smart enough to check your tires..." ... somehow we've managed all these years.

 

Ah! the Three Amigos; Flat Tire Monitor, Traction Control and ABS. All of these functions are interrelated. The primary inputs are the ABS wheel sensor and steering angle sensor. It may be normal for all three to be on if a tire pressure is lower than the threshold as this could have a negative effect on the ABS and traction control. Check your tire pressures and have the vehicle scanned and report the codes.

 

Thanks.. That helps a lot. I understand whats going on now. I had a similar problem with the 350Z. I put a 305/35/20 drag radial on the rear and the sensors didn't like it either.

Maybe it will be something simple.

 

here is a few pics of it 02 S with 81k miles.. If she buys it I will make sure it gets a new battery.

 

Okay, I'll ask. What's DSC?

 

Dynamic Stability Control = DSC a fancy term for traction control

tentil4

That looks like it's been pretty cared for on the outside, so I would bet the owner (s) must have taken care of it regularly. Dent free and paint is nice too. What are they asking for it?

 

Well, the traction control (ASC+T, for Automatic Stability Control + Traction) comes standard on MINIs and helps tires keep a grip on the road. So it usually comes on when you're accelerating from a stop in rainy weather.

DSC is Dynamic Stability Control and is an option that includes ASC+T, but also applies individual braking when the car is moving to help steer the car in the intended direction (yaw control). It's all the same tech, but I find DSC to be a lifesaver when driving around twisty roads a little too fast.

 

I would not buy the car if ANY warning or trouble lights are on. These cars can cost a fortune to have repaired after the warranty. A dead battery may indicate a parasitic short in the wiring system. The 02 and 03 cars also have this hidden defect lurking in them https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...goes-dead.html Tell the turkey selling the car to replace the battery (with a correctly fitting one) before you will even think again about buying the car. That is my 2 cents worth.