Thanks silver....I called & spoke to the service manager and he found that my parts had arrived (didn't say when). I'll bring it in tomorrow morning and should be fixed by lunch.

On a seperate note I realized that I never posted my pics and will have to do so. ps his name is Loki.

Threat,

I'm anxious to hear if your squeal is fixed. Mine has developed the squeal (at about 85 miles). I've got it narrowed down to these conditions: Warm weather (80+ degrees), city driving (so the engine compartment heats up), and abve 2500rpm.

Mine goes in on August 10th for the diagnosis/fix.

Happy motoring!

I just ordered the Britax Wizard as it was rated the best for side impact collisions, and that is a concern in the MINI since my daughter has to be placed against directly against the side of the vehicle, rather than in the middle of the seat in our other cars. Thanks again for the help!

we have another wizard on order. Two kids and four car seats (five if you count the infant seat). Oh we also have three strollers we just ordered the Quiny Zapp on e-bay so we would have one that fits in the boot. :D

Well I was hoping that it would take longer than a week and a day but my MINI has been dinged. I drove home from work today to find my boot mat had arrived. I went out to install it and while I was out there my wife came out. Her first words were your car has been hit. I was shocked. Sure enough just behind the drivers door was a ding. A 12 inch ding. It is in such a position that when you look right at it you can't really tell it is there. Which explains why I did not see it when I walked out to my car. I will have to send an e-mail at work tomorrow and hope some one has enough integrity to admit they did it. I think some one backed into it but thought they were close but ok. Time will tell. It was painful having to talk to the insurance company and tell them my week old car was damaged.

Well I was hoping that it would take longer than a week and a day but my MINI has been dinged.

oh, goofytruax, that is terrible. I feel ill just looking at it. I've been in a paranoid state this week because we've had a lot of visitors in our office for large meetings the last three days - and someone keeps taking "my" space (the one next to the end curb). I've even gone out of my way to try to get to work early - no luck. Yes, I know. I did just say that I got to work early just to get the parking space I wanted for my car, and it's one that isn't even close to the front door! At least I escaped unscathed and now all the visitors will be gone so my space will return to me. I don't know why we think our co-workers should be more considerate than the normal populace at large! :(

I hope you get it fixed and it is as good as new - let us know how it goes! (BTW, I'm still waiting on my boot mat that was on order and not ready when I took delivery of my MINI. I think I'm going to be very superstitous on the day it arrives and be very careful on where I park!)

(BTW, I'm still waiting on my boot mat that was on order and not ready when I took delivery of my MINI. I think I'm going to be very superstitous on the day it arrives and be very careful on where I park!)


That got me laughing. Well just so you know I also flew to College Station TX and ate lunch at Freebirds. That way you won't do the same the day your boot mat comes and can break the chain of events so it doesn't happen to you. :)

Has anything good ever come out of College Station? :besmart:

Well I was hoping that it would take longer than a week and a day but my MINI has been dinged. I drove home from work today to find my boot mat had arrived. I went out to install it and while I was out there my wife came out. Her first words were your car has been hit. I was shocked. Sure enough just behind the drivers door was a ding. A 12 inch ding. It is in such a position that when you look right at it you can't really tell it is there. Which explains why I did not see it when I walked out to my car. I will have to send an e-mail at work tomorrow and hope some one has enough integrity to admit they did it. I think some one backed into it but thought they were close but ok. Time will tell. It was painful having to talk to the insurance company and tell them my week old car was damaged.


ew, that sucks. :(


my coworkers actually protect my car :cool: they save me a spot between two of them, or one of them and a curb. hehehe. :)

oh and i am going in in the morning to have callum's EML incident checked out and i am REALLY hoping it is a quick fix or that nothing is wrong, because i have no transportation otherwise and will be stuck there all day :eek:


so here's to hoping nothing's wrong!

Goofytruax that totally sucks. I'm guessing no note by the driver that did it?

Redcupr - they replaced the belt and the tensioner. I pick it up in an hour or so, hoping its fixed. From what you say that is EXACTLY how mine started acting. Its a squeal or a chirping sound depending who you ask and the temp is usually 80-85+ and its once the engine warms up. Due to the long wait for parts you might want to push them to order them now or at least ensure they have them in stock (mine took 3 weeks to get).

