Hey y'all! Just picked up a mini and have been trying to sort out some issues one at a time. The car was actually running pretty well until this most recent issue. So I am having some weird symptoms and could use some guidance. A few days ago, I was messing around in the trunk moving some stuff. I should note that my battery was relocated by the PO to inside the trunk. When I went to start the car, I got multiple clicks but the starter didn't seem to fire up the car. I assumed the battery had died since the car sat for a little while and temps were freezing, I jump started the car with small battery pack and the car started up fine. Took the car for a 2 hour drive and it ran great with no issues. I figured the battery would have been charged at this point and when I went to fill up at the gas station, the car would not start again. Jumped it and got the car home. The next day, I tested the battery and it seemed fine (12.6 with car off and 14 or so with the car on at idle). Just incase, I swapped with a new battery and after tightening the negative cable which seemed just a bit loose to me, the car started fine. Turned it off, and tried again and car started with no problem. Took the car for a short drive (10min) and when I got home I noticed the idle was a bit weird and the dash lights changed brightness by just a little bit. Suddenly, lost power steering and then it came back on. Turned car off and now it won't start again. Is my alternator shot or something like a bad battery wire or ground? I checked the grounding strap next to the engine mount and it looked ok. Any ideas?

 

Sounds reminiscent of a bad alternator, but I'm no expert.

I'm mainly posting to let you know that the boot is where the battery is supposed to be. The designers had to move it there to make room for the supercharger under the bonnet (or so the story goes, anyway).

Good luck!