>>Minimotorin, can you post a link to that thread or list the title? Having problems with the search on this one.....
>>
>>Thanks!

This post was actually one about a person who worked for MINI and has now left (his name was MINI Guy) but someone asked about the cable, was it there, was it supposed to have a ring to pull, etc. Here's his response:

"Hey,

Thanks for the continued support everyone.
I'm currently 'flirting' with another car manufacturer, so maybe I could soon be back doing what I love.

I'll endevour to continue answering questions about the MINI itself, and offering answers in the form of my unbiased opinion about BMW/MINI as a company (within safe limits!!).

"sjbartnik - yes mate, it should have a ring on the end of that cable.
The cables have been included since about October onward.
The design differs slightly from the original ones I saw over a year ago, leaving me to speculate that the original design was rejected until the new shape latch had arrived."

This post and a picture of the cable are on page 11 or 12 of the thread. the link for the thread is:




MINI2 thread

_________________
-----------
Member #47 2002 Dark Silver Mini S white roof and mirrors with Premium and Sport pkgs. He has come and his name is MINI ME (Check my GRILL!!! Grrr Baby)-->MINI ME

 

I just recieved an e-mail reply back from MINI USA regarding the missing trunk release.... Arron Z. from MINI USA states that the trunk release in ONLY for the European market NOT for the USA MINIs... My next question is then why don't they make a USA onwners manual... because my Manual has the release mentioned in it... SO... what else is not offered for the USA market but is listed in our manuals??? Thanks, Paul

 

>>I just recieved an e-mail reply back from MINI USA regarding the missing trunk release.... Arron Z. from MINI USA states that the trunk release in ONLY for the European market NOT for the USA MINIs... My next question is then why don't they make a USA onwners manual... because my Manual has the release mentioned in it... SO... what else is not offered for the USA market but is listed in our manuals??? Thanks, Paul

The owners manual is for North American and probably other english-language markets that have the steering wheel on the same side as we do in the States. I wouldn't fault BMW for not making a "USA" manual when only a relatively small fraction of their MINIs are sold in the USA. Anyway, the manual DOES have a code for equipment that is country specific. It's a small asterix and accompanies things such as the description of the "safety triangle"...which we don't get in the USA.

The only real problem here is that the manual made a mistake and did not include the asterix next to the mention of the trunk release. If they'd not made that typo, then this whole discussion would be technically moot.

That said, it's curious that MINIUSA did not seem to know that more recent build USA cars DO have the trunk release (at least according to several posters on this thread). Well, maybe not so curious given the fact that MINIUSA doesn't really seem to be too on top of much.

 

>>I just recieved an e-mail reply back from MINI USA regarding the missing trunk release.... Arron Z. from MINI USA states that the trunk release in ONLY for the European market NOT for the USA MINIs... My next question is then why don't they make a USA onwners manual... because my Manual has the release mentioned in it... SO... what else is not offered for the USA market but is listed in our manuals??? Thanks, Paul

I am afraid that this individual at MINIUSA is giving you incorrect information just to push you away. Fact is, that the manual boot cable release has been incorporated back into the assembly line as of the middle of October 2002. Neither North American, Europe, Middle East, Asia or Mexico bound MINIs had the cable prior to that time.

Thi sinformation was posted by MINIGUY in MINI2.com. You can do a search for the topic there. MINIGUY used to work in the inner trenches of the MINI Oxford, UK assembly plant.

Another poster over at MINI2.Com took delivery of an Electric Blue/white roof MCS about a month or so ago and guess what, he has the boot manual release cable installed from factory. He posted crystal clear pictures of his car, which can also be found in MINI2.com. He lives right here in the good ole USA.


I think MINIUSA is trying to avoid a general recall of the manual boot latch releases. We should ALL call/E-mail MINIUSA and demand a FREE retrofit kit for existing cars. If the electric fails the boot can not be opened at ALL. Calvin's experience in the solitary Mexican desert, should be a reminder that this can happen to anyone of us and this is special concern for MCS owners whose power sources rest in the trunk.

