I get an odd smell in the cabin of my 07 MCS after 10-15 minutes of city driving. It vaguely smells of exhaust. I'm wondering if it's the smell of the Turbo as it heats up? could some of the heated air be getting into the cabin through gaps in the insulation, etc.?
I also experience random locking problems with my keyless entry/exit. Sometimes the car won't lock or unlock without using the remote fob. Sometimes its just delayed or you have to press the button on the door several times before it works. No seeming rhyme or reason to it.
Anyone have these two experiences?

 

Bump. I was wondering the same thing about my MCS I picked up yesterday....

 

The funny smell is most likely cosmoline melting from the heat of your engine. This yellowish petrolium product is sprayed on the inside of the bonnet to protect the metal from corrosion during transport from the UK. This is Mini's official explanation. The smell will start to subside several months after purchase, once most of the cosmoline melts. It will eventually make it's way to your bumper and/or wheel well covers. A good wax cleaner should remove the cosmoline...although I would suggest that you have the dealer remove it professionally.

 

I asked the dealer to clean it today, and he just told me to use armor all cleaner. After their wash the streaks were still on the wheel well covers. I only had the heavy smell one day. It was hot, and I had just hit 3k and took into into some sporty canyon driving.

 

It took a couple of swipes with the wax cleaner to get the cosmoline off our car. It was literally "baked" on the bumper.

 

I've had my car since mid-April and I've had that same experience. Doesn't happen real often, but I haven't been able to figure out why it does. I just keep pressing the black button until it responds, move my position so the key in my pocket is in more of a direct line to the door or I pull it out and push the fob button.