Hi everyone - My Mini is a week old tomorrow and apart from not having some of my ordered items installed (service dept. and/or MA is at fault), I've noticed a few odd things with the car. I have developed the much loved speaker rattle, I'm not sure if the passenger airbag "off" light needs to be on when no one is in the car (it currently isn't when I drive alone.. hmm) AND the "P" stays lit after I park the car. Sometimes it goes off...sometimes it doesn't, and I'm not sure what the problem is. Anyone have any ideas about the latter two? I feel stupid for asking but the manual isn't a big help. If I can't figure these things out before I take the car in to be "finished", I will go to my MA with a typed list of everything thatneeds to be corrected and installed before I bring it back home...

The overhead airbag "Off" light should light for a few seconds everytime the vehicle is started, whether there is a passenger seating in the front seat or not. When there is not a passenger, the computer automatically shuts off the front passenger airbag. When a person occupies the front seat, the seat sensors automatically detect the passenger's body weight and adjust the airbag force deployment accordingly and activate the airbag.

Do this test: With no one else in the car, turn on the engine and watch the overhead airbag light. It should light up for a few seconds and then go out. Now, the airbag is shut down but the light is not supposed to stay on. Now, without shutting off the engine, have a passenger seat in the front seat. Now watch the overhead light and it will flash twice for a few seconds. This means the computer "senses" and has made calculations for body weight and in turn has activated the passenger airbag and adjusted airbag force deployment accordingly. The overhead light should remain off as well.

When the passenger exits the car (Engine still running), the airbag overhead light will once again flash and turn off the passenger airbag. Then again, the light should stay off.

As for the "P" staying on in the shifter quadrant, my new '05 MCS is a 6-speed manual model, but I also own a 2002 Cooper CVT and on that car, when I shut the engine off, the "P" in the floor shifter quadrant, stays on for a few seconds and then goes out. I gather the new Aisin 6-speed automatic in the MCS does the same exact thing. If it stays on a no more than 10 seconds, don't worry about it, but if it stays on longer than that, then consult your dealer. I also gather you notice this more during night time driving.

My new MCS also has the Harmon Kardon and it is absolutely fantastic! No speaker rattle problems. One suggestion, make sure all your audio controls for Bass, treble, fader and Balance are adjusted in the dead center position. The H/K tends to become boomy when the Bass is adjusted all the way to the right, thus causing rattles in the door cards.

I can say with confidence that MINI must have done something to the Harmon kardon for 2005, because it sounds much, much better than the H/K in my 2004 MCS.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

See my weblog discussing "P" staying on - apparently it is "normal" (though odd).

Ian, the Cooper CVT, does a similar thing in the floor shifter quadrant, but the "P" only stays lit for a few seconds, not minutes.

Yup, my 'P' stays lit for a few minutes also.

Thanks ... a few seconds I might understand; there are a few electronic systems which remain powered for a short time. But 4+ minutes just seems toooo long. I think it is just a(nother) software bug in the transmission.

My week and a half old MCSa does this also, it appears to be a normal thing. It's always off after 5 minutes.

Its cause it has an LED instead of a bulb. Very low current means a capacitor that would normally go out in seconds with a bulb, takes a few minutes to go out. (5w light bulb vs 500mw LED = 10x difference)

Nice theory but I cannot believe it.

Powering even just a 10mA LED for 4+ minutes would require something near a one farad cap!

Ian, I read about your "check engine" light problem in your new MCSa. Has MINI come up with a fix? I tend to agree with you that the controlling software in the Auto MCS may indeed be buggy.

I am glad I went with the 6-speed manual instead.

No fix so far.
The internal memo was dated only March 23 - I expect to be waiting till end of May for a fix; they have never been fast at releasing fixes in the past ...

The "P" light is a BMW thing. Every BMW with an auto we have had does this. Light stays on for a few minutes the goes out. Open the door and it comes back on. Normal.

I talked with my service advisor yesterday on the service light staying on. She talked with the higher-ups, and there will be a "fix" with the next release of software in May. She also said it is happening to both the autos and manuals. It has something to do with oil pressure in the crankcase when going down hills in low gears, and to coast down in a higher gear if it bothers you. After many cycles of going off and coming on, it will just stay lit until you go in for service.

She also said the "P" light staying lit is because the computer stays on for some time after the engine shuts off until going into "sleep" mode.

I have a 2006 MCSa (July build) and tonight noticed that the "P" was still on several minutes after the car was turned off. I will go into the garage in a half hour and see if it is still on. Hopefully it turns itself off!

rock on,

-boognish

Takes 4 or 5 minutes to turn off

I was also told this when I purchased my Mini. When opening an unlocked door while the car is in "sleep" mode, if you look at the speedometer needle as you press the door handle to open the door, the needle will jump for a split second to signify the computer "waking up".

God I hated that speaker rattle when i first got my 06mcs... it was so horrible i could barley stand to listen to the dang stereo.

If you follow this how-to you will no longer have the speaker rattle. Sucks to have to tear your new car open I know but it is afterall, a british automobile.

http://www.jwardell.com/mini/hkdoor.html

happy motoring.

Yah the car comes to life when you open the door...The Nav screen awakens and shows the beautiful MINI logo. I look at is the car greeting me for another day of motoring.