Hello,


I am a new 2002 Mini Cooper owner! I am super excited as I have always wanted one of these ever since they were re-introduced to the states.


I picked up my car from the dealer today where all they did was replace the clutch cables.


Everything was great until I saw the Yellow Flashing ! point with a horseshoe U shape around it flashing. It kept flashing, it did not stay lit.


I checked the manual and it said to stop and check psi or for a flat. No flat was found but I smelled the smell of burnt brakes. The smell was the same smell that you smell when coming down a mountain and ride the brakes too much.


I turned the car off and restarted it and the flashing light went away.


I started to drive again and about 3 minutes later the same thing happened. Again I checked for a flat and could smell the burnt brakes.


So I looked at the ebrake and made sure it was in the down position. I pulled up into place and put it back down over and over again to see if maybe the ebrake was stuck or something and then started the car again.


This time I drove the car for about 30 minutes on and off the highway, in and out of traffic and the light stayed off.


Has anyone had this happen? It's not the exclamation point with the triangle around it and it's not the psi or the wheel. I have read all the forums on here and none of those people talked about the light flashing or the smell of the brakes.


Has anyone seen the warning that appears if the ebrake is still on?


No one seems to know what it means when just that sign becomes lit and stays flashing followed by the burnt brake smell.


The manual states there would be other lights flashing like the abs or ecs or something in conjunction with horseshoe excalamation point if it were brakes but that didn't happen?


Thanks in advance for any responses!


Teeto

 

The light you saw was the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Yes, I have seen this a few times when a shop preps a car for resale, they normally do something with tires, and then when the new owner gets in the car and drives away the TPMS has not had a chance to reset. Plus the TMPS button is more than likely directly under the handle for the hand brake. and it is very easy to accidentally hit it when working the hand brake (making sure it is down), resetting the sensors and it take about 15 minutes for the light to go off... see image warning lights

As for the smell of hot brakes, that should have nothing to do with the TMPS, if the Hand Brake had been applied the red BRAKE light would have been illuminated. I would suggest you keep checking the brakes after driving the car, see if anyone is hotter than the rest to check use (high tech) a IR thermometer (low tech) place your hand on the wheel at the hub.

If the dealer put on new brakes it is possible they just were not seated and was binding a little. This can happen when the slides are not cleaned and the tech just slaps pads in the calipers.


So best bet, keep an eye on it and find yourself a MINI mechanic you trust to do the work you can not and has the software to pull and reset codes.

Best of luck and welcome to the MINIacs.

Motor on!

 

Teeto, get all of your tire pressures where you want them and then do a TPMS reset so the computer has a baseline to start with. With the temperature fluctuations we are having over night it can mess with tire pressures daily. I'm in Arizona so we go from 40 degrees at night to the 80s during the day.
How do I reset TPMS?
1. Before a journey, start the engine, but do not start driving.
2. Press the button until the indicator lamp in the display elements lights up in yellow for several seconds.
3. Drive off.
4. Initialization is completed during the drive, without any feedback issued

Start reading about your car in the Forums>1st Generation MINIS>R50/R53 Hatch Talk (2002-2006)>Your ULTIMATE R53 Newbie, DIY, and Performance Guide
This will answer a lot of questions for you.
Something I like to do monthly is reset my ECU, it is amazing what it does for my car. I printed the instructions below and put them in my glove box in case i forget how to do it. I also have a screen shot on my phone.

How do I reset the ECU?
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1. With the key in the ignition, but in the off position, press and hold down the odometer reset button with one hand, while holding the button down, switch the key in the ignition to position 1 (first click) with the other hand.
2. The screen will have a number and the word “tESt”.
3. Scroll through the numbers by pressing the odometer rest button, through to 19 and wait a moment. (Note: the number order is: 1,2,10,19)
4. The message will say 19 "L i-off", flash to "L i-on", and back to "L i-off" again. When "log i-off" appears, press the odometer rest button again. You are now in the system.
5. Scroll through to 21. tESt and wait a moment. 21.0 rESEt will come up. Press the button once.
6. Your gauges will now make some sounds and movements. Once the lights come back on start your car. You have now reset your ECU and your MINI is now ready to relearn the new mods and your driving style

Welcome to The World of MINI, hold on its a fun ride!