 

>>I think MINIUSA is trying to avoid a general recall of the manual boot latch releases. We should ALL call/E-mail MINIUSA and demand a FREE retrofit kit for existing cars. If the electric fails the boot can not be opened at ALL. Calvin's experience in the solitary Mexican desert, should be a reminder that this can happen to anyone of us and this is special concern for MCS owners whose power sources rest in the trunk.
>>

Well said, Cooper4us...After all, loose battery cables are a pretty common problem and it's quite absurd not to be able to access and quickly repair the very thing which is leaving you stranded.
Really seems like a dumb, careless oversight which could put many drivers at risk.
I have no intention of making a huge deal out of this, but I do think that MINI should step up and take responsibility for the misleading information in the owner's manual and offer a cable retrofit to anyone who asks for it.

 

This issue has nothing to do with an asterisk in the owner's manual. For MCS owner's it's crucial, as an electrical failure creates a "Catch 22"..... You will be denied access to your battery as it resides in the "boot"!

I rec'd the same answer from MINI USA as Paul830. Here is my response back to them:

"Thanks for the quick response, but it leaves me puzzled...

How am I supposed to open the rear hatch to get at my battery (I have a MINI Cooper "S", of course) in the case of an electrical failure.....i.e., battery goes dead, battery terminal comes loose, etc.? Not sure I understand the logic of making this part a "European Only" feature."

Stay tuned!!!

 

>>
>>>>I think MINIUSA is trying to avoid a general recall of the manual boot latch releases. We should ALL call/E-mail MINIUSA and demand a FREE retrofit kit for existing cars. If the electric fails the boot can not be opened at ALL. Calvin's experience in the solitary Mexican desert, should be a reminder that this can happen to anyone of us and this is special concern for MCS owners whose power sources rest in the trunk.
>>>>
>>
>> Well said, Cooper4us...After all, loose battery cables are a pretty common problem and it's quite absurd not to be able to access and quickly repair the very thing which is leaving you stranded.
>> Really seems like a dumb, careless oversight which could put many drivers at risk.
>> I have no intention of making a huge deal out of this, but I do think that MINI should step up and take responsibility for the misleading information in the owner's manual and offer a cable retrofit to anyone who asks for it.

I agree 100% Calvin. Although the battery is installed upfront in my Cooper CVT, I still need to be able to get access to the boot area in case I have a flat tire (I have the standard 15" non-runflat tires and 8-spoke wheels) to get a hold of the tools and the spare tire release.

Who is the main MINI representative for Mexico? Are all MINIs serviced through existing BMW dealerships? I wonder because I think the MINI network structure in Mexico is completely different from the US and Canada. BTW, we only have 70 authorized MINI dealers for the entire USA!.

 

My 2003 has the release, my dealer showed it to me when I picked up the car, but if you really had to get in there to mess with the battery, couldn't you just put the back seats down and pull the floor panel up? It might be a pain to get in there, but in a fix...

 

OK, I'm outta here... You guys will let me know when you and the lawyers bring BMW to their knees on this one

 

>>My 2003 has the release, my dealer showed it to me when I picked up the car, but if you really had to get in there to mess with the battery, couldn't you just put the back seats down and pull the floor panel up? It might be a pain to get in there, but in a fix...

That was discussed earlier in this thread. If you have the rear shelf in place, getting at the seat release is entirely dependent on how small your hands/wrists/arms are.... as you have to fit them between the seats to get to the latch. My hands are very big, so this probably wouldn't work. Calvin77 said he tried it, and it didn't work. I guess until this is resolved, I'll start motoring with the shelf removed....

