[Tazminia]

Quote: Originally Posted by flibmeister

I took the whole issue about lowering the top via the central locking button toggle switch to MINI North America this morning.

Long story, but the short version is that I was finally able to convince them that this capability is supposed to be there in my car. They then contacted my dealer, who quickly called to say that they had gone out and tried lowering the tops of some other convertibles on their property-- and on those cars, that feature works as advertised. Consequently, they now say they'll fix mine when I bring the car in.

BTW, without the anecdotal evidence from this forum, I don't think it would have gone far-- the folks at MINI NA were initially skeptical, too, and it took some, um, "persuasion" to convince them, first that it was in the handbook at all (they insisted I was misreading the part about opening it with the remote key), and then that it wasn't a misprint. Thanks, folks.


Denny

Ok, this is just getting silly. The dealer AND MINI NA thought this shouldn't work? Oh man, I am quickly losing confidence in these guys.
Our dealer told me not to worry about the brake dust on my wheels as they pronounced to me "the brake dust is harmless and won't hurt the wheels any". I guess no one told them about how the brake dust crystalizes to a caustic and eats at the wheels. They do NOT want me to use a brake dust shield, nor do they want me to use any aftermarket brake pads, such as EBC Greenstuff or even ceramic pads, but then they say not to worry about the dust. Good God, who are they kidding?!
Ahhh...I feel much better after venting
Randy

[Slide-o-rama]

ok...wish me luck...i'm off to pick up my mini in 2 hours!

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slide-o-rama

ok...wish me luck...i'm off to pick up my mini in 2 hours!

Good Luck! The wait is worth it.

[Tazminia]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slide-o-rama

ok...wish me luck...i'm off to pick up my mini in 2 hours!

AprilWhine wished you good luck...I'll wish you curvy roads with nobody in front of you for your return trip home.
Between the two of us, you should be covered.

[btdoyle]

Have not been around for a while, sorry. I walk everywhere in this town so its so hard to find excuses to drive... I rarely leave a 2 mile radius of my house and I'm a big believer in if its walkable then you should walk before you drive or take the bus. Only time when I either is when I'm restricted by time or by distance. So, I have managed to not even put a 100 miles on my car in the past two weeks... Yeah I am thinking that this 4 years is going to come a lot sooner then that 50,000 miles is going to come...

I figured out the deal with my passenger air bag light why sometimes its on and sometimes its off. It seems to flash right when i start the car but then if no one is in the seat it will turn off. BUT when i put a heavy object on the passenger seat like a book bag it stays lit, but if a person sits in it, it goes off. I think its there as reassurance if a baby or small child is in the seat that you can know that the airbag wont go off and hurt it.

Actually turned the base up all the way and the HK radio up all the way and was amazed by the bass, its very clear, very loud and feels and sounds like I have a subwoofer in the back. I am very happy with that but I don't really listen to lots of stuff with heavy bass so my loss i guess

Had a few rattle comes from the dash area but just pushed on different pieces on the dash and it seems to make them go away. Not too worried about that.

Really have not checked under the hood that much, guess I probably should, I will do that this weekend as I also plan to wax my car for the first time when I go home for mothers day. I am excited to drive my dads 6 series, to see just how good the mini stacks up against it.

I have a question for anybody with a hard top but doesn't have a sun roof. On the interior ceiling of the mini, behind the rear seat map lights, there a square plastic thing on the ceiling with slots in it on the front and back side of it. Does anybody know what this thing is and why its there?

Finals are this week and next week so I have been kind of busy, Almost done with class, just one take home final due by next Friday and one final i have to go to on Thursday and then I'm free for two weeks then leaving for London. i will miss my mini.

[Pamlico]

Quote: Originally Posted by btdoyle

I have a question for anybody with a hard top but doesn't have a sun roof. On the interior ceiling of the mini, behind the rear seat map lights, there a square plastic thing on the ceiling with slots in it on the front and back side of it. Does anybody know what this thing is and why its there?.

The thing that looks like a smoke detector? It's a motion sensor for the alarm system (it's also on cars with a sunroof, just located further astern).

[flibmeister]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

Ok, this is just getting silly. The dealer AND MINI NA thought this shouldn't work? Oh man, I am quickly losing confidence in these guys.
Randy

You and me both.

On my first call, the guy said he didn't have access to a handbook but that I was wrong-- any reference to "central locking" in the handbook that referred to lowering the roof was talking about the remote key. He put me on hold awhile and went to check with somebody, came back later and said he'd just confirmed that neither my, nor any MINI convertible, had the capability of lowering the roof via the central locking toggle.

So, I called back, and got a different guy-- who pretty much gave me the same song and dance. He did have a handbook, but it must've been a different edition that mine, because he couldn't find the reference on page 28. He found a similar reference which referred to, you guessed it, the remote key. I insisted that wasn't the one I was looking at and made him go through the handbook a page at a time till he got to the right one, then had him read the appropriate passage to me aloud. After he read it, he put me on hold for awhile, then came back and said he thought it was a misprint, but that he would investigate and call me back.

To his credit, he did, and admitted that I was correct all along. After MINI NA called them, my dealer did contact me, but they weren't quite as honest about what their position had been-- they claim that they've been "working the issue" and had every intention of straightening things out when I returned with the car. I don't think so-- I think they were prepared to explain to me that it didn't work the way I claimed it was supposed to.

