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Stock Problems/IssuesDiscussions related to warranty related issues and repairs, or other problems with the OEM parts and software for MINI Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.
As of recent, I've been having a problem with my speedometer/tach spazzing out on me at random times. Usually only occurs at highway speeds when it is really cold out. Anyone had similar problems/have any recommended solutions? The car still drives fine when this happens, just is a bit annoying.
NAM folks, we have GOT to figure out what is causing this! I am having the exact same issue as Poptimus. Had it now for almost a year and it's driving me INSANE! I hate this car more than you can imagine because of this and other idiotic issues like the failed harmonic damper. Here's a link to my thread on this issue and there's a vid same as Poptimus:
As you can see from my thread, I've tried a new battery, checked all fuses, cleaned the battery and ground connections, opened up the BC1 to inspect for water intrusion, and inspected sections of wiring that were accessible.
I have since replaced the drive belt, tensioner, idler pulley and harmonic damper in hopes it had something to do with the drive belt system not allowing the alternator to operate properly, but nothing has changed.
Poptimus, here are my symptoms when this happens. I'd be interested to know if you have exact same issues:
- temp gauge shoots up to overheat, and flickers back and forth between normal temp
- SES, ABS and brake lights flicker or stay on
- tach flickers and has gone completely dead, then back to life
- speedo flutters, cuts out, goes dead then back to life
- entire speedo cluster has reset itself
- TPMS, DSC and ABS lights (trifecta) flicker or stay on
- yellow light on wiper wand flashes
- car drives rough, shifts horribly (manual) and occasionally grinds a gear between shifts
- cruise control inop (and pops out of cruise when issue occurs)
- have noticed occasionally the HID leveling motors in the headlight assemblies will engage and chatter the gearing (probably destroying the gears)
- AC will not work (cuts out compressor)
- computer readout for speed/avg speed all over the place
- codes P1613 and P1607
From your video, I can see that your Mini has most of the same symptoms I've mentioned. Your video is the only other one I've seen on this issue besides mine and it seems there's less than a handful of folks who have this issue. At least that's what I've come across in my NAM and Google searches, but I have yet to see their resolutions. This gives me hope in that we can work together to figure out what needs to be fixed. I haven't the time to tear this car apart nor the funds or desire to spend hundreds at the dealer. I am very savvy when it comes to electrical troubleshooting, so I am about to dive back in and do some more. But I can't diagnose a bus issue (don't have the equipment) and the car is currently being driven so I can't rip out the dash.
I still believe due to the flickering and cutting in/out nature of this issue that it is a loose connection, corrosion or faulty wiring harness. It is not dependent on speed, climate or anything else -- just completely random when it occurs -- but it occurs often. I can only assume that this issue is slowly destroying the components of this car until a fix is found
Last edited by usafdrew; Sep 12, 2014 at 11:01 PM.
Update: issue went away completely for a day, only to return after a hard rain. I'm very inclined to think that water is intruding somewhere, but I know it's not the BC1. I do have the leaking hatch handle, but battery electronics are dry. I'll replace the hatch seal for starters and report back in a few weeks. Poptimus, curious to know if you have a leaking hatch handle as well. To check, give the hatch a good hose down and then gain access to the battery compartment. If it's damp in there then the hatch handle seal is broken.
I have the same issue. Can't figure it out for the life of me.
Any luck with yours?
I am away from the car for quite some time, so I won't get to troubleshoot for awhile. I'd like to see if your issues are the same as mine posted above. If so, then maybe this can be narrowed down to a wire harness, module, ground point, etc. Really wish poptimus would check back on this thread too.
Also, perhaps now that more than a few of us are experiencing this issue, a mod can sticky this thread?
Took it to the dealer and they reset all codes.
I don't have the trifecta, tach or speedo don't spaz out anymore. However, I do have my original electrical problems I started out with. Passenger Airbag light randomly goes on/off. I am quite positive it will eventually go back to the trifecta/tach/speedo problem in due time. Will hopefully take another 45k miles before that again.
Do any of you have a iPod Adaptor connection? Because that's what caused a lot of my tach and light issues. We thought it was the BC1 but it turned out to be that. It's connected to the control bus and of it shorts out it causes a lot of electrical issues.
I had the IPod adapter uninstalled and the problems persisted. It was pointed out to me that I have aftermarket Battery Gauge and PSI boost. Perhaps that could be the culprit?
It could be possible. Depending on how it was wired and where it was tapped into.
Anyone with this issue have any luck with a fix or culprit? Poptimus...znekcihc...Bueller...Bueller...lol. The Mini has been sitting for about 6 months while I slowly tear her apart replacing all her worn out bits and _hopefully_ find the fix.
The only time I've seen this behavior is during an event when an Alternator was in it's Death Throws.