You all still loving your mini's despite their quirks? I am.

we have another wizard on order. Two kids and four car seats (five if you count the infant seat). Oh we also have three strollers we just ordered the Quiny Zapp on e-bay so we would have one that fits in the boot. :D

Do you think you will be able to fit two Wizards in the back of the MINI? Sounds like you have a wonderful family! Enjoy :D

Well I was hoping that it would take longer than a week and a day but my MINI has been dinged. I drove home from work today to find my boot mat had arrived. I went out to install it and while I was out there my wife came out. Her first words were your car has been hit. I was shocked. Sure enough just behind the drivers door was a ding. A 12 inch ding. It is in such a position that when you look right at it you can't really tell it is there. Which explains why I did not see it when I walked out to my car. I will have to send an e-mail at work tomorrow and hope some one has enough integrity to admit they did it. I think some one backed into it but thought they were close but ok. Time will tell. It was painful having to talk to the insurance company and tell them my week old car was damaged.

Sorry to hear this! Hopefully someone will step forward and take responsibility. Good luck with the repairs. No boot mat for me now, it is the harbinger of bad tidings...

Well the only reply to my e-mail at work was to offer sympathy and express "that sucks" :( Monday my Director of Operations will forward my e-mail over to the other squadrons to see if anyone will fess up in there squadron. I doubt anyone will but there is always hope for integrity.

I was able to install a roundabout in the back with the Alpha omega, I'm pretty sure two wizards would fit, but they are in our SUV.

Yes even with a dent I am still LOVING my MINI. Sending an e-mail out got all the people drooling over my car to come by and say how much they have been drooling over it. :D

Goofytruax that totally sucks. I'm guessing no note by the driver that did it?

Redcupr - they replaced the belt and the tensioner. I pick it up in an hour or so, hoping its fixed. From what you say that is EXACTLY how mine started acting. Its a squeal or a chirping sound depending who you ask and the temp is usually 80-85+ and its once the engine warms up. Due to the long wait for parts you might want to push them to order them now or at least ensure they have them in stock (mine took 3 weeks to get).

You all still loving your mini's despite their quirks? I am.

Threat, if they did the repair correctly, you won't hear the squeal again. Mine has been super quiet since they replaced the belt and the tensioner in my car.

Redcupr, I agree with Threat. Lean on your dealer to get the parts. I think Princeton got mine superfast once someone with experience figured out what the problem was because MINIUSA was monitoring the repairs.

And yes, the squeal in my car started when the engine was fully warned up. That's why at first, Princeton thought I was an idiot woman owner. (because I would be halfway home from the dealer, and then the noise would start.) They finally caught on when the shop forman drove it for a while and then heard the noise.

And yes, even after the belt tensioner and windshield ding (are MINIs windshields the THINEST ones in the planet :eek: ) I love, love, love my car.

Well I was hoping that it would take longer than a week and a day but my MINI has been dinged.

Oh no :eek: Goofy I'm so sorry to hear that! Can they do the repair right away? Please let us know how the repairs are going.

I'm also paranoid when I park at work. We have an indoor garage and a lot of compact car spaces. However, since those spaces are close to the door, larger cars and even SUVs park in those spaces! So I was constantly afraid I would get dinged because those cars and SUVs are so wide, they overlap the yellow lines outlining the parking space. :mad:

I alerted our building landlord to these "compact" space parkers, and I now park in a regular-sized space. However, I don't pull in all the way, so someone zipping down the row won't buzz right in and slam into me!

Drove to Arlington yesterday and picked it up. It is fantastic. Even the six hour drive back here was a great joy. Yeah, I think I've decided on the name Alfie.
Moritz in Arlington was great. The only snag was the bonnet stripes - they put on black instead of white. But, I've decided that I like the black better anyway.
My MA really liked the JCW intake and said she'd have to get it on hers.


Here's a couple of pics.

Cadfael, your car is gorgeous! And I love the black stripes. They look super with the color!

Well I got my call from MINIUSA today. My Dealer got all 5's which they deserve, but I tried to zap MINI. I was highly disappointed that my 1700 dollar nav unit came with a two year old map data. Oh well we will see what happens about it.

