Coming home from work a few weeks ago and while stoped at a light my Mini just SHUT DOWN completely...No lights, No NOTHING...Funny/Interesting thing was/is that there was a Mazda 3 right in front of me that experienced the same exact problem...While waiting for the tow, I checked the battery compartment and it had some water, about two inches and the compartment itself was very hot...I should mention that the day was very muggy and I was running my A/C, my radio, and the HID lights...I was towed to my house a few blocks away and just let the Mini sit for a few days....After a few days I took out the battery (Interstate), dried it out, dried out the battery compartment, reinstalled the battery and put it on a trickle charger...The following morning I started the car again and it was like nothing happened....Now I have not been brave enough to try driving it, since I'm afraid of getting stuck again, so I ask the NAM collective what do you think it could be???

Also, if I do need professional mechanical help, please recommend a dealer or private shop in the North New Jersey area...I live in Livingston, NJ 07039...

Thanks in advance

 

If you already checked all the standard fuses, take a look at the fuse block in the battery compartment in the boot.

When the battery box got flooded, this fuse may have blown.

Ken

 

Ken,

is that the orange box on the right side of the battery? I have never seen it, but is there a fuse in there as well? I thought it's onlyl bolts for the battery connections. Please advise and THANKS for the help.

Rus

 

That orange box has a safety disconnect...a squib that explodes to disconnect the battery from the rest of the car if the air bags deploy...the battery cables are long, and in a severe crash, could arc, and be dangerous.
It sounds like water got in...and shorted the wires, draing the battery...somehow stalling the car, from perhaps a bad connection...
Dry everything out throughly...look leaks...sometimes it is around the brake lights..
When all is dry...check the connection for corrosion...it can happen fast in a wet area. It might be wise to reconnect the grounding wires...after cleaning them up.

 

Ok, well after everything dried out, the car started right up, so do you think it's still the wires in the Orange box or could it be something else?

A guy at AutoZone said that it might be the alternator that's the cause of the problem and that since it's not working then it's just draining the battery.

All help is greatly appreciated.

 

Bump

 

Well, if the alternator is not working...and the battery goes dead...either from use or shorting out, the car will not run...since there is so many computers on the car, as the voltage drops, odd things start to happen...
Most car batterys will fail after being severly discharged just a couple of times...it is very hard on them.
Having a failed alternator certainly fills in the blanks in the story about why your car stopped running after the battery discharged!!