I found a problem with the paint on my 06 MCS and posted it here at the Electrical Mods forum. Thanks for any help ya'll have.

Cheers!

 

I have a '06 MCS also, and I'm seeing something similar. I can't say it's affected my paint yet, but everytime the boot is dirty (which is almost always! ), I see the discoloration that you are talking about (at least when my lights are on). It's surprising how warm the areas over the lights get...

Once I clean my car again (it's -5 outside right now, so it's not happening today), I will check closely. I will be taking the Mini in for its 10k checkup in the next week or so; I will ask the dealer about it...

Any non-2006 MCS seeing the same thing?

 

I'm seeing the same thing on my '06.

 

Me 3, i can actually make out where the spots are since my boot is all dirty with salt, and it doesnt look good at all.........i heard that the heat combined with the winter salt makes the metal rust faster, is this true?
and how the heat from those lights affect that metal handle?

 

I'm just curious if anyone has addressed this to their dealers. And, if so, what they were told.

Cheers!

 

After making a quick run this morning, I'd noticed that the lights were so hot that they were able to keep the moisture off of the lift above the lights as can be seen in these photos.

When I took Maggy down to the dealership, the SA told me that this was normal!! After a bit of a discussion, including wiping the crud off of the lift with a rag (!!), he told me to bring it back if it gets worse!! Again, Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus...

Any else try dealing with their SA about this? If so, how'd it go? Thanks!

Cheers!

 

I'm bringing mine in this Thursday (2/15) for its 10k service. This is on my list to talk about with my SA. I'll post here any feedback I get...

 

Thanks and good luck!

Cheers!

 

No distortion on my Cooper (non S) because the frame is chrome. Might be better to install a chrome overlay, the distortion will come back even if you repaint.

retroom

 

That's a really good idea... I hadn't even considered that.

Is the overlay part of the bigger exterior chome package, or can it be had on its own?

 

I don't have this issue yet, but I'm a preventive maintenance nut. I thought of replacing the incondescent bulbs with LEDs. Autoillumination has these that fit festoon fixtures, but they didn't have anything close the the 37mm festoons that are stock on my MINI.

I think this would solve the heat issue if 37mm LED festoons could be found. Anyone know of a source?

YD

 

I have experimented with 36mm and 42mm LED festoons as license bulbs just to see how they look. Either size will work if you bend the spring metal contacts to fit. Someone reported that they may sometimes flicker when they're supposed to be off, so you may want to add a resistor across one of the bulbs.

For looks alone, I'm undecided and still running the stock bulbs. The LEDs are whiter and (depending on type of LED) brighter. My stock bulbs throw a shadow in the upper middle of the license plate and the shadow was even more prominent with the LEDs.

 

RKW, autoillumination didn't have any 36mm, only 31 and 42. Do you have a source for 36mm?

YD

 

I got the 36mm festoon from eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1pc-3...7497QQtcZphoto

 

It can be purchased separately, but it's quite pricey. Moss Mini (www.mossmini.com) sells one for 02-06 models for $44.95, however, I've seen it on Ebay for less.

retroom

 

During the Odenwald Tour last weekend, I met someone with an 03 CR/W R50. As it had been raining, his car had the same hot spots on the lift hatch that Maggie, my R53, had. He'd never noticed these marks before I pointed them out to him, however, he was adamant that his car did not show any paint distortion/discoloration at these two spots. Since he's the only owner of his car, I'm no longer worried about any real problems with this issue. Wonderful relief. I'll keep ya'll posted if the situation changes.

Cheers!!

 

Hi, that was me at Odenwald, with the CR/03 MCS. As Poppa Bear said...I've never seen any discoloration in paint on the boot handle. I must confess that I don't use my MCS as a daily driver and therefore, the lights aren't on frequently. I do my best to keep it clean and I keep a coat of high quality wax on it. I also keep a NOAH fabric cover on it after I clean it...(you know how much the sun loves red paint). I like the LED idea that someone posted earlier. I have a friend who went that route with some of the lights on his BMW Z4. The lights look cool, don't overheat, and last longer. Good Idea! I too will keep an eye on the boot handle to see if things start to go bad...At least, until I mess with the LED idea.

 

I also notice the pattern after my car was coated with salt and dirt. So far it looks like the paint is not affected. I haven't had the chance to wash my car yet b/c of the weather. But I should at least wipe down the boot handle with some quick detailer and check.

How easy is it to get to the bulbs? I'm thinking of lining the area where the bulb is with some type of foil to reflect some of the heat.

 

Seems that CleanSC found it possible to cause the damage that I was worried about on this thread. Constant vigilance!!

Cheers!!