 

>>Who is the main MINI representative for Mexico? Are all MINIs serviced through existing BMW dealerships? I wonder because I think the MINI network structure in Mexico is completely different from the US and Canada. BTW, we only have 70 authorized MINI dealers for the entire USA!.
>>

In Mexico, MINI's are sold and serviced through existing BMW dealerships, just like in the U.S.
We have about 4 BMW/MINI dealers in Mexico City, and about another 10-12 spread out across the country.
MINI sales and service here is actually not bad (I had a small patch of leather on my rear seat that appeared to be just a little more wrinkled than it should, and I got an entireley new seat from them, no cost and no questions asked). BMW and MINI owners are treated equally (champagne in the waiting room).
however communication between MINI Headquarters and MINI Mexico is NONEXISTENT. Three days before my car arrived, they still didn't know what model year it would be!
So it was an absolute surprise for my dealer when I showed him the missing release cable. I'm currently vacationing in the U.S. so I haven't had a chance to follow up on this, but as soon as I get home I'll see what I can do about that cable.
I'll keep you posted!

 

Maybe the owners manual should say:

EMERGENCY ROADSIDE REPAIRS:

1). IN THE EVENT OF A LOOSE BATTERY CABLE: "The battery may be accessed through the boot lid, which shall remain inaccessible IN THE EVENT OF A LOOSE BATTERY CABLE."

You have to admit, the irony is just delightful....

 

Hey, Calvin77: I am so glad that you have emergency reflective triangle thingies. I have emergency reflective triangle thingies too! What a coinkidink! And they may have saved the life of you and your MINI.

 

>>I rec'd the same answer from MINI USA as Paul830. Here is my response back to them:
>>
>>"Thanks for the quick response, but it leaves me puzzled...
>>
>>How am I supposed to open the rear hatch to get at my battery (I have a MINI Cooper "S", of course) in the case of an electrical failure.....i.e., battery goes dead, battery terminal comes loose, etc.? Not sure I understand the logic of making this part a "European Only" feature."
>>
>>Stay tuned!!!

I rec'd the following reply from MINI USA today:

"Hi Jim, thanks for writing back.

Good question and I understand your concern. I've actually been asked this question before and did some research at that time. I found that there is a separate battery back up, in case the car's main battery is disconnected. This will power the alarm, lights, and electrics that are needed in case of an accident or anytime the main battery is disconnected. I hope this helps, let us know if you have any more questions."

If this is accurate, I should be able to disconnect my battery and still operate the automatic locks. I will try it tomorrow. However, even if it works, there are still some remaining questions to be answered:

1. Why didn't Calvin77's battery back up work? Do Mexican cars not get the back up feature?

2. Why are MINI's currently being delivered in the USA (late Oct build dates) equipped with the manual cable hatch release?

I'll let you know what happens after I've disconnected the battery tomorrow.

 

Good feedback Jim...
Thanks...

But doesn't it make you wonder why we can't get the same answers from BMW/MINI... They told me that it was only offered in Europe... Now you get another consumer rep. telling you about the battery back-up... They really should get all
their people on the same page... lol.

Oh well... Let us know how the battery back up works...

Paul

 

Hello all,

I don't have my MINI quite yet, but did go to do paperwork and meet her last Monday, and I know that my motoring advisor showed me a way to get into the hatch if the electrics fail. Problem is, I was so excited just to see her, that I don't remember the datails of that little maneuver right now... I think it had to do with some extra flick of the key in the hatch lock, but I'm just not sure. Anyway, that is definitely oon my list of questions to ask when I pick her up on Tuesday. If I find anything out I let you all know!

 

>>Hello all,
>>
>>I don't have my MINI quite yet, but did go to do paperwork and meet her last Monday, and I know that my motoring advisor showed me a way to get into the hatch if the electrics fail. Problem is, I was so excited just to see her, that I don't remember the datails of that little maneuver right now... I think it had to do with some extra flick of the key in the hatch lock, but I'm just not sure. Anyway, that is definitely oon my list of questions to ask when I pick her up on Tuesday. If I find anything out I let you all know!
>>

You have a hatch lock??!!