But there have been cases if I remember when Oil/Water/other fluid had seeped down the ECM Wiring Harness and was causing issues at the connector. (For this I would use Electrical Contact Cleaner, pull and hold the connector up so when you spray the Connector the Cleaner can seep back down the wiring. leave the connector hang to dry for about 10 minutes to allow the last of the cleaner to evaporate then reconnect to ECM).
This is assuming that everything else has checked out OK.
Well my Mini now is completely stripped out on the interior so I have access to all wiring and components.
- I've fixed the leaking hatch handle and cleaned up all the power and ground points by the battery.
- Inspected all the wiring, including main body harness and nothing looks amiss. Aside from all the little module connectors on the main body harness, the big X15 connector on the drivers side footwell was thoroughly inspected. No signs of corrosion or anything.
- Nothing amiss with the interior fuse panel or relays.
- Took out speedo, tach and BC1. Tore each one apart inspecting for corrosion, bad solder joints, water instrusion, etc. Nothing amiss.
- Wanted to inspect the DCS module connector off the main harness, but that would require removing the DCS and I'm not ready for that headache yet. So I haven't troubleshot the main harness as it extends into the engine bay yet.
I'm seriously almost out of options and now betting on the fact that either speedo, tach, DCS or BC1 is faulty. Just don't know which. And it just seems funny that multiple folks are having the exact same issues.
I've dusted off one older thread, and will chime in on this one-
Frist the powersteering went dead stick, but has since come back to life, but then the TPM light has started just popping on, the transmission goes into EP mode. After several restarts will resetting the TPM, the light goes off and life is good, until it happens again. Have had two experences now of the gauges going crazy, the temp looking like overheat etc. The tach goes haywire, brake light flickers off and on. Last night, the Tach is dead, until I start and ran the car for a bit, it just pops back to life.
This forum is great as a place for us all to share such issues... it sounds like there is a theme of a repeated issue in more than one members car, BMW-Mini-USA has got to know something about this...
I seen engine resets, coded instrument resets, and body CPU issues all listed... any others possible solutions short of selling the car??
Bumping thread again to see if anyone else had this problem and got it fixed.
It's evident there are more than just a few folks with this issue. So yet another thing BMW jacked up on the 1st Gen with no alternative but to pay the dealer to fix.
I haven't touched the car in a few months now, but when I get back on it, I'll be troubleshooting in the engine bay. I've cleared the rest of the car wiring since it is completely stripped out.
I have the Sport Chrono package and while driving the speedo/tach would sometimes stop working but when I restart the car a few hours later they are fine.
Other times the odometer and trip meter blank out and I have to twist the gauge pod by pulling the right side towards me and the push the left side towards the windshield.
Then all is good for about a week :-)
I checked the BCM , fuse pane, wiring under the inner plastic panels and there is zero moisture or corrosion on the wiring or connections.
Electrical issues are just a fact of life with British cars and I am glad it starts when it is raining
I did have a lucky moment earlier this year, all of the dash pod warning lights were not working on the drive home and as soon as I pulled into my neighborhood they started working again.The alternator light then lit up as soon as I rolled into the driveway. '
Whew, saved $$ for a tow home due to a failed alternator.
Thanks for the PM Tyler, I haven't checked this thread in a long time. Oddly enough, I still have the Mini, and it's still in a torn down project state. So while I haven't found a fix, I was leaning heavily towards a faulty tach module. This is based on a reply from someone with the same exact symptoms as mine who took theirs to the dealer. After multiple attempts at a fix, the dealer narrowed it down to the tach. It would seem that rain triggers the symptoms, but in my case, it was constant. So now the entire car is stripped down, tach removed as well as most other modules on the electrical bus. Really just need time to devote to it. I'd still be interested to hear if anyone found a true solution.
Thanks for the PM Tyler, I haven't checked this thread in a long time. Oddly enough, I still have the Mini, and it's still in a torn down project state. So while I haven't found a fix, I was leaning heavily towards a faulty tach module. This is based on a reply from someone with the same exact symptoms as mine who took theirs to the dealer. After multiple attempts at a fix, the dealer narrowed it down to the tach. It would seem that rain triggers the symptoms, but in my case, it was constant. So now the entire car is stripped down, tach removed as well as most other modules on the electrical bus. Really just need time to devote to it. I'd still be interested to hear if anyone found a true solution.
Was having the issues all mentioned, well have been for about 2 months with R52 S. So many comm codes all related to TCU, KOM, ACS, and well gauges lit and bounce, EP cycles on and off and loads engine when lit. Restart car and EP stays lit but all works fine. Tonight was troubleshooting and shook tach, car went nuts with all the show. Need to try a spare tach and see if issue goes away....took a vid, but is too large.
