Hey guys,

First off, I'm not the most car savvy guy, so a little help here would be awesome! My 2007 MINI Cooper S (~65k miles) won't start at all. The past few weeks, as the temperature got a bit cold, the car always sputtered for a bit but always started first try. However today I tried to the start the car and got this:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9nglvg1u5p...36.04.mp4?dl=0

Starting the engine does nothing but shut it down right away. Occasionally the other functions come on but I just hear this weird clicking coming from somewhere (you can hear it at about the 10 second mark in the video).

I've received no lights prior to this however I have noticed some weird things the past few weeks, like the windows never being fully shut.

Where to start? Thanks!!!

 

I would start with the battery.

 

To close the loop, it was the battery. Got the car jumped and bought a replacement

 

thanks for closing the loop


lessons learned for a not the most car savvy guy


1. Start simple .... try the easy fixes first ... don't assume the worst. A set of jumper cables is a good diagnostic tool!


2. In older days you could tell a battery was getting weak because you'd turn the key and it would crank slow or groan. Today, you turn the key or push the button and that says to the computer 'start the car' ... if the computer does not see enuf battery juice it ignores the command. If the battery juice is SO LOW that the computer is under powered ALL SORTS of weird things happen . . . those jumper cables answer a bunch of questions . . .


3. Now a days a battery 5 years old is probably close to death. There are always exceptions but I tend to get very suspicious at 5 years . . . if that was the original battery in your 7, you got your money's worth! I sold a 7 12 months ago and it too had the original battery .... I guess that was a good year! Wife's Honda battery was dead at 5 years to the month and the last OPTIMA I put in my 79 was dead by 5 years and 3 months . . .

 

Random electrical gremlins and warning lights are a true sign of a battery about to die - its a real telltale on modern cars