OK, so far this weekend I've install two mods and on both the manufactures instructions on the list of tools needed it says phillips screw driver!
If you take a close look at the screw heads you'll see that they are in fact NOT phillips head, but posi-drive screws. Which all of us old british car nuts know uses a different screwdriver. Sure the phillips will work some of the time, but mostly it will bugger up the screw and render it useless for the next time. I wasn't gonna mention it, but now I have to different manufacturers both saying the same thing. For those who don't know the difference, when you look at the head of the posi-drive screw you will see raised area inbetween the "star". There are 3 sizes of Posidrive, P1, P2 and P3. Pick yourself up a set they work great, but not on phillips screws.

 

Could post some pictures so we can see the difference please?
Thanks, norm

 

Number 3 is the posidrive head.

 

also

 

Pozi Screw drivers are harder to find, but the Bits are easier and usually fit in a 1/4" drive socket (for p1 and p2 anyway... p3 takes a larger one).

Facom is one manufactuere that makes full sized drivers, and I've been using them for years on older british cars. They make a huge difference. Phillips is designed to kick out as the torque increases, and Pozi is desiged to take higher torque loads and is not designed to kick out which is especially helpful when removing them later. If you can only buy one, the p2 is used most by a huge margin.

 

Those just look like #2 and #3 phillips heads to me.

Zip

 

They LOOK very similar,but there are definately some differences! PoziDrive screws are common in all cars, both foreign and domestic. They are also common in the appliance industry. A lot of gun manufacturers also use them to hold the rubber pad on the stock. Usually, they are in a location where a slip of a screwdriver during initial assembly would cause cosmetic damage. PoziDrive screws have NO tendancy to "cam out" of the screw, so damage is less likely to happen.

I had to change a sensor (can't remember which one anymore) on a Ford pickup truck and it was held on with PoziDrive screws. I'm an engineer and a tool fanatic (Tim the Tool Man would be jealous in my shop), so I'm familiar with them.

Rawhyde

 

I've been completely unfamiliar with Posidrive until now. So does the stock MINI use a mixture of Phillips and Posidrive screws? What are some examples of locations where Posidrive is used?

 

Well so far all I've seen are posidrives, that's why I posted originally. I just did the bottom aero-grille install, and the instructios said "remove the two outter phillips head screws" Sure enough, they were posidrives. I would almost say that they are all posidrive screws on the MINI. My experience has been if it's British, it's posidrive. Got my set from the MAC tool guy a long time ago. But you can get find the posidrive tips easier as ksmaas1 stated.

 

Thanks mr. jim, I learned something new today

 

Looks like one until you destroy the head of the screw....

FYI, for screws that you have done this to here is a little trick...

Dip the tip of the screw driver (or P driver) in water then into some powder cleaning agent (Comet or such). Then simply try to unscrew it again. The Comet helps the driver grip a little better and may give you the extra bite you need to get teh damaged screw out.

(mental note... DO NOT REUSE THE SCREW).

 

Ah, well, looks like you can just use a Phillips driver and it will automatically "convert" the screw to a Phillips.

Really, this has been a good education. I never knew any of this stuff.

 

Nicely done Mr.Jim......good thread.

....Les