This one is hard to figure out. Occasionally, the car will chime (once) when I put the key in the ignition and before I start the car. When this happens, it will reset the clock and the other gauges (fuel consumption, average speed, fuel range, etc.). Sometimes when I turn the engine off and lock the car with the remote, only one door will lock. The other will remain unlocked. The third thing is that sometimes when I'm driving very slowly (under 1 mph) and crank the steering wheel, the car will almost stall. The radio will shut off, along with the gauges, and then everything will come back on again. It is almost as if cranking the steering wheel is taking away so much power, it almost stalls the car.

I took it to my MINI mechanic and he said he could not find anything. He charged up the battery 100% and said that both the battery and alternator are strong. But, if the problem persists to return and he would do a deeper dive. He's good mechanic and did not charge me for this visit.

I have no idea what is going on. Does anyone have any thoughts?

Much appreciated.

 

Electrical issues like this are out of my league. (I'm dealing with a messy K-bus issue right now)
Besides all the normal suggestions (grounds, good battery, alternator, corrosion etc.) have you scanned for codes? Or used INPA?

*I bought a cheap OBD scanner that seems to work really well, once you figure out all the different modules and paths to get to stuff. It's called a Creator C310+. There's probably better ones but it might give you some more insight.

 

Yeah, I think I will have to pick up one. I don't have many tools, so even if I figure out the fault code, my means are limited. I had a small powered subwoofer installed in the boot last year. But, it only pulls about 10 - 15 amps and I don't think that is the problem. My mechanic had it for half a day and couldn't find any issues. But, the problem persists. The car will almost stall when I crank the wheel when the car is not moving. Weird.

Anyway, thanks for the tip. And good luck with your K-bus issue.

 

Just for a start, I would disconnect that subwoofer. 10-15A is a pretty hefty load & is about the same as the power steering needs. See if it makes any difference.

 

Thank you, MVPeters. Interesting. I'll give that a try. When I took my MINI to the shop I l kept the deck/sub off. So, he might not have seen the Sub was pulling. Crap. If it is the case, what are the options?