Mini Cooper 2001-2006: Warning Lights
The warning lights are your Mini Cooper's way of communicating with you. Learn what your warning lights mean below.
This article applies to the Mini Cooper (2001-2006).
The Mini Cooper is equipped with numerous sensors connected to most of your car's major components. When one of your components goes bad, or is about to, the sensor sends a signal to your car's computer, and to notify you, it comes up as a warning light. The warning lights generally pop up for a small issue, but they could indicate a serious one after some time. A good rule of thumb is that when the warning light is red or flashing, this presents a very timely issue; however, when it's orange or yellow, it means you can likely wait until you get home to diagnose it. You should never drive around for a long periods of time with activated warning lights, so read on to learn what each warning light means in your Mini Cooper.
Warning Lights
Brake Lights
When BMW took over the Mini brand, they brought with them a lot of technical advancements. Little known and often under-appreciated are the brake service indicator lights. BMW brought a few handy items including the maintenance minder, which gives mileage-related warnings when front and rear brake services are due; brake pad wear sensors, which clip into the brake pads and trigger a warning light when the brake pads are too thin and require replacement; the brake fluid warning light, which tells you when the fluid is low, or requires replacement; and the general warning light, indicating a problem such as overheating, a broken sensor, or miscommunication between the ABS sensors and the rest of the car's electronics. This takes all the guesswork out of servicing the brakes as the car tells you exactly what is wrong here. Hallelujah.
Figure 1. Brake fluid service light. 
Figure 2. Front brake service required in 1,100 miles. 
Figure 3. "Red" maintenance minder triggered, usually the brake pad warning sensor. 
Figure 4. The more general brake warning light, often paired with the ABS and DSC lights being on.
Temperature Light
The temperature warning light is to be taken very seriously; the last thing you want is an overheated engine. This could happen when the engine's temperature rises, which can happen due to low coolant, faulty thermostat, or mainly a hot engine. When you see this symbol, stop the car immediately, carefully pop the hood, then wait for it to cool down. From there you should check the coolant level and ensure there is no coolant leak.
On first gen Minis, the thermostat and thermostat housing commonly begin to leak with age. If your car throws the overheating check engine light, nine times out of ten it's the thermostat.
[Related Article - How to Replace Thermostat - NorthAmericanMotoring.com]
Engine Oil Light
The oil light is generally never a good one. If it has an indicated mileage beneath it, you're in luck; this just means that the car is due for an oil change soon. If the light comes on and there is no mileage, you need to shut the car down immediately and check the oil level. Fortunately for you, you have a Gen 1 Mini that has an actual dipstick and not a digital one. Pop the hood and check your oil level; top off as necessary.
Battery Light
The battery warning light may seem like just a battery-specific issue; however, it means there is something wrong with your charging system in general. Whether your battery can't hold a charge, your alternator is going bad, or your battery terminals are corroded, this light means "be careful," because your car may not start the next time you try the ignition. Most auto parts stores will check your charging system for free.
Air Bag Light
The air bag warning light is a hazard, so when you see it go on, don't try to diagnose it yourself. Instead, visit your dealership. Having this light on could mean something is wrong with your air bag or SRS system, which means it could fail to activate in the case of an impact. Note that if you have no one next to you, the passenger's side could be deactivated; however, if this appears on the dashboard, then something is wrong.
Power Steering Light
The power steering warning light doesn't necessarily mean your power steering pump is bad; this could go on if you have air in your power steering pump or if you have a power steering leak. Check the fluid level in your power steering pump, if it's low, make sure to add some or you could ruin the pump. If the power steering pump's fluid is low, check to see if there is a leak; one of your lines could be leaking fluid. If the fluid is thick and is not liquid-like, make sure to replace it as soon as you can.
Early Minis had issues with their power steering pumps failing, often due to a leaking or defective return hose. Check your car for leaks and have someone cycle the steering wheel as you listen to the pump for functionality.
[Related Article - How to Replace Power Steering Hose - NorthAmericanMotoring.com]
ABS Light
The ABS warning light indicates something is wrong with your Anti-lock braking system. The reason this light appears in orange is because you can drive without the ABS system; however, it's far from recommended. This could be as simple as a sensor, a worn wire, or the whole system may need to be looked at. Take care of this issue as soon as you notice the light come on.
The wheel speed/ABS sensors tend to take a beating on these Minis, for one reason or another. Have the diagnostic code read and then do a physical inspection in the wheel well, looking closely at the hub and related suspension components. If you see knackered wiring, then more often than not it's time for a new wheel speed sensor.
[Related Article - How to Replace ABS/Wheel Speed Sensor - NorthAmericanMotoring.com]
Figure 10. ABS warning light.
Check Engine Light
The check engine light is one of the most common lights, only because it could literally mean anything. There is no possible way you will know immediately why this light goes on unless you hook up an OBD-II scanner to your car. The scanner will reveal code(s), which you then compare to the list of codes in your owner's manual. A little investigative work will lead you directly to this light's culprit.
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