Went to the dealership yesterday to get a coolant flush. I know I should have done it myself, but I didn't have time and I don't have a jack and I got it used so I didn't know when it got done before. I should probably kick myself for not getting a jack now.

Anyway, '02 MCS went in with no funny lights. Came back with airbag light. Service manager took it back. An hour later .. Said he couldn't connect OBD II scanner to car and said it could be a short. Wow.

I had my NJ inspection done in July when I first got the car and they had no issues with connecting.

I have to go back next week for their foreman to
Come in.



I'm a little pissed because I wanted it to be simple and done. Very suspicious that I cOme in for preventative maintenance and leave with more.

Stay tunes for next week.


In the meantime, any input on why their mini specific scanner would not connect? And airbag light????? Wtf?

 

No advice for the airbag light but I am amazed you took the car back with the light on and no solution from the dealer. Also amazed the dealer would be so caviler about the light.

Take it back and insist it be corrected.

 

I had to leave because I had a class and the dealer said his foreman wasn't there to test an alternate OBD II scanner. I made an appointment for next week.

 

If the coolant flush was the only service done, and as long as done correctly there is no reason the dealer could have caused the light, so please dont think it was them. I am the shop foreman at my dealer and things like this happen. I have seen cars come in ONLY for tires, and when the customer comes in the check engine lights will be on due to something like a faulted camshaft sensor. The tech had nothing to do with the check engine light at all in that instance. If you feel they are a good service dept. give them the chance to serve you properly, but if not find someone else.

 

Here's an update to the followup:

Took it back the following week and still no luck with connecting the OBD II scanner, BUT the service manager who was on vacation came back and I have nothing but praise for him for his honesty. He told me that it couldn't connect, but he had seen some early model MCS' connect with a generic. The first service manager just straight up told me he had no idea as to why and ruled it to be already on when I had arrived there. I must have been blind a week before. The kicker is when the 2nd service manager he told me that the tech who was working on the car told him that the light was on, but proceeded to do the flush, but did not annotate the light being on. Upon asking the general manager, he stated that all warning lights are supposed to be annotated prior to work being done so hmmmmm ... a possibility that tech was doing something naughty between taking the car, flushing and road test and didn't bother saying anything?

4cefed: you are right about giving them a chance. I did. I'm still assed out, my light is still on and need to go somewhere else to get it fixed. So while there may be service departments out there who are honest and legit, the fact that there's a discrepancy with the tech and service manager makes me kick myself for going there in the first place.

 

My professional opinion. One of two things. An escape convict with big prison shoes was hiding in the back seat on the passenger side and kicked the airbag/seatbelt wire harness. Or the boys in the service department took it out for a 2 martini lunch and kicked the pesky wire harness under the passenger seat that was missed by the escaped convict earlier.


At any rate the dealer can reset the light for about $125.00. Mine has been on for 5 years after a rear seat passenger kicked the harness with their shoe in the roomy rear seat. The harness can be unplugged if the battery is first disconnected. No way to reset without buying a higher end reset tool. I just tell passengers that the light indicates that the airbag is now staged and will blow at any second.

If it's not causing a misfire at 8,000 RPM, forget about it.

 

I would have the dealer reset the light since it is free. I still have the letter from MINI TSB warning on the light. Still good for 10 years / 150,000 miles.

Unfortunately, they can't connect to it. When it's not so busy at school, i'll take it down to one of the recommended Mini mechanics and compare a generic. I have a hunch that only a generic will be able to connect since the guy at the DMV was able to when I got my state inspection done. This would make my TSB letter pretty useless since it won't be the dealer that gets to do the reset for free.

Me? I do worry to a point. I finally have a decent car that i've always wanted since high school. If I didn't care about lights, then I would gladly still drive my '94 Civic hatch.