MINI2

Dejathoris · Jan 17th, 2008, 09:42 PM

Hello all,

I just purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper (YAY!!!) which is now on its way from Toronto to Calgary. Over the years I have gotten used to having a remote starter in my vehichles, to help me deal with the fact that I do not have access to garage parking. I love getting into a toasty warm car on a cold January morning - and a nice cool car on a smoking hot July afternoon...

I inquired at Crowfoot Mini about the price of adding a starter to my new baby - but was told that they will NOT install a starter at the dealership, and a third party installation would cause massive electrical problems.... Needless to day I am very dissapointed.

Does anyone have any expereince with adding a starter? Is it as bad as they say??? I have (unforunately not heated) leather seats, which will be very cold/marm indeed to sit on in Calgary's more extreme temperature swings.

Any advice appreciated!!!

Ferroequine · Jan 18th, 2008, 02:01 AM

Hi, and welcome! Congrats on the MINI, we'd love to hear more about it.

As far as car starters are concerned, the dealership speaks from experience. They've had to fix at least one 3rd party remote starter install when the car started doing all sorts of weird things (kind of like the car in the movie "Christine"). Unless the installer *really* knows what they are doing, it is a risky road to travel.

Is your Cooper a 5 speed manual? If so, there is a whole other can of beans to open up, mostly with liablities in case the car is started whilst it is in gear.

Dejathoris · Jan 18th, 2008, 05:54 PM

Thanks, MiniVee!

My mini is an automatic, so I had (wrongly it appears!) assumed that a remote starter would be an easy add on, as it has been with my previous cars.... Sigh - with heated seats being upwards of $800 or so to install, I have a feeling I will be freezing my buns off, at least for this winter.

faster,Tobias! · Jan 18th, 2008, 08:48 PM

MINI used to offer heated seat covers through the parts department, though I don't know that they still do.

beken · Jan 18th, 2008, 08:59 PM

I have seen after market heat pads (cushions?) you can add in various "tuner" shops around the Vancouver area. There might some available in Calgary also,.

British SD · Jan 20th, 2008, 11:42 AM

Considering how environmentally unsound car starters are, the fact that Calgary has a 3 minutes idling bylaw and the excessive time it takes to warm up the car to tropical temperatures during Canadian winters , I can't figure how anyone would be so naff as to still install a car starter?

I have dealer installed block heater for the rare -30 celcius mornings, heated seats and luv em. If you don't have them, no problem. There are aftermarket shops in Calgary who install heated seats to your existing vehicle.

mark-o · Jan 20th, 2008, 04:56 PM

I use my heated seats so rarely - I wouldn't bother... but that's just me.

As for remote starters, I find them too much of a pain to setup (in a vehicle with a std transmission) before leaving the car that even when I did have one, I never used it either.

Neutral, e-brake & the starter setup routine, followed by exit the vehicle & turn off the engine - forget it, it's too much bother. And then if you don't park within 30 feet from the office, it doesn't work at that end of my daily trip anyways.

-Mark

miniDD · Jan 21st, 2008, 07:30 PM

I am in love with my heated seats. They should be standard on all Canadian Mini's. Remote starters can be a nightmare if done by an aftermarket shop. Think Green.

StoriesFromTheCity · Jan 30th, 2008, 01:20 AM

I recently pulled my remote starter from my '02 S manual. After two years it was very good to me but I had to remove it as it did eventually interfere with my starter. The car just wouldn't turn over and it had the dealer absolutely baffled. This went on for about 9 months intermittently and it would leave me stranded many times over. Sometimes I'd wait 20 minutes for the car to turn over...other times 24 hours before I could move the car. I could do nothing but tow it and this was nothing that could be fixed with a push start. The car was just dead until it decided to go again.

faster,Tobias! · Feb 16th, 2008, 06:57 PM

I just dug out a flyer from A.R.A Automotive accessories (408 - 36th Ave SE, Calgary) in which seat heaters are advertised $265.00 installed.

heli_guy · Feb 16th, 2008, 11:49 PM

Yeah, heated seats are great. Wouldn't live without them!

And I agree with the car starter thing. not very environmentally friendly.

Dejathoris · Feb 19th, 2008, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the tip, Tobias! That looks to be less than 1/3 of the price that the dealership was asking for installed heated seats - which is much more manageable on my limited post-car-purchase budget!

faster,Tobias! · Feb 19th, 2008, 08:23 PM

They install heated seats at the MINI Crowfoot through the service department?

Jan 17th, 2008, 09:42 PM	#1
Dejathoris MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 5 Offline	Remote Starter? Hello all, I just purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper (YAY!!!) which is now on its way from Toronto to Calgary. Over the years I have gotten used to having a remote starter in my vehichles, to help me deal with the fact that I do not have access to garage parking. I love getting into a toasty warm car on a cold January morning - and a nice cool car on a smoking hot July afternoon... I inquired at Crowfoot Mini about the price of adding a starter to my new baby - but was told that they will NOT install a starter at the dealership, and a third party installation would cause massive electrical problems.... Needless to day I am very dissapointed. Does anyone have any expereince with adding a starter? Is it as bad as they say??? I have (unforunately not heated) leather seats, which will be very cold/marm indeed to sit on in Calgary's more extreme temperature swings. Any advice appreciated!!!

