Recently had the oil and brake fluid changed at my dealership on my 2009 R55 (with 44K mileage), as well as having a JCW Tuning Kit installed (as long as the dealer keeps doing oil/filter changes and quick diagnostic inspection for $70, I'll keep letting them).

When I picked the car up, I was surprised to see the Service Interval reading "7000 Miles To Next Service". It also gave me a date six months out. Because that's my normal oil change interval (and has been with this dealer for the last two years, I thought maybe the dealership had adjusted it based upon experience (or new recommendations).

But the startup "countdown" was rapid, roughly 10:1 to actual miles traveled. After a month, and about 800 miles of travel, the countdown said "120 miles" yesterday morning.

Two miles later, the Brake Service Light came on, even though the dealership checked rear pads at the oil change and they showed 5.5 mm pad depth (3 mm being the point that the wear sensor usually kicks in). New front pads and rotors were installed 3000 miles ago.

Visual inspection of the rear pads (outer) shows plenty of pad left, but I haven't looked at the rear inner pads yet (or the sensor).

Odd coincidence, or can the service interval countdown also trigger the brake check light? Anyone experience anything similar?

 

upon startup, the miles shown is the least miles of the monitored items, not necessarily the next oil change

 

I understand, but everything should be up to date... and it was the rapid decline of "Miles To Service" that puzzles me. Is there another metric MINI uses that would/could cause the rapid decrease?

 

there is a known issue with the brake pad countdown, it was addressed with an ECU flash

 

Can that 'service countdown' trigger the brake service light? Or is that always a mechanical trigger?

As I mentioned, I had the JCW Tuning Kit installed at the same time, which of course means the ECU was reprogrammed.

Thanks!

 

The car tries to do both. It estimates how long until they are worn but as it gets low and trips the first wire it then recalculates to be more accurate, now that you are at a "measured" thickness as the wire trips.

 

Observed events imply that the Interval Countdown did a 7000 mile nose-dive over the course of about 700 miles driven, and then the Brake Service triggered (Car-On-Lift service light and BRAKE light in tach face) when zero-miles were hit. The rear pads were measured by the dealer at 5.5 mm thickness last month.

Because of my erratic work schedule and the dealership being an hour+ away, I schedule trips there carefully. I also do my own brake work, usually.

To top it all off, the fuel gauge seems to have gone back to its old ways of showing fuel usage exponentially... slowly moving through the gauge bars (75 miles a bar at first), and being almost empty when the 'Low Fuel' range is hit.

If the Service Interval Indicator can trigger the Brake Service Light without the pad wear sensor physically tripping it, then I will strongly suspect that the ECU flash for the JCW kit somehow corrupted the system. Such is my MINI-ownership paranoia.

Thanks to all!

 

I almost wonder if the JCW tuning kit download was an old file. And with the old file being installed it brought about old problems that for others have been cleared out. I would say, if you haven't already, contact the dealer and ask them. Chances are you'll need to head back in for another update.

Usually the tuning kits run the initial tuning file and then run the subsequent update that came out after the original file. Perhaps when they did the tuning file, they missed/forgot the other updates and they just weren't installed when they should have.

This is all speculation of course, but speculation built off similar experience.

 

That's what I'm thinking, too. The kit was NOS from a MINI dealer in New Mexico, and it was an early one (based on the date on the box). My local dealer did the rather pricey install.

 

Mind sharing what you spent? I know my dealer has a NOS one for a N14 too but i just still cant justify it, the stock intake is OK and I like my exhaust (removed 2nd cat and resonator). Maybe they will let me skip the exhaust and just resell it?

 

In your case I'd skip the whole thing. The whole idea behind the kit is for the intake, exhaust, and tune. Plus badges.

You can get badges anywhere. You already have an exhaust system you like. The intake, can be purchased relatively cheap. And as far as the tune portion, there are a lot of alternative of varying price out there.

I'm sure most of this is old news to you since you've been around for sometime on NAM but I thought I'd give a little input. B/c if memory serves me right, I was quoted a little over 2k for the package with install. Not something I would do in your case since you have an exhaust system you like.

 

$1550.

 

You guys are posting second gen issues in the fiest gen forum.....

 

Yes, I know. My initial error.

I asked the mods to move it, but so far...

 

I agree but the only thing it has going for it is the fact that I can keep my CPO warranty with no issues.
Thanks, I think I could get mine lower but as mentioned, may still not be worth it for me.

 

I like the JCW exhaust best of the ones I've heard, and the tune is quite strong... without a
big fuel economy hit. There are other options, as good or better I'm sure. But I haven't
heard one I like as much, and I like the fact that it's a factory tune.