Hello. I have an 06 MCS Auto trans with 50k miles. I've had the car about 3 months. I just started to hear car making a single "ding". I have no lights come on. The car is warmed up and we are driving through a residential area. Weather has been cool, (40F), and just holding steady speed. Have heard it about 4 times. Not every time we drive it. One time we were coasting down a hill. Does this sound like anything anyone has experienced? Like I said, no lights and no change in feel in the operation of the car. I use one of those seat belt insert plugs, http://www.ebay.com/itm/261101425934?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1439.l2649 . I didn't notice the airbag lamp on while driving, and when my wife drives, she doesn't use it. So I don't think that has anything to do with it. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks. Brian

 

It's probably the freeze warning, it usually flashes the outside temp...but it is quick. Normally will happen around the 40 degree mark. This is if you have the on board computer that gives you mpg, distance to empty, outside temp, etc.

 

Brian, When the outside temp drops to 37 degrees the MINI will give a single ding for the "Freeze Warning", a triangle with snowflake in the middle will illuminate on the tach, but it only stays lit for a few seconds so you may not have noticed it. Since you mentioned cool weather I thought this might be the culprit.

 

I wondered why this was going on in my R53...I noticed the temperature pops up and flashes in the OBC screen as well.

 

With the Chrono Pack in my '05, I get the single ding & the temp display flashes 3x, also 37*.

And yes, this is prob. what it is, you're most likely just hitting cool pockets of air causing the temp to drop "just enough" to get the warning, since this will be your first winter, you'll also get the same thing a couple of seconds after you start the car if it's cold enough, you'll get used to it, still catches me by suprise every change of season and I'm going on my 8th year.

 

Yup....it is a ouatside air temperature warning....if the car has been garaged, it can take a minute or two to go off.

 

I have the OBC but it was never programmed to show MPG, etc... just toggles the odometer display between speed and temperature. It does ding when it gets cold, I think it's 3C here in the almost-frozen North.

 

I have since learned that it's the temperature warning, when it approaches freezing but that was after quite a few mornings spent wondering, what did I do wrong, now?