I've been experiencing this problem intermittenly on my 04 mcs and its really starting to annoy me :impatient; basically when I'm detailing my car or leave it unlocked for a period of time (or atleast that's when I notice it since most other times the car is locked and it wont happen), the solenoid that powers my rear hatch relase acts as if it has a mind of its own and randomly starts opening the hatch on a whim and it won't stop (in fact with it open you can still hear the solenoid firing away) unless you lock the car imediately after closing the rear hatch. Also on some ocasions after it decides to go into one of these fits and you get to close the hatch the release switch no longer works (requiring you to pull the emergency relase under the rear seat) only to start the whole process over again.

I'm just curious if any other NAM'ers have had this problem (I'm making a service appointment this week, and just hoping that the dealer can replicate the problem) or if they know of any service bullitens that are out or even if there is a simple fix I can do myself to save a trip to the dealer.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

I had this exact same problem on my early 05 MCS last Sunday.. Unfortunately I have not had time to take it to Mini, but if you find out its a recall please let me know! Thanks,
Jm

 

i've the the same problem at least 4 times now. 04 mcs. it really bothers me because i somtimes carry big stuff in the car that will make getting under the rear seats impossible. i also had it not open even after pulling the emergency release. me thinks it has it;s own mind somedays.

 

I have the same problem in my 03 mcs. The other day the hatch release while I was driving on the GSP and flew open @85 mph. Scared the crap out of me. Also, for about two years I have not had any door locks. They would unlock, but not lock from the key or inside switch. The hatch would close but not lock. Then out of nowhere it started working(the locks). Thats when the intermitted hatch releasing started

 

if your still under warranty take it in and complain. i just got my car back today and the invoice "verified complaint found the latch receiving power but inop latch defective" R/R rear latch assembly all ok. they replaced the Trunk lid loc 3. which is part number 51-24-7-154-656.

ps. i got this warranty work done with less than 30 miles left on my warranty.

 

I have an '04 MCS (Sept '03 build) that does the exact same thing. What I have noticed is that it seems to be water related. If I spray much water up under the release area (above the license plate) it can trigger the random releases. If I drive in the rain (especially at highway speeds), and the air flow pushes water under the hatch release, it can trigger randomn releases.

But what REALLY seems to ensure it starts freaking out is to open the boot shortly after washing the car/rain. The water then finds a way in around the solenoid and starts creating havoc.

I took my car in a while back, they replaced the gasket around the trunk release and said that would fix it. No dice. Seems to happen a little less frequently, but I think that's more as a result of my awareness of the problem (now I try to minimize water used back there, ane never open the trunk until the car has had plenty of time to dry off from a wash/rain).

But now that my car is nearing 44K miles, I am going to get it back in there and insist they correct it, along with a few other items.

Just curious if you guys have noticed the tendency for this random trunk release to coincide with available moisture.

NTHUSIAST

 

My '04 MCS had the problem where the outside latch did not function. I had to use the emergency release a couple of times in order to open the hatch. I once had a problem where the hatch was open and the latch would not catch when the hatch was shut!

The problem was definitely moisture related as it only occured when the car got wet. Once the latch dried out, the problem went away. The dealer found the contacts for the exterior release button had corroded due to water infiltration and replaced the entire hatch handle assembly under warranty. This included painting the exterior of the handle to match the car. They had to order the parts and it required a week or so for paint, but the problem has been fixed.

 

the latch button on either of my keys never seems to open the latch at any time,which i'll have looked at at the next service.i guess this is preferable to it opening whenever it feels like it!

 

Damn,

This exact problem has reared its ugly head on my '06 with 23k. Been raining a lot recently. Intermittent problems are the worst (dealer... "can not replicate")

 

What I did to "fix" this was remove rear boot handle clean the contacts with a brass brush and WD-40 then apply WD-40 about once every 3 months to pull the water away from the switch.

 

Awesome!

I was literally just looking at it and about to ask if any had opened the handle/switch up to spray some WD40 before seeing your response. Musta read your mind.

Is it as simple as it looks with 4 torx screws from the outside. Anything tricky, like maybe having to open a panel from the inside of the hatch to catch/hold the opposing nuts?

Will MINI void my warrantee if I do this and eventually need a new boot latch switch?

 

so long as you dont do any modifications to the handle itself they shouldnt do anything to your warranty.

I have an after market warranty and they would cover the handle at all since it is external (even though the electronics are in the handle) but factory warranty should cover

 

I had bad rear hatch problems on my 2005 S. Something about it would refuse adjustment, even tho my dealer tried multiple time to adjust. Never got it right. It was soooo bad wind would whistle thru, and when I closed either door the hatch would move back and forth, like it was loose. Just another factor in why I dumped that piece O crap car right before the warranty expiration.

have U tried wrapping electrician's tape around the hatch loop? sometimes that would help.

 

For about a year, my trunk solenoid made buzzing sounds when I opened it and then a few months ago it finally stopped closing. After using a bungee cord for a week, I replaced the latch solenoid assembly.

 

Do a search on "boonk" - my '06 did this a couple years ago, there's a moisture problem with the switch in the hatch. The probvlem is made worse by the felt anti-rattle tape used - it collects moisture. It's covered under warranty and known to Mini, but can also be fixed/prevented by removing the hatch handle and waterproofing the switch (once the switch is made operable - which may require replacement). My previous thread covered this... with pictures!

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=94833

Enjoy!!!

 

Whatever happened to mechanical boot latches? What's the point of adding all the additional electrical complication (and resulting increased failure rates) for something that seemed so simple and fool proof?

After years of despising automatic/electronic climate controls, I am so, so happy to have ordered manual climate control on MINI. I get all the fresh/heated air I need and never even need to turn the thing on!

Technological progress

 

Well I'm glad I found this thread. I just got back from washing my car & went by the house to finish up with a quick detail. The boot refuses to open. Whatever moisture may have gotten I hope dries out soon otherwise I will not be able to get into the boot.

 

Dont forget you have a hatch release under the rear seat

 

I didn't know that but thank you for letting me know. I got it open, works like a champ now. Just a bit of water got into the wiring as DixonL2's thread described.