Hello,
Help! I brought home a 2006 MINI Cooper S two days ago and it has been running like a dream. I have loved every moment behind the wheel of this little beauty. I have the steptronic transmission. Tonight when I came home and turned off the MINI I noticed that the P (Park) light was on and would not go out. Suddenly with the motor turned off, the MINI in Park, and the emergency brake on ... as I began to walk away, a loud sound like a fan seemed to come from under the bonnet. At first I thought that it was coming from a fan built into the wall of the indoor parking garage where I keep my car. When I put my ear to the bonnet it continued to sound as though the noise was coming from under the bonnet. I got back in the car, turned on the engine and suddenly the noise stopped. After turning off the MINI, putting the emergency brake back on and locking up the MINI ... the P (Park) light on the steptronic transmission is still burning a red light.
Can someone tell me WHAT is going on?????? I am a little freaked.
Any advice is welcome. Obviously, I will call the MINI dealership in the morning but in the meantime, I thought I would seek some help from fellow MINI owners!
Thanks.
Cecelia:confused: :(

I think the light is supposed to be left on. Its the same in BMWs as well. Do a search on the forum for additional information, I've seen it somewhere.

Also the fan could turn on even after you turn off the car, if the engine temperature is high the car will turn on the fan to cool it down to prevent damage, even after you turn off the car.

btw, click on "submit post" only once and wait for it to be posted, if you click on it multiple times it could make multiple post on the forum ;)

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I appreciate the time that you took to put my mind at ease. Also, thanks for the advice on submitting my post. As a Newbie, I didn't realize that my question multiplied until it was too late and then my attempts to delete them failed. Much obliged!!!
Cecelia

The "P" light stays on a few minutes after you exit the car, but does go out eventually. It comes on again as you open the door so unless you peek in from outside you will think it is always on.

And the cooling fan will often come on a short while after stopping the car, if you have driven hard, especially with a/c on. When driving, the moving air cools the car but when you stop, it needs a fan to blow air through the radiator.

Don't panic - just enjoy the car :)