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Convertible Lock light...am I doing something stupid????
So my wife and I were out for an early dinner to beat all this pope rush in the Philly suburbs this coming week. Top down and cruising around
We stopped, left the top down and went to eat. We were gone about 1 1/2 hours. I came back to the car and got ready to pull out when I got the dash light showing a pic of the car with the top down and with a lock next to it and the convertible top switch with a flashing green light next to it. I figured it was telling me that the top wasn't down all the way and locked. I thought this was weird because while I was driving, everything was fine. I tried pushing the switch in the direction of putting the top down further....nothing. Trunk wouldn't open either, meaning it was between stages. I said screw it and put the top up and drove off.
A few blocks down the road, I wanted to test this thing out and put the top down again. Nothing....everything worked as normal. This can't be normal can it? One would think that you would be able to leave the top down and come back to it without an error, right? This happened to me once before too...same scenario...different town in the area.
Has anyone ever had this 'error' before? Or am I doing something I just shouldn't be in a mini.
Hey Buck,
Sounds like you have an intermittent issue.
I don't fully follow (see in my mind) what you mean here: the convertible top switch with a flashing green light next to it
Better explaining what that is and taking a pic of the error code shown may help out.
You can definitely leave the top down and not have any errors or issues later. We leave ours down a lot and on an '09 Z4, without issue which makes me think you may have a real issue that need fixed.
I wouldn't say that its an error code but rather a digital picture of the mini with its top down and a pad lock symbol next to it.
Not sure if that photo will work but that's it.
As far as the flashing led light.....if you can imagine where the switch is to put the top down on the car, there is a small round light next to it that flashes green at the same time this symbol shows up on the dash. Now imagine that happening after starting the car having let it sit for 2 hours with the top down. Maybe minis don't like to be left turned off with the top down for long?
You also have a different car, a Z4. Im not sure we would have the same symbols and mechanics?
Last edited by BucksCountyR57; 09-20-2015 at 06:33 PM.
We have a '13 Mini Cabrio too. Have not seen that symbol. Definitely warning you of something and it kicks in whphen you start moving, not soon as you start the engine?
yeah it showed up as soon as I would push the clutch in to get it in gear. Odd thing is.....now it won't do it for a long while. Only happens when I want to leave the top down to give the convertible top motor a rest as opposed to putting it up and down, up and down, etc.
Here is my educated guess (all of this is speculation): When the top is fully opened, it presses down on a contact switch, and this is how the car detects that the top is completely down. Perhaps there is some looseness or misalignment in the mechanism, and it lost contact with the switch while sitting for an extended time. Did you try bringing the top partially back up and then fully down again?
I just thought of something. I just checked the manual too. Apparently you can close the top with the remote key too. I think what is happening is that I get a bit too OCD with the button in locking it and it tries to start the process of closing the roof. So the next time I get into the car....this problems happens.
Seems probable right?! haha
But to answer your question above....yes, that would correct it every time.
Possible, but I'm not sure the US gets that convenience? For the BMW, would need to buy SmartTop or similar device. And I just got Carly for BMW and it doesn't allow me to enable that feature on our 2013 which, I think, is fully optioned.
So test your key fob out, see if it actually does that.
I'm also not sure when/how/why your error code goes away? Is it only after toggling the open/close switch?
Here is my educated guess (all of this is speculation): When the top is fully opened, it presses down on a contact switch, and this is how the car detects that the top is completely down. Perhaps there is some looseness or misalignment in the mechanism, and it lost contact with the switch while sitting for an extended time. Did you try bringing the top partially back up and then fully down again?
Yea, there is a hall sensor back there and its not picking up on the fact the top is in the down position. When the top is down all day in the heat the senor might have the last point higher at the top rest a little more its lower by a hair , has this happen once in the R52 and got the flashing red light. Stop the car , started it again and put the top up and everything was fine.
Hello ECS! I thought it was me being trigger happy with the comfort/convenient remote closing but it wasn't. I am starting to think about your suggestion (as well as rkw's) of a hall sensor. Do you know or have a link to show the location of these sensors? The only thing I can find is a for a 2006 cab. http://www.bmw-planet.com/lib/mini/C...ICE%20INFO.pdf
Do you have the link for a 2011 cab? OR have these sensor locations changed much?
09-20-2015, 03:18 PM