 

>>
>>Good question and I understand your concern. I've actually been asked this question before and did some research at that time. I found that there is a separate battery back up, in case the car's main battery is disconnected. This will power the alarm, lights, and electrics that are needed in case of an accident or anytime the main battery is disconnected. I hope this helps, let us know if you have any more questions."[/b]
>>
>>If this is accurate, I should be able to disconnect my battery and still operate the automatic locks. I will try it tomorrow.

I have a feeling that this dude's yankin' your chain..
Someone else posted on this topic (a few posts back) and mentioned that he was doing some repairs on his car, disconnected the battery and accidentally closed the boot lid. Sure enough, he was unable to access the boot lid..no "battery backup".

 

I thought so but maybe not.... like I said I was just excited to be at the dealers looking at my car. I know her showed me some way to get in there though. Will ask how that worked again when I pick up my car for real.

 

>>
>>>>
>>>>Good question and I understand your concern. I've actually been asked this question before and did some research at that time. I found that there is a separate battery back up, in case the car's main battery is disconnected. This will power the alarm, lights, and electrics that are needed in case of an accident or anytime the main battery is disconnected. I hope this helps, let us know if you have any more questions."[/b]
>>>>
>>>>If this is accurate, I should be able to disconnect my battery and still operate the automatic locks. I will try it tomorrow.
>>
>> I have a feeling that this dude's yankin' your chain..
>> Someone else posted on this topic (a few posts back) and mentioned that he was doing some repairs on his car, disconnected the battery and accidentally closed the boot lid. Sure enough, he was unable to access the boot lid..no "battery backup".

Correct, this did not work, I had to pry the seats back far enough to get my hand in and hit the seat release but I"m 5'10" and only 155 pounds, I have small arms and hands, and it still took some hide off of my arms to get back there without breaking anything.

 

Well, as predicted, there is no battery back up system to actuate the remote hatch release when the battery is disconnected.

Today I sent the following message back to MINI USA (Although I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the continued effort!):

"Thanks again for your quick response.

Unfortunately, I discovered today that the battery back up you mention in your last note does not work on my car. I disconnected the battery to see if the battery back up worked.

It absolutely did not.

There were no lights and no response from the remote key.

This brings me back to my original question regarding why the remote cable release (which seems an absolute necessity in the MINI Cooper "S" model with battery located in the boot) is not included in US cars.

Additionally, I have corresponded with other US MINI owners who indicate the release cable was included in their cars at delivery. These cars were all built during the latter part of October or later.

Given that cars being delivered now do have the cable release installed and it is truly needed on the "S" model, can I get it installed at my MINI dealer?"

I would think that since cars now being delivered in the US have the cable, we should at least be able to purchase the cable and have it installed at the dealer.... Although we shouldn't have to pay for it, in my opinion.

 

Pretty screwy not to be able to enter the boot when you need it most. I was thinking about it today and wondered if you could get enough power from a jump (the MINI S has a contact for this purpose in front under the manually activated hood) to unlock and then access the battery...
Jim

 

>>Pretty screwy not to be able to enter the boot when you need it most. I was thinking about it today and wondered if you could get enough power from a jump (the MINI S has a contact for this purpose in front under the manually activated hood) to unlock and then access the battery...
>>Jim

Just don't keep your jumper cables in the boot!

_________________
2003 Dark Silver MCS, White top, Lapis Blue leather, Premium and Sport.

 

To people keeping tabs on this thread: Check out the thread entitled "Passenger door won't open", especially some of the responses.

Pretty scary stuff....

 

Just wanted to post that I have an '03 MCS with a Nov. Build date and I DO have the emergency boot release ring thingy. This post made me a little nervous so I took a peek under the back seat just to be sure and there it was, plain as day.

Sounds to me like Mini either changed their mind about not having it or they just forgot to put the latch in a bunch of cars.

If I had a car without it, I would definately push to get it put in for free. I would work with the dealer and have them put preasure on Mini.

As for the passenger door problem in the other post... I think it was a fluke... the door latches are difinately mechanical, not electrical.