Jan 18th, 2008, 02:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ferroequine Formerly known as MiniVee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Calgary Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 1,318 Offline	Hi, and welcome! Congrats on the MINI, we'd love to hear more about it. As far as car starters are concerned, the dealership speaks from experience. They've had to fix at least one 3rd party remote starter install when the car started doing all sorts of weird things (kind of like the car in the movie "Christine"). Unless the installer really knows what they are doing, it is a risky road to travel. Is your Cooper a 5 speed manual? If so, there is a whole other can of beans to open up, mostly with liablities in case the car is started whilst it is in gear. www.MINICalgary.com

Jan 18th, 2008, 08:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
beken 05 MCS BEP Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Delta, BC, Canada Local Time: 11:10 AM Posts: 1,174 Offline	I have seen after market heat pads (cushions?) you can add in various "tuner" shops around the Vancouver area. There might some available in Calgary also,. 05MCS BEP - Alta 22mm rear anti-swaybar, Madness CAI

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Jan 18th, 2008, 05:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dejathoris MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 5 Offline	Thanks, MiniVee! My mini is an automatic, so I had (wrongly it appears!) assumed that a remote starter would be an easy add on, as it has been with my previous cars.... Sigh - with heated seats being upwards of $800 or so to install, I have a feeling I will be freezing my buns off, at least for this winter.

Jan 18th, 2008, 08:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
faster,Tobias! Fanatically Enthiusiastic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Calgary, Alberta Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 1,150 Offline	MINI used to offer heated seat covers through the parts department, though I don't know that they still do.

Jan 20th, 2008, 11:42 AM	#6 (permalink)
British SD Northern Monkey! Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: In a Van by da river Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 367 Offline	Considering how environmentally unsound car starters are, the fact that Calgary has a 3 minutes idling bylaw and the excessive time it takes to warm up the car to tropical temperatures during Canadian winters , I can't figure how anyone would be so naff as to still install a car starter? I have dealer installed block heater for the rare -30 celcius mornings, heated seats and luv em. If you don't have them, no problem. There are aftermarket shops in Calgary who install heated seats to your existing vehicle.

Jan 20th, 2008, 04:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
mark-o MINI2 4 ME Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Calgary, AB Local Time: 11:10 AM Posts: 295 Offline	I use my heated seats so rarely - I wouldn't bother... but that's just me. As for remote starters, I find them too much of a pain to setup (in a vehicle with a std transmission) before leaving the car that even when I did have one, I never used it either. Neutral, e-brake & the starter setup routine, followed by exit the vehicle & turn off the engine - forget it, it's too much bother. And then if you don't park within 30 feet from the office, it doesn't work at that end of my daily trip anyways. -Mark

Jan 21st, 2008, 07:30 PM	#8 (permalink)
miniDD Get Moose and Squirrel Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Calgary Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 53 Offline	I am in love with my heated seats. They should be standard on all Canadian Mini's. Remote starters can be a nightmare if done by an aftermarket shop. Think Green.

Jan 30th, 2008, 01:20 AM	#9 (permalink)
StoriesFromTheCity MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Local Time: 10:10 AM Posts: 10 Offline	I recently pulled my remote starter from my '02 S manual. After two years it was very good to me but I had to remove it as it did eventually interfere with my starter. The car just wouldn't turn over and it had the dealer absolutely baffled. This went on for about 9 months intermittently and it would leave me stranded many times over. Sometimes I'd wait 20 minutes for the car to turn over...other times 24 hours before I could move the car. I could do nothing but tow it and this was nothing that could be fixed with a push start. The car was just dead until it decided to go again.

Feb 16th, 2008, 06:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
faster,Tobias! Fanatically Enthiusiastic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Calgary, Alberta Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 1,150 Offline	I just dug out a flyer from A.R.A Automotive accessories (408 - 36th Ave SE, Calgary) in which seat heaters are advertised $265.00 installed.

Feb 16th, 2008, 11:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
heli_guy Fly Heli's they're fun! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Calgary Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 172 Offline	Yeah, heated seats are great. Wouldn't live without them! And I agree with the car starter thing. not very environmentally friendly.

Feb 19th, 2008, 03:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
Dejathoris MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jan 2008 Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 5 Offline	Thanks for the tip, Tobias! That looks to be less than 1/3 of the price that the dealership was asking for installed heated seats - which is much more manageable on my limited post-car-purchase budget!

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Feb 19th, 2008, 08:23 PM	#13 (permalink)
faster,Tobias! Fanatically Enthiusiastic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Calgary, Alberta Local Time: 12:10 PM Posts: 1,150 Offline	They install heated seats at the MINI Crowfoot through the service department?