When selecting the programming options around delivery time, I asked to activate the remote convertible top opening feature. Sounds like a great party trick so why not, right? When I picked up my car, though, the feature was disengaged because my dealership (Westchester Mini in NY) "strongly discourages" this setting.

I took it in today to have this setting enabled anyway. I succeeded, but only after signing a waiver and sitting through a stern talking to. Apparently this dealership has had more than one MINI open spontaneously due to interference from other radio/cell signals. Two suffered thousands of dollars of damage when it happened during a rain storm.

It sounds like BS to me. I can't believe MINI would offer a feature that would prove so problematic, particularly now that the cabrio is in its third model year. Then again, I'm nervous. I'm extra nervous since I've waived my rights to repairs under warranty if anything goes wrong.

Has anyone had any problems? Should I be concerned? I would love a little reassurance so that I can sleep easier tonight...

 

I've had mine activated for over a year and a half and have never had a 'spontaneous' opening.

I have more of a probelem with the remote opening feature not working for the last step(top going down). Sometimes when I try to unlock the passenger door, it unlocks slowly or doesn't unlock, which sometimes results in the next two steps not working properly.

Still, it's a cool feature and I'm glad I have it.

 

Sounds like BS to me too.

What does the waiver state?

I would think that one would have a hard time enforcing the waiver. A call to MiniUSA would probably get the waiver disregarded, due to the fact of the function being available to other Mini owners.

I have not heard of any tops going down due to interference. If you think about it; the interference would have to be timed to the same sequence as the top down sequence from the remote and on the same frequency. Hardly likely!

 

I've had mine for over a year and a half with no problems. I did have it open once when I sat on my keys. I just make sure I don't put them in my back pocket.

I love the feature. It allows me to open the top while I walk to my car in the parking lot (using the "touch the chin" trick, of course).

And BTW - my dealer not only had it enabled for me but described it as a great feature.

 

There have been some reports on NAM and MINI2, even roofs found opened in the rain. For the hardtop, comfort opening is for windows and sunroof, and that has happened as well. However, it seems nobody is completely sure whether these are happening from stray signals or something accidentally pressing on the key. I think it's a nice feature for the cabrio but I didn't want to take a chance and mine is disabled. Actually when I was having my options set, the service advisor thought it was a great feature and encouraged me to enable it.

Here's one thread: http://www.mini2.com/forum/faults-fi...hemselves.html

 

I agree.

the signal would have to:
go on for a few seconds, then off (just unlocked the driver door),
then on for a few seconds then off (just unlocked the boot, gas cap and passenger door),
then on for about 10 seconds (to open the windows and sunroof) then off,
then a quick on and off,
then on for at least 15 seconds to be open completely.

Sounds like your MINI dealership is in Pamplona, --running of the Bulls(hit)...

That said, I have accidently had the top open accidently when I have the key in my pocket at home. I consider that USER ERROR.

 

Never heard of that problem. . . just as likely that one or two people out there left the top down, and then, after their car got rained on, said "Well, I closed it -- radio interference must have opened it!"

 

Great one!
I have to agree with ThomB. The signal would have to be timed perfectly. Sometimes I miss (read that as screw up) a step and have to start all over.

Awesome feature! My only concer would be the release that they had you sign. What exactly are they not willing to cover? Is your entire warranty now void?

 

This sounds like the runaway Audi 5000s.

 

+1 on no problems here. I had that option turned on, and never had a problem with it. If the buttons/transmitter/receiver were as sensitive as the ones on my last two Nissans (2002 Frontier, 2005 Murano) I would be more concerned. As it is you have to really work to make the doors unlock, etc. from any distance at all.

 

Hey rocketdays,

I, too, have the option enabled and haven't experienced any problem in 8 months. I'm not going to lose sleep over the "potential" for some errant signal to open the top of my MINI. Statistically, I wonder what the odds are? Should I play the Lotto this weekend?

It is disturbing that a dealership would present a warranty waiver for you to sign. I'm not sure what I'd have done in your situation. I'd probably have picked up my cell phone while standing in the middle of the dealership and dialed MINIUSA...."Hi, I'm so-and-so, I have an '06 MCSC, and I'm at the dealership of XYZ. I came in to have my keyfob programmed to control my 'vert top....did you know that they are asking me (and presumably other customers) to sign a warranty waiver before they'll perform this task? Is MINIUSA supportive of this? Is it legally binding? I'm unsure whether or not I should sign this before contacting my personal attorney and having him review it on my behalf".