On the dent I called my MA yesterday and e-mailed a picture of the dent to here. She thought I was joking at first then the picture made her feel sick. She forwarded the picture to the service manager to see when their dent guy would be at the dealer. So right now the fix is up in the air. But to make Sith feel better he got a bath today. :D

Thanks. The black stripes are growing on me. I only have one big problem with the car...

I can't keep my wife out of it. She run to the store in it, it's the 3rd time todays she's run an errand in it! :rolleyes:

Thanks. The black stripes are growing on me. I only have one big problem with the car...

I can't keep my wife out of it. She run to the store in it, it's the 3rd time todays she's run an errand in it! :rolleyes:

Gee, Cadfael, sounds like you need to buy one for the wife :D

My hubby doesn't like to drive the MINI because he thinks he looks silly in it. (he's big and tall.) However, he is a total freak if there's too much brake dust on the wheels! I just don't get it.

Well, in another sign of my madness...I've decided to change the car's name again! I'm stealing the name of Chuck Yeager's plane (Glamorous Glennis) for my car. It seems to fit. The car certainly gets lots of attention. And it does fly. Perfect. Hey, it took three tries to fix the belt tensioner, so it should take three tries to get the name right!!

Oh, before I forget, the hubby wanted to ask all of you if your bonnet stripes are showing any discoloration. Ours are a little bit. It seems odd.

here's a quick snapshot of nigel! :cool:

Jet no discoloration here (black stripes).

I got my Mini back Friday and the squeal/chirp is gone. Now I get to enjoy the sound of the engine and the exhaust (not to mention the stereo).

Threat and Jetstar,

Glad to hear your squeals are gone. Mine goes in next Wednesday. I'll make sure they know that I know it's the belt and tensioner. I can't wait to hear the engine again.

Threat and Jetstar,

Glad to hear your squeals are gone. Mine goes in next Wednesday. I'll make sure they know that I know it's the belt and tensioner. I can't wait to hear the engine again.

Redcupr, also make sure they change the belt. My dealer left a burnt belt on my car, which added to the noise.

When we confronted them with this nonsense, the dealer told us the warranty company doesn't allow them to change the belt and the tensioner during one service. Ummm...okay...so the warranty company will allow a customer to drive around with a burnt belt? :confused: Right...

Well got the estimate from the insurance company's repair shop in the area. $920 ouch! of course that is at a chevy dealer not sure how much I trust them to repair my MINI right. I need to take it down to the MINI dealer and see what their guy can do it for.. The estimator also noticed that the door got dinged to.. :eek:

Oh, before I forget, the hubby wanted to ask all of you if your bonnet stripes are showing any discoloration. Ours are a little bit. It seems odd.



none here.

i've been gone for the past week on vacation and i just wanted to update on Callum's issue. i took him in last friday, and they looked at it, and said it was just the software needing an upgrade. so i was in and out in 45 minutes! good news.


we were in the Western Caribbean this past week and i saw a MINI in both Grand Cayman Island and in Playa del Carmen, Mexico! it was exciting.

Oh, before I forget, the hubby wanted to ask all of you if your bonnet stripes are showing any discoloration. Ours are a little bit. It seems odd.

Mine are a little, and I have no idea why. No bird poop or anything else other than dust due to living in a new development.

Well Sith Mini is in the shop getting fixed. I took it to the MINI dealer but their dent guy could not get the whole dent out. He made it look better but still dented. The didn't charge me since they couldn't fix it and while They worked they gave me a loaner to get something to eat. The loaner was a POS Malibu. It was horrible. So monday we droped the MINI off at the repair shop the Insurance company suggested. They say it will be five day fix so hopefully Friday I will get Sith Mini back. I ordered my custom tags but they haven't gotten here. I also ordered race car mirrors that are sitting on my counter top waiting to be installed.

Hope they're able to get that dent out. It sucks having your Mini less than perfect. I don't even like mine being dirty at all at the moment :rolleyes:

Goofy, I hope your car is fixed very soon. And Cadfael, I agree with you. I hate when my car is even slightly dirty :eek:

I received my MINI Welcome Kit last week. Did anyone else get one?