Hi All, 6 day old new to 2012 Cooper S started acting up today. I released the hand brake, started to drive off & the alarm chime came on saying the brake was still applied (it wasn't), applied it & released it again, no change. Drove off (felt like the brake was not engaged) tried applying & releasing at the next stop light and light & alarm chime stopped. As I was around the corner from my dealer (& the car is still under warranty) I stopped in, they took the car in & told me that there is something wrong with the wiring harness for the parking brake as it now doesn't recognize if the brake is on or not. Set up a service appointment for Wednesday... Anyone else have an experience like this with an R56?

 

Nope, but it sounds like a simple issue with the parking brake handle sensor. It is not closing the circuit when the parking brake is release, thus triggering false alarm.

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Got the car back today & was told there was corrosion on a control relay in the driver's side footwell, most likely cause by a leak from a kinked drain tube. The corrosion on the sensor relay caused the error & and other codes:


- Fault: Rear fog light broken right - Code: 00A8C0 .

ABS / DSC / Brake: <---------------------------> Dynamische Stabilitaets Kontrolle / DSC:
- Fault: ECU Internal: System Voltage Low - Code: 005E31
- Fault: InternalControl unit: System voltage low uebermaessig - Code: 005E30

He dealer replaced the unit and all is good in the world again.

They also found that both of the mirror covers on the sun visors were broken & replaced them under warranty.

I can see how the dealer who sold me the car, a Mini Next certified pre-own could not see anything with the corroded sensor until something happened, but they did delivery the car to me with:

Broken grill trim
Missing 12V cover in the trunk compartment
Missing trunk cover
Nearly no windshield wiper fluid in the car
2 broken visor mirror covers

Have to say, I love the car, & the staff at Mini Downtown (in Toronto, Canada), who are my closest dealer but not the ones who sold me the car have been amazing about getting all these issues sorted out for me.

 

Going back for round 2, after driving the car for a bit I realized that the warning light doesn't come on when the parking brake is engaged... I know it's not something dumb like the light bulb as it does light on start-up. Bit of a bummer seeing as I've had the car for a week, really hoping I didn't get a lemon...