So I've had a warning light and message that are not in the stupid owner's manual anywhere. I wish it were easier to navigate that thing.
Anyway the first time was a couple of days ago but I didn't notice it right away since the car started right up. I saw the warning just long enough to recognize it was a pic of a MINI up on a rack! This was in the display over the steering wheel. The text on the big center screen said something about the battery, but then the warning disappeared. When I tried to look it up in the check controls thing it said all systems were ok. So I get the same thing again yesterday and once again notice it just as it is going away grrrr. Once again the pic of a MINI up on a rack and this time I see it says something about Increased Battery Discharge, I think (I missed the first word but it started with an I).
The car has 5030 miles on it, so I can't imagine the battery has lived a full life, right?
I'm calling the dealership in the morning, but wondered if anyone else has seen this?
Annette

 

Does it have like an SS on the bottom of the car on the lift?

 

I just saw it for a few seconds, but it just looked like a MINI on top of a capital letter "I" which I took to mean a lift.

 

Do you have MINI connected? If so, just browse into the car info screen, then check control. It'll tell you any warnings that have popped up.

 

Did that.

 

Low battery warning. I get that all the time since I don't regularly drive my MINI, <5200 miles in 28 months. Once you drive it and the battery gets recharged the ECU deletes the code/warning light.

 

Yes it is possible. MINI batteries are notorious for not lasting very long.

And if it is a MINI On A Lift it is shown in the manual and lists all the possible reasons why it could be there and some of the reasons will not show up a codes in the service notifications.

In the 2011 manual it is on page 157-158. Other year manuals will possibly have it on other pages but close to the 150-160 page area.

 

Not in mine, that entire section refers to operating the phone. I looked in the back under warnings, battery, alerts, indicators etc. Pages 13-15 of my manual show a listing of all the indicators shown on the indicators and center console and the pic of a MINI on a lift is nowhere in the list.
Maybe I have a bad manual to boot .

Annette

 

Got a call back from my service guy (the dealership moved to a new location and just opened yesterday).
He took a second to look it up in his system and told me that I need to charge my Comfort Access keyfob battery. LOL. Wouldn't it make way more sense if the text alert on the center console just said that?
I'm going to assume he knows what he's talking about and drive around with the key actually in the slot for a few trips, sheesh .

Annette

 

Comfort Access keyfobs don't have chargeable batteries. They have replaceable #2032 lithium cells. You can open the hatch on the back side of the fob and see the battery there. You can buy a replacement at a drugstore, grocery store, home improvement store, etc. Or eBay if you so wish.

 

Does you car have the button on the door that allows you to unlock the car with the push of the button? In other words you don't need to use the pushbutton on the key?

If so I think those key fobs have replacement batteries in them and are not really recharged. You can see on the back of the key fob that there is a little door where you can get the battery out. You may need to replace the battery not recharge it. The batteries in my key fobs are Panasonic CR 2032. A very common battery that can be had pretty much anywhere.

If you don't have that feature then yes you need to recharge the key fob.

 

Well your service guy is TOTALLY WRONG. Batteries in the Comfort Access Fobs are NOT Rechargeable. They have to be replaced just like unibus_driver said.

Look in the index of your manual and find "Warning and Indicator Lamps" there will be two different pages listed, go to the higher number page and you will find what you are looking for.

for instance
2007 manual is as follows:
Waring and indicator lamps 13, 116

2008 manual is as follows:
Warning and indicator lamps 13, 131

2011 manual is as follows:
Warning and indicator lamps 13, 152

 

Yep, I found it in the manual and decided my SA was wrong. I have decided at this point the issue is that the car has been driven very sparingly over the last month or so. I've been having to use my husband's truck to transport a pack of German Shepherds, so the MINI has been sitting.

Anyway, my manual is apparently missing said information.



As you can see, the page listed does not refer to area 2 at all, and doesn't refer to it anywhere in the manual either. It also doesn't list anywhere in the manual what the triangle with the snowflake refers to in that area, I just know it is the temp below 37 warning from my old MINI manual(my '06). I'm really thinking I have a manual that was maybe out there for the early '11 models and is missing all kinds of stuff.

Here is page 13.



And here is page 152 in my manual, this is the first page of the whole phone section.

 

WOW you are not kidding that you are missing a whole bunch of stuff. What year is your car? (i dont see it listed in your signature)

Any how to see what I am talking about here is a link to the 2011 manual. Check out pages 152 to 163. You will need to be an Owners Lounge Member to view it though.

https://ol.miniusa.com/auth/MINIOwnersManual.aspx


EDIT: I would also go back to the dealer and tell them you want the "Real Manual" not the half baked one they gave you as it is missing a bunch of vary important information.

 

My current MINI is a 2011. From what I recall, the 2011 had a slight overhaul and they changed engines (I think to the N18), so I'm guessing since my car was built early then they did a quicky manual update, which is missing bunches of stuff!
I'm going by the dealership in a few weeks so will pop in and see if my MA can get me a better manual.

Annette

 

Just went to the online manual. WOW, I don't have anything like that, absolutely no pages listing all the different warnings etc.
I'm calling my MA today!

Annette