OK - first post... Had my S for 2300 miles now and still haven't figured out what the little button like thingy in the front middle of the dash top is. There's a plastic disk about 1 inch in diameter and in the middle is a button like thing which is purple around the sides. I ignored it until it started to rattle. I twisted it and the rattle went away. Before I start poking around can anyone tell me what this is?

 

climate control sensor. at least that's what they told me. i think this topic was discussed before so maybe the search button would help? happy motoring.

craig

 

Actually I believe it's for the soon-to-be available dealer installed alarm. It will/should flash when the alarm is armed. The climate control sensor is located at the heater/cooling controls. Two little grills sit there, and they're not supposed to be blocked.

And welcome to MCO, OKeefe. You gotta get outa new-tral!
_________________
=R= #3077 (Founder of the first "Can't Wait For Club&quot
My Sharona (Delivered Nov. 28/02): LY/B 2003 MCS. Fully Loaded. This car ROCKS at http://MINIac.ca

 

Cooper44 is closest to right.

To quote from "Top 10 Idiosyncrasies of Your New MINI" (latest acquisition of cheesy MINI literature available at your local MINI dealer):

"4. What's The Little "Button" On The Top Of The Dash? Actually, this is a small sensor. Not a button. It's not necessary to push it. Although you may if you want to. It's merely a UV sensor for the automatic A/C option. If you don't have automatic A/C, then you won't have the "button." Don't worry about it."

But this topic has come up before, and it appears that not that many salespersons actually know what it's for (i.e., they don't read their own literature). We've seen posts where it's been attributed to everything from an alarm sensor to climate control to something for a future cell phone option.

 

Ahhh - sensor for the automatic a/c makes sense and I suspected same. Also means twisting it to make the rattle go away is a bad idea as I must be twisting some wires...twist enuf = busted a/c.

Guess if I'd sat in more than one MINI I might have figured this out but I didn't get the literature you mentioned and an exhaustive search of the owner's manual didn't fill me in. The search function here didn't find 'button thingy' either!

Some mornings it is so hard to decide whether to drive the MINI or the Miata - but since the MINI came home it wins alot! Mrs was happy to get to drive the Miata vice the mini-van...who wouldn't?

OK next question - I have 17's with the Pirellis and Beep gets really squirlly on grooved pavement and steel grid draw bridges (lot's of those where I reside). Anyone else noticed this and how do the 15's and 16's compare?

 

Yes I notice 'Tramlineing' with my 17"s Othe people have reported it on non-pirelli's too. Just be alert when the road looks broken up!

 

When I was first getting to know my MINIclo, every little quirk unnerved me, especially the tramlining effect! But now I'm used to how her 15-inch Continentals handle different types of pavement and I'm cool with it!

Hey, Okeefe! Welcome to MCO, international home of all things MINI and a very fun club! Good to have you aboard!

Cheers!
Clover