I'd be very interested to read the actual verbage in this "waiver" you signed...if you'd be willing to share it.

 

I would guess that most of the cases are probably user error, but MINI cannot prove it in each case and they are covering themselves by requiring a waiver.

For whatever reason, it seems that having the feature disabled prevents it from happening. I wouldn't rule out that there could be a software bug and something could be triggering it that is not the normal sequence.

 

I have had the top open (just the sunroof portion) on two different occasions, but in my garage. I'm sure it was because the key botton was depressed in my pocket while I was sitting in my computer room, which is on the second floor just above the garage. I still love the remote opening feature, but it really doesn't work from very far away.

 

I had the feature disabled as my dealer suggested because he said it put a strain on the battery to open the top w/out the motor running. I have heard of people saying their tops/sunroofs opened spontaneously & since my MINI is not garaged that would not be a good thing for me. Are the spontaneous opening stories BS?? Who knows but I have seen odd & unexplainable electrical gremlins in my MINI such as the doors spontaneoulsy locking (key fob was laying on a flat table with no one or thing near it & no my MINI is not programmed to auto lock) or the lights coming on in the middle of the night by themselves (yes I checked & the light stalk was in the off position the next morning) so I would never say never to something like this happening

 

Does the dealer also have you signa waiver if decide to have the Daytime Running Lights turned off?

To me it seems that they will do whatever they can to avoid having to do any warranty work, since they make nothing off of it. I would definitely contact MINUSA and verify/report it.

I have had the feature enabled, without signing a waiver, since I purchased my MINI.

IIRC the remote also uses a coded system to prevent random signals from unlocking your vehicle. Sounds like too many parameters have to be correct to get the top to go down spontaneously. I chalk it up to user error, not putting top up when it rained, and the dealer not wanting to foot the bill for replacing the interior.

 

That's also the warning I got from my MA about the remote top down feature -- don't use it too much or I risk draining the battery.

However, I LOVE the feature (though I do try to restrain myself from over using it). I haven't had the top inadvertantly open yet, though I've only had the car less than 4 months. I have, however, had the top fail to open remotely, and I swear it's only when I want to show a friend the remote feature.

 

Daytime running lights from the factory are disabled by default for the USA. The customer has to request DRLs, unless the dealer had enabled it on their own.

It's very unlikely that stray signals could result in a correct code and sequence to trigger opening. However, all bets off whether some unrelated bug in the system might cause it to happen spontaneously.

I've been following this issue since before I got my car (late 2005). When my car arrived, it was no problem to enable the comfort opening but I had been reading the forums and felt cautious and decided not to. Sometime in 2006 a few people posted that MINIUSA instructed dealers not to enable the feature and removed it from the dealers programmable options software. Now this seems to be the next iteration where the feature is made available again but the customer signs a waiver.

 

I have had mine since Oct. 2005. Being from California, I use this feature all of the time. Never a problem!

 

I use this feature all the time, and never had a problem on my '05. As ThomB pointed out, the steps to get to the point that the top opens is way insane for that to happen from 'stray' signals.

 

Have a '05 convert and use the remote topd down all the time as well. Draining a car battery from a 20 second run of motors of that amperage is total BS. No issues with mine in two years +.

Now, I HAVE several times been working around the garage with the keys in my pocket and heard the car unlock, or even go into conv opening. It is entirely possbile if you're close to the car to trigger the first two unlocks, and then the conv open. I've done it by accident with the keys in my jeans when bending down etc.

I'm sure they've gotten complaints from others that had the same happen and who insisted there was no way it could happen with keys in pocket. I know better.

 

The only way that you could drain the battery using this feature is if you put the top up and down repeatedly with out starting the car, or you have a bad battery. Either way it is not the fault of using the option.

Just to play devils advocate. When I was stationed down in Jacksonville, Florida a few years ago. They had a rash of cars spontaneously unlocking themselves on Naval Station Mayport. Most people were blaming the Navy, saying that one of the radio or radar systems on base or on one of the ships was doing it. My guess is that they were correct, but, of course, the Navy flatly denied the possibility.

 

If we could find the bug, maybe we can get the one touch, topdown switch working!!

 

 

Ever notice that if you have a bunch of MINIs all together say at a run and they all start trying to unlock at once the conv mode won't work? I've noted this when we all come out from lunch or dinner and several people are using their remotes at once.

I'm OK with the 4 press, but would like to also be able to CLOSE it remotely. Yes, I understand why they don't do it. But I still want it and will take responsibility for any severed appendages.