Its called posting in between work.Same thing most of you folks do.
BTW,Not that I need to explain myself to you,Im the owner

 

Finally someone sees my point.Thank you.
Sure the car is fun to drive,but I still dont think I should clean it every time to prevent further damage.
simple green didnt remove stain.I did read somewhere about peanut butter,but that just seems like a wise tale?

 

Me rude,dont think so.I took his comment as an insult.

 

He was simply stating the facts. If you took it as an insult, then you have more issues than your MINI, for sure.

Good luck.

 

After more reading it seems most of the problems you mention have had a lot written about them here on NAM (not unique) and that they are well-known to MINI. That means they should all be fixed for you, no questions asked. Granted, it is unfortunate they happen at all, and it is an even greater hardship if the dealership is far away.

This is my second MINI...both had initial issues. Same w/ friends of mine. But once all that was dealt with, the car (both of them) has been rock solid and a total blast each and every time I go for a drive. That's going on six years of very enjoyable, engaged motoring...very hard to put a value on that.

My big problem is that I wish the car wasn't so gorgeous as it has definitely impacted how I spend my leisure time (detailing and the like). Sometimes I myself wonder what it would be like to drive a more normal car...then I wind up in a rental on a business trip. Very glad to get back to my MINI.

I should add that my dealership (Moritz MINI) has been utterly fantastic to work with over the years. That makes everything so much easier.

 

Choosing to sell or submitting to daily cleaning is a choice only you can make.

Peanut butter does work. I've used it on the cosmolene and to remove wax haze from the fender aprons.

 

Facts? So what that his mini was only 19K, I dont care.Regardless of what each person spent,we all take things personal about their cars.So for him to insult me and call my car only value at 19k was wrong.

 

Yes, I didnt claim i had an unusual issue.I was stating that this issue shouldnt be happening,regardless of what one spends for their car.I think its an insult for them to sell me a car that has a silly issue especially for the amount we are charged.
Wish i could say the same for my dealer,especially the MA,he/she seems to be lost in space half the time.
I'm also with you,I like to drive a clean car,but I dont want to clean it everyday.JMHO Once a week is ok with me unless it gets real dirty.

 

I'll have to give the peanut butter thing a try and maybe add some clear tape to the common areas to prevent further damage.Luckly it comes off the paint rather easily

 

Perhaps not your car specifically, nor stated outright, and perhaps not your original intent; but it certainly is an easy inference from what you did post.

Regardless, I hope you come to a decision that makes you happy.

 

clnconcpts from what I have been reading is that your are upset with the Cosmoline drip that comes from your hood from the heat and is actually kind of common in hot areas of the country I had it too here in Florida.I also understand that you shouldn't have to keep cleaning it off all the time and your dealership seems to not respond to your complaint about it.True it shouldn't be on a premium compact car but it is.Plus if IIRC you mentioned that the dealership is quite a bit far so traveling there is a major problem for you.

Since this is a "major" problem for you then go ahead and sell it and good luck with whatever car you end up getting.

 

I don't know what all the excitement is about, if you're not happy with the car regardless of the reason, sell it or trade it in. It's that easy........

 

Whoa...no insult was intended. All I was saying was that MINIs are not a basic high-end luxury car, although some are optioned up to a higher price. The cosmolene issue, for example, affects bare-bones Coopers and full-on JCWs alike...huge price difference there, but same basic car underneath.

 

I think you're missing the point.My point isnt that the car is worthless or anything of that nature.Its that i feel we shouldnt have to be dealing with that issue.
Who wants to spend their money they work hard for and have to deal with a silly issue

 

I, for one, am glad that the shippers coat our MINIs in cosmoline, to protect them from the salt air as they cross the oceans to get to us. I am sorry that clnconcpts got one that wasn't properly detailed. That is NOT fun, especially when your dealership is so far away. I understand his being annoyed. clnconcpts, maybe if you document some of the continually melting cosmoline, you can leverage it into some goodies from the dealership?

 

Thats fine and dandy.I wasnt stating that just cause i spent 30k on mine its better then the others either.Just stating,I dont feel anyone of us should be having to deal with this problem.
I fully understand that if I make a big stink to the dealer they will replace the parts,thats also not the issue I'm trying to make.

I feel none of us should have to deal with this.Why cant Mini fix this issue before we receive the car?Also who is responsible the Vcs or the dealer for the problem?What i mean is who is suppose to have removed all the cosmoline from the car in the first place?Also cant mini use something else to protect the car?From my understanding the BMW line doesnt have this cosmoline sprayed on the car when shipped to the USA,so why does Mini do this

 

Another good response,thanks for understanding the inconvenience.I think they can use another product to protect against the salt air.Real BMW's get covered with something like a car cover.What does Mercedes use to protect?Audi,Porsche,volvo use?All these cars come across the seas and dont have this problem.

 

Isn't that like committing suicide because you know you're going to die one day?

 

Good question...I'm not sure anyone has figured this out precisely. Probably both have a role in preparing the car for delivery. Somehow, even with the processes used at the VDC, followed by the dealer, summer heat still causes the stuff to seep. Most of us have suffered through and the issue cleared itself up, but you're right, it should not be happening. I have friends who attacked each and every weep hole w/ a Q-tip and solvent in an effort to stop the stuff...I know others who wound up w/ replacement trim. I can only assume that MINI uses the processes it uses for a reason...it's just not adequate to keep customers from having to cope w/ excess goo. A lot of our lives would be easier if they had this figured out better. FWIW, my '03 MINI didn't do this (although it was delivered in January). Seems a relatively recent issue.

Frankly, once the stuff was gone, I kinda forgot all about it....no problems after that first summer. I had several other initial things to sort out, too, but the car always ran great so once that all was done I was good to go.

 

What kind of solvent?

 

yeah, just take an old rag and spend a Saturday morning shoving it in as far as you can to as many of the leakage sources as you can- thats what I did. I used a small flatblade screwdriver to shove the rag in as far as I could- it was surprising how much of that stuff is in there then you can just throw the rag away and forget about it
3 months from now (think: thanksgiving) you will have forgotten about this whole thing because it will have gone away

 

Some folks use Goo Gone or similar...the detailing shop at my dealership gave me some of the stuff they use. To be honest, I don't know what it is (it's clear), but it works. Perhaps a call to one of the dealerships would yield more precise info. From what I can tell a number of products work equally well. If it were me I would also let the dealership know of my problem and maybe take pics...at some upcoming visit they may be able to replace any pieces permanently damaged. Not sure if this would work...my dealer is two blocks away and I always let them know directly if anything is sub-par.

BTW, the friend who went at it w/ the Q-tips also use Black Wow on his trim. Not sure if this was part of his goo solution.

 

Well you and everyone else on this forum deal with this issue, it's just a fact of owning a Mini. Should you and everyone else deal with it? Probably not, but you do and we do. If you don't want to deal with it, get rid of the Mini, problem solved.

 

Shaking my head at you. That doesnt solve the issue.I guess you enjoyed the hassle and dont mind the inconvenience.Thats your choice.I think people who buy a car shouldnt have to put up with this inconvenience regardless of what kind of car.
It shouldnt be part of ownership.some people just amaze me.Guess you are a left wing wacko as well

 

Call me a left wing wacko if you like (I am) but at least I'm not a whiner, grow up and deal with life.