I own 2011 MINI Cooper S, and am having an issue with a dead battery and a dead radio. I am still not sure which one came first because one day, I could not start my mini, so jump started it, and radio did not come up, and I had to jump start next day again, and no radio.

I went to the dealer and am told that radio had an internal short, so it is completely dead, and it is causing the whole system wakes up as the system keeps polling radio but the radio does not respond, so, the car does not go to sleep at all and drains battery while the engine is turned off.

Does this make sense and is this the way that MINI is designed? Did anyone have a similar problem and is there a way to avoid the current drain without replacing the radio?
As new radio costs around $1400-1500 (parts and labor) from the dealer, I am thinking to live without radio for a while and replacing it from a local auto audio shop later, so I am wondering there is a way to avoid battery drain even if I have a dead radio?

BTW, I don't have a Harman Kardon and have a standard radio/audio system with USB/Bluetooth from the factory.

Thanks!

 

I'd try pulling the fuse for the radio .... but that's a guess ....

and I'd probably have a talk with a GOOD audio shop to see if they have any thoughts about the problem and changing out the system ....

 

Thank you very much for information.
I also thought about the fuse, so mentioned about that to the dealer, but they said fuse wouldn't help my issue, but I am not totally sure that is true...
I guess the only way to find out is that I get the car back and try it out by myself. It's been two weeks I am having this issue and the car is sitting at the dealer for a week, so it is a headache...

 

"My" .exp so far with the R56 MCS is this ---it has a CONSTANT DRAIN on your battery at all times----period! That said if your not getting in the thing driving/recharging it about every 30 hours....yer battery is gonna keep getting drained , finally die out [at least mine has..].
My answer is this [and i have not put it in yet but i will when i actually get my mini back together from the rather large MOD list im already involved installing--- PUT IN A KILL SWITCH! -- i.e. one that shuts off everything or....plan on buying more batteries or get you a bass-boat smart charger install it where u can keep the thing plugged in when u dont drive every day.... i kill switch would null the security system [i dunno how good they r ..] but if the car is DEAD----uhm-----who's gonna drive off with it? [at least my opinion..]. So far with me working on the mini for the past 3 weeks and prolyl 2 more weeks this way im keeping the battery from being dead! [i.e. i just take the pos. cable off/on when i need it -----thus the idea for a kill switch.