I suspect that may be the detonation I've been experiencing, if so, I'm going to the dealer armed with that bulletin number!

 

Be detonation, do you mean a knock? Can you explain what you're hearing?

I wonder if it's the cold-start knock some have reported.

 

The detonation definitely sounds like a rattle, like marbles are bouncing around in the engine. Happens under 3500 rpm under wot accelleration, usually in high gears. I've mentioned in in several threads before, but no definite fix as of yet.

 

Nevermind, the "rattle" noise TSB is explained here

 

I have a 2008 Mini Cooper base model picked up on April 25th and it has been serviced going on 3 times for the same thing. It happens randomly. I shut the car off then the transmission warning in yellow goes off in the tachometer after car is turned off. It sometimes happens when I insert the key but it is always when the car is not running. Any ideas what this could be????? I am to the point where I am so disgusted. The SA told me yesterday that I am not the only one but I can not find a service bulletin out on this and he told me there is one.

 

So your SA tells you there is a service bulletin for your specific problem but can't (or refuses to) find it? Why do you have to do his job for him? That is the usual type of BS that MINI/BMW service gives us R56 owners. Thanks to wonderful resources such as NAM we can educate ourselves as best possible when major/recurring issues arise. But when we go to the dealership service department for help and answers we are met with resistance and just plain ignorance.

A few months ago I went to my SA and asked if she could pull up all the service bulletins, recalls, etc for my car. I was told they could just stick my fob into their little reader and by using the vin get a list of everything. Well she told me there was no way to do that...rriiight

Shame....I love my mini but BMW's policies still stink. They refuse to help with educating consumers and allowing them to educate themselves. A lot of us mini owners are car people and are smart enough to know when something ain't right. I guess this stems from BMW's normal luxury customer base...people who don't care to get down, dirty and technical with the car on all levels and just expect BMW to magically fix stuff. Well, it hasn't worked that way for us mini owners cuz long term issues still haven't been entirely addressed or acknowledged even when you keep bringing the car in for the same issue! I foresee this getting worse as MINI goes more mainstream and more and more people buy them.

 

The issues that you describe regarding access to information is and absolutely been an issue for many BMW owners and also proprietors of independent repair shops. The exteme end of this is that for a new M5 owner it is virtually impossible to even change your own oil. Granted, most people who are paying 6 figures for a car are probably not doing thier own maintenance. Jiffy Lube is out of the question as are the BMW (reluctantly sanctioning for a price). I have owned 8 BMW's in the past 20 years and to my knowledge BMW has always been very secretive and very aggresive at chasing down and wacking unauthorized logo use.

 

I am to the point of what do I do, I am so disgusted I wanted this car so bad and waited almost a year before we could even order it then I get it and looks what happens. My SA assures me that my vehicle is safe to drive but why does this keep happening, he doesn't know either and I asked him yesterday if this was going to be an ongoing thing with the car he said no but this is the third time in three months, it is kind of an embarrassment every month I seem to be driving a different vehicle, and everyone knows my vehicle it is chili red with black and white checkerboard roof, mirrors, rearview mirror, dash and rooster red colorline with black driving lights. When they drop me off one of their minis I don't like it. They have no character like mine, or is it attitude. The last time I was there I told my MA that I am seeing him more after I got the car then before we ordered it. I live quite a distance from the dealership also so my mileage is getting up there also. Have any of you had the same issues with your mini, with the transmission warning?

 

Yeah, ridiculous policies in my opinion and I guess there is no changing them. I guess it works for most of the people dropping 6 figures on a luxury car but for the rest of us it's nothing but inconvenient and condescending. To make matters worse for the MINI owners is that most of us don't live less than 50 miles from a dealership (I'm fortunate to live at least 30 mins WITHOUT traffic from 3 of them but that is not the norm). All this has left a bad taste in my mouth...sure I understand that if it wasn't for BMW I wouldn't be driving a R56 in the first place and yes they engineer the "ultimate driving machines" which I can appreciate and marvel at but eh...if I ever get rid of the MINI I personally doubt I'll be buying another "BMW".

 

I haven't had any problems so far (knock on wood), but as a precaution I've printed out the service bulletin on the cold-start detonation, and will file it. It's the best way I know of to preserve my consumer rights if I should have this after the warranty has expired. As for transmissions (and clutches), from what I can tell through NAM threads, these appear to be long-term issues not exclusive to the R56. Previous MINIs have had it in spades. I know of one person who has had 4 transmissions installed, as well as other drive train parts.

