Ok everyone, can I get people to check the firewall for a piece of red tape? It's on the driver's side of the engine, behind the air box. Now that you have found it, who's is torn?

Mine is ripped up decently (pics will follow tomorrow). I see a part on the air box that looks like it scrapes against this tape when the engine is driven hard.

The main reason I ask this is because I just got back from the strip (I did run 15.15 @ 93mph though), and am wondering if this is a device to tell the dealer that you drive your car hard. What does everybody think?

 

OK, I checked... it's there. And yes, it's clearly there to be a visual indicator whether or not the engine is shifting in it's mounts enough to allow the airbox to make contact with that black box on the firewall.

Probably a quick indicator to the tech regarding the status of a replacable motor mount bushing vs. a tell-tale sign of owner misuse or abuse.

If your worried. Don't. Or at least don't worry about the sticker : When you take your car in to MINI, they take your key and plug it into a reader at the service counter... they can thell EVERYTHING at that point since all the info is stored on a little chip inside. EV-REE-THING !!!

 

including how many cups of coffee you had in the morning

 

Alright, as long as I'm not being paranoid about it. Think they'll care if I take it off?

Does the key thing work when you give them the key you never use?

 

I like that, a lot!

 

I like the idea, too, but it is probably held in the car, not the key

 

Wow. I didn't know they stored info in the key (and/or car). Freaky. BigMiniBrother.

 

Held in car and updated into key each time you use it.