hey guys, so i was driving home from work last night when i noticed the dome light would turn on while i was accelerating but would shut off once i got off the gas. didnt have a chance to trouble shoot it last night so figured i would this morning but when i got into the car this morning it didnt happen anymore.

any ideas? im thinking maybe my alternator is dying? or maybe the door sensors are going bad and the car is thinking the door is open? but then why wouldnt the light just stay on?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

I see from earlier posts that you have an R52. It's probably the switch on the tailgate. It was a known problem and MINI replaced the switch with one that has a longer plunger. When the light turns on, you should also see the hood/tailgate open indicator on the dash.

 

well this is a relief, was really not in the mood to change the alternator!

is there a recall on this so i can get mini to cover it? or maybe a DIY or easy fix?

 

There was a service bulletin, and it was only covered if the customer complained and the car is still under warranty.

Temporary fix is to attach a piece of plastic or other object to where the tailgate presses on the switch, to make the switch pressed more firmly. This will work for awhile but the tailgate flexes enough that it may stop working eventually. Permanent fix is replace the switch with the newer version that has a much longer plunger, an easy DIY. I believe the part # is 61319119052, available from a dealer or vendor.

 

you would think bmw would have gotten this figured out by 2007

thank you so much for your quick reply. will look into this if the symptoms come back