I know there have been other similar threads about windows, but I haven't seen anything that addresses what happened this morning. I went out to the MINI to go to work and both windows were lowered half way. I don't know of any action on the key fob that results in both windows lowering equally to the halfway point. I had been out to the driveway earlier to pick up the newspaper (yes, I still read an actual newspaper) and had not noticed that the windows were down. Has anyone had a similar experience?

There was another occasion a few months back when I came out of a store having parked a few minutes earlier to find the barn door had popped open. I only mention this because it seems to be in a similar category.

 

Holding the unlock button down will open the windows evenly so maybe the fob buttons are being pressed while in your pocket.

 

I agree with the crowded pocket/squished fob hypothesis.

My office was on the second floor same side as the parking lot. I could lower my windows and raise the sunroof from my desk.

Sometimes I even did it on purpose.

 

Thanks for the replies. I'll go with the hypothesis about the fob. I did lower the windows part way intentionally this morning and can see how it could happen unintentionally. I will say, however, that I find I have to be pretty close to the car before the fob becomes effective. It doesn't have the range that other fobs have had on other cars I had in the past. That's why it seemed so unlikely that my windows would have been down the other day.

I'll see if it recurs or if anyone else has a similar experience.

Thanks again.

 

my first gen MCS did this until I had the dealer de-program it. very annoying.

 

same thing happened to me - car was in the garage and i had been in the car for something, went into the house, came out later and the both windows were halfway down - only happened one time so far

 

When I had an MCS R53 my cables some how were not isolated properly. This lead to salt touching the cables which lead to the unlocking and opening of windows and sunroof. Thank God that my R56 does not have a mind of it's own like my old car!

 

I'd have to agree otterdad. My fob has a very short range compared with other cars i've had. I'd say I need to be with-in 20-30ft to get my R56 to respond.

 

+1

I have an '05 MCS. I don't even know if mine has the automatic window feature. I'll have to try it at lunch.

 

Might sound wierd, but I've observed that if you hold your keyfob vertically (like when u're inserting coins in a vending machine), the range is much more than usual. Plus it's also a well established fact that the human body acts as a sort of antenna... Try keeping your fob right next to your head and press the button.. You WILL be surprised

 

Really I've been able to unlock my car from 3 stories up...

 

Lucky you

 

I had this happen to my '09 MCS on 12/23/08, about 18 days after receiving it. Both windows were all the way down, doors unlocked, in a driving rain storm! Everything except the center of the headliner was soaked. There was an inch of water standing on the floor. It has happened two more times since, but without getting soaked. The dealership, so far, is doing anything and everything to make me happy. They have replaced DS door handle and the footwell module. They will soon replace the PS door handle. Time will tell.

 

I think my car has electrical gnomes that screw around with my windows and sunroof when I am not around. That is my theory. I think one lives in the boot and likes to pop it every now and then. Sometimes I get in my car and it says the boot is open. I KNOW I did not press that button.

 

My boot is a self-opener too and is part of my warranty woes right now.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-to-mods.html

My dealer and MINI's uber-tech have both failed to recreate the problem; it might be in the wiring harness or it might be something completely different.
As soon as I can get a portable spectrum analyzer back from a customer I'm going to scan for transient rf signals in my neighborhood. I'll be able to read the signal from the fob and see if there are matching pulses from any of the power lines. My theory is that a power sub-station might be generating a boot-open signal ---- our boot has only self-opened within a 3 mile radius of this station.

Now if I could figure out why my passenger airbag off light comes on with a full-grown passenger in the seat, I'd be much happier still.

 

My car did that TWICE in the second week of ownership. My boyfriend at the time was the one sitting in the passenger seat. I was so freaked out I pulled the car over, made him get out,... then I shut off the car and restarted it. I even monitored HOW he was sitting in the seat-- to the side, slumped forward. He was sitting on it just fine.

The airbag light came on again on the drive home. He broke up with me a month later.

I told myself the car just didn't like him. It has not done it since, but yah... that was weird.

 

Since the 2nd gen MINI electrical wiring harness is based on the 3 series BMW, I'm feeling fairly certain that it may share some of the faults that are happening on that side of the dealerships.
It won't get better and it won't stop happening; you need to report it.