In any case, it should get resolved at my next service visit, but I'll take any information I get from either MINI North America, or the dealer, with an even bigger grain of salt next time!

Denny

[gaminicool]

Quote: Originally Posted by flibmeister

For those of you with March build convertibles that haven't been following the thread in the Convertibles section, I'd like to ask you a favor: check and see if you're able to use the Central Locking button (toggle) to lower the roof. According to the handbook, you should be able to raise that toggle switch, hold it for a few seconds, and the windows down/top down sequence will begin.

It doesn't work on my car, and the dealer says it isn't supposed to-- they claim it's a misprint in the handbook. However, I have reports in the other thread of cars built as late as December 2004 that say it DOES work on their car. I'm trying to figure out whether there's been a change in later builds that no longer allows this operation, or if there's something wrong with my particular car.

Appreciate it if you'd check out your car, then post the result here. Those of you with hardtops w/sunroofs, that same toggle is supposed to open your sunroof, too-- I'd be curious to know if it does.


Thanks!

Denny

I tried the central locking switch on my Mini and it did NOT work. I tried it with the engine running tho... Will try again

[flibmeister]

Quote: Originally Posted by gaminicool

I tried the central locking switch on my Mini and it did NOT work. I tried it with the engine running tho... Will try again

I'ver tried mine with engine on, engine off, key in ignition, etc.-- and it doesn't work. Sounds like you may have the same problem I do.

It may be two or three weeks before I take mine in to get it fixed, but when I do I'll post the results here.

Denny

[Kellzir]

I believe this is my car, loaded on the truck. At the top.

[gaminicool]

Quote: Originally Posted by flibmeister

I'ver tried mine with engine on, engine off, key in ignition, etc.-- and it doesn't work. Sounds like you may have the same problem I do.

It may be two or three weeks before I take mine in to get it fixed, but when I do I'll post the results here.

Denny

Thanks Denny - keep us posted

[Johnny L]

Well, it's great that we are all getting to know our MINIs. I have learned so much about mine just by reading this thread. "Rs" to all!

I do have a question. I have notices a "hellicopter" like sound when my MCS is idling. When I accelarate, it goes away.

Is it the supercharger pulley?

Has anyone else noticed this?

Should I be "very afraid"?

[Pamlico]

Quote: Originally Posted by Johnny L

I do have a question. I have notices a "hellicopter" like sound when my MCS is idling. When I accelarate, it goes away.

Is it the supercharger pulley?

I doubt it's the pulley at idle. I hear some noises at idle, but nothing that I'd call hellicopter-like. Could you describe it in any other way?

Many of the 6-speed transmissions in earlier MCSs had a rattling noise at idle that tended to lessen when the clutch pedal was depressed. What the cause of that noise never seemed to have been totally resolved. Some owners had their transmissions replaced due to the noise. I mentioned it several times at service but it was never resolved. I haven't heard this noise in the new car.

[paulr]

Hi everyone. I went on long term secondment a while back so, so the bad news is that I had to let my MINI go to another good home The good news is that I'm off to the May or June group. The March group was truly a fun ride, you’re all great! Hope to see you all in a few months

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeynet

Hi everyone. I went on long term secondment a while back so, so the bad news is that I had to let my MINI go to another good home The good news is that I'm off to the May or June group. The March group was truly a fun ride, you’re all great! Hope to see you all in a few months

I've been posting a bit in the May group, they are a nice bunch.

[Johnny L]

Thanks, Pam'.

I guess by "hellicopter," I am referring more to the frequency of the noise. It kinda has that same noise of a hellicopter flying in the distance. It kinda sounds like a belt going round a pulley. I reckon I ought to just pop the head and see if I can tell where it's coming from . . . As for trying to "fix" it, I don't think I am going to worry about it until I notice some effect on performance.

Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

Quote: Originally Posted by Pamlico

I doubt it's the pulley at idle. I hear some noises at idle, but nothing that I'd call hellicopter-like. Could you describe it in any other way?

Many of the 6-speed transmissions in earlier MCSs had a rattling noise at idle that tended to lessen when the clutch pedal was depressed. What the cause of that noise never seemed to have been totally resolved. Some owners had their transmissions replaced due to the noise. I mentioned it several times at service but it was never resolved. I haven't heard this noise in the new car.

[Ken30307]

Sorry I've vanished lately..final exams...final papers...grading..grading...grading (on my nerves).

My birthday is the 17th of May..I should be home free by then!

KC

[Tazminia]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

I've been posting a bit in the May group, they are a nice bunch.

Yea, but are they as cute as we are??

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tazminia

Yea, but are they as cute as we are??

Absolutely not!

It caught my attention when someone asked about the post count for the March group. Almost 2000 posts is very impressive. All of you other big mouths should go say "hi" to the May group. And help them get their post count up too. Not to mention giving them the benefit of your wisdom.

[Tazminia]

Quote: Originally Posted by AprilWhine

Absolutely not!

It caught my attention when someone asked about the post count for the March group. Almost 2000 posts is very impressive. All of you other big mouths should go say "hi" to the May group. And help them get their post count up too. Not to mention giving them the benefit of your wisdom.

Consider it done!
Let's see now...does that make us wise, benevolent bigmouths or caring bigmouths with a wise *ss? (by the way, that was a rhetorical question AW, no response needed!! )