Same thing here. I have a feeling this thread will remain active for awhile until we can figure out what it is. I've banged on the tach when it goes out and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I've not noticed any difference when it rains/dry eaither. Speedometer and everything else works, just the tach and lights on the tach going out exactly like in the very 1st video on this thread.
I had a crazy CVT shifting problem and did all the repairs, replacements, and fixes described here. Purchased brain boxes, a complete wiring loom, plenty of parts. Removed the whole interior so I could look for water coming in anywhere (put strips of paper towels under every wire to telltale moisture.
It was the tachometer. Someone said just pull it out and see if that fixes it. It did. I got a used tach off eBay and it has been good ever since.
Apparently, the Tach communicates through the CanBus. When it goes bad, it won’t stop talking and everything else loses communication. In my case, the tranny went into “guess what is going on mode” and shifted to keep the engine above 4,000 rpm regardless of light load, etc. The radio when berserk, I forgot all of the problems.
Bumping this thread
My mini is 2006 R52 no turbo
same problem with what I called Xmas tree lighting, all gauges including the temperature indicator gauge was acting up needle going up and down all the way as well.
particularly this used car that I bought for some weird reason the thermostat won’t last, they failed closed and making the car overheated.
I’ve been rebuilding this car replacing almost everything including a better radiator hoses etc.
the only thing Left to be replaced is the a/c compressor.
So I got home last Friday and I opened the engine and I didn’t see sign of overheating as yet I saw the coolant reservoir fine and I say to myself maybe it was an electronic hiccup.
so on Sunday i opened the hood again and inspect harnesses by the battery while the car was idling parked. Suddenly I saw the coolant reservoir getting overflow and about to burst with hot coolant, I shutdown the engine and I decided to let it cool and remove the thermostat for good, yes I don’t need it I live in sunny Florida no freezing temperatures here, besides that this engine has ruined like 3 thermostats. After removing the culprit thermostat I don’t see anymore the panel lights cluster going crazy, I don’t know if they are related but when i connect my computer car to read the codes it saying there were no connection with some CAN circuit
I erase all codes besides the stupid code of p340 that it claims that sensor is faulty I replaced with a new one but still the error remains but for sure it’s not the issue that is causing the Xmas lights going off.
I been driving this car for two days and I don’t see the lights going crazy anymore and the car is not overheating since I remove the thermostat.
so far so good
so it could that the sensor that detects the hot coolant when it send the signal to the computer somehow the computer doesn’t know how handle that error making all this crazy lights on the instrument panel
if your car is not overheating then I don’t know what it could be but for sure is how the car computer is interpreting this signals
I would keep you update if the lights continue
good luck
2006 R50, dashboard lights, temp gauge, speedo and tach dropped in and out. Spent hours looking at the BCU, wiring harness, etc. Pulled the tach and all the craziness disappeared. Replaced with an ebay find and all is working again.
Originally Posted by ptkacik
FWIW, pull off your tachometer.
I had a crazy CVT shifting problem and did all the repairs, replacements, and fixes described here. Purchased brain boxes, a complete wiring loom, plenty of parts. Removed the whole interior so I could look for water coming in anywhere (put strips of paper towels under every wire to telltale moisture.
It was the tachometer. Someone said just pull it out and see if that fixes it. It did. I got a used tach off eBay and it has been good ever since.
Apparently, the Tach communicates through the CanBus. When it goes bad, it won’t stop talking and everything else loses communication. In my case, the tranny went into “guess what is going on mode” and shifted to keep the engine above 4,000 rpm regardless of light load, etc. The radio when berserk, I forgot all of the problems.
warning lights all go on and off,speedo 0-50 sitting still, temp gauge goes ^ and v
I just purchased a 2006 mini s turbo convertible with 98,000 miles......ALL the same problems! but it seems they started AFTER I replaced my battery at a "tire choice" garage, they told me they knew how to reset the computer module after replacing the battery, HA!!!! It runs smooth as silk and is fast as hell but these electrical issues are driving me crazy too AND it seems that when the gauges go nuts mini starts to misfire when I gun it from a stop.. I brought the car to a german car specialist for a 100000 mile tune up and told him about the wacky lights. Of course testing with the scanner shows NOTHING! Well he changed the plugs and oil and sent me on my way saying I shouldnt have the misfire anymore and he reset the computer. All was fine for a few days but you guessed it......gauge problems AGAIN AND MISFIRING AFTER THE GAUGES GO NUTS! I brought it back to the mechanic and he said the misfire actually jumped from#1 to #3 and it all seems to happen whenever the gauges go nuts. He changed all the sparker wires and wouldve replaced the coil too but the coil tested fine. I believe the gauge problems are giving signals to the computer causing the motor to run lean or the opposite......I've already spent $650. and who the hell knows how much next! its been in the shop for 3 days now.......this is RIDICULOUS that it seems to be a common issue but no one can pin it down easily to fix it!!! !!! IM LIVID