I wish they'd get this all straight. I do expect to buy an extended warranty (something I have NEVER done), just to protect against future major expenses of this sort. I fully agree with Ambrosia's post--they will lose a huge market if they ignore these problems. Like BMWBOY, I'm a multiple-BMW owner.

And the SAs CAN put the key in their reader to pull up service bulletins--I've seen them do it.

P.S. Ambrosia--I'll be in Washington in a few days to cheer on my daughter in the Ms Wheelchair America pageant. She has a LY convertible MC, and her husband has a Checkmate Edition MCS. She is the reigning Ms Wheelchair Texas. (If you go on either website you'll see her information.) Yeah, I'm bragging--what else does a mother do? If I see a SS MINI I'll wave and you'll know it's me, LOL! If you see a CR/W MSC with Texas plates, wave back, that's us!

 

I can't say I've had that specific issue. It is probably true the vehicle is still safe to drive and is just being quirky and brainfarting every now and then. I know that isn't much consolation but keep demanding (politely of course) that your dealership service dept and MINI address the issue and resolve it. Good luck!

 

Yeah, I dunno why my SA said she couldn't pull up bulletins while doing that...maybe there was some miscommunication there...lol

Awesome! You have a multiple MINI family! The pageant sounds like fun too, please wish your daughter good luck for me!

If I see a MINI with Texas plates I will definitely wave. Not sure if you've been to the DC Metro area but let me tell you, this area has a TON of MINIs everywhere! They are starting to become very common place now...lol.

(and they are selling like hot cakes over here....all of the 3 area dealers lots are basically empty. MoS hasn't even had a new r56 for customers to test drive. They are having astronomical sales right now).

 

stupid question....whats an SA? I know you mean Service shop, or service writer, (mechanic) but whats SA?

 

Service Advisor

 

I was going to email my SA and ask if it is possible for him to find out why my car is doing this before they pick it up so I kind of have an idea how long they will have it but I didn't as of yet, wasn't sure if that is stupid to do or not. I hate having to part with my mini and I like to have an idea, apparently another owner of a mini is experiencing the same problems as I am having we bought our minis at the same dealership, his transmission light went off again a day after he got his back mine at least waited close to a month. That did happen to me though the first time they attempted to fix it then the second time it took close to a week before it went off again.

 

I can not believe this they picked up my mini this morning/afternoon and left me a rental which is down right filthy and they left me a standard I can not drive a stick. I have never learned what do I do? Do I through a fit and tell them to come get this vehicle which I am 1 1/2 hours away from the dealership or do I let my hubby drive the mini? I am so pissed right now

 

wow you got a manual rental? I know it is not a good thing for you right now as you can't drive it...but maybe you can use and abuse it to just practice learning to drive stick? I searched high and low before getting my mini for a manual rental to no avail.

 

To be honest that thought has entered my mind

 

I emailed my SA after they picked up my car but have not had any reply from him as yet. The same guy that picked up my vehicle last month also picked it up today.

 

Nor seamonkey browser.

 

My hubby got into the rental this morning and it wouldn't start eventually it started for him but he is pissed. I think we have rights to be mad this is the third darn time it has been in for this issue for gosh darn fix it and fix it right so it doesn't happen again. I have had my mini for three months almost and it has been in for service 4 times already.

 

I m guessing you are not a programmer. In fact, in this day and age it is even more difficult to design websites which work across browsers than say about 5 years ago. Having said that netscape and windows is an odd combination.

 

My advice? Keep track and document your problems and servicing. Sometimes you just have to call it quits on a car and use the Lemon Law of your state. Requirements vary greatly, but if you are that dissatisfied with your car, you might want to check into it. Some of these individual cars seem to have bugs. I know of one MINI which has required 4 transmissions--one after another, including a couple that were very close to each other.

 

The one that required 4 transmissions what year was it? I am not dissatisfied with the car I just want it fixed and I found a thread with the same thing I have going on it looks like what they need to replace is the shifting mechanism I emailed my SA with information and he is supposed to get back to me on that. My car when driven by him did come up with a fault so I am hoping they have the information they need to get this part ordered, from what I understand this part is on back order.

 

The same grap happens to me with the airbag light, and it's still happening. But of course they can't duplicate the problem at the dealer. Even with the cold start issue. Crevier has been very helpfull, but they have the same answer as most other Mini Dealer, "we can't duplicate the problem."