Electrical Failure

[Kurtster]

I was driving in San Francisco yesterday and something weird happened that I must share with my fellow MINI owners.


It was a rainy day and the car started perfectly in early morning, and when I left for my lunch break.

I arrived at the parking lot a few miles away and the radio cuts out as I enter the lot. Upon further observation, all of the electrical had stopped. Within seconds, the steering got VERY difficult because the engine died and the power steering pump wasn't doing anything.

I was still rolling but with the clutch in, so I put her back in gear and let the clutch out. The car started. I thought I just had a stall but seconds later it happened again. Keeping revs high I got it started again but as I rolled into a parking space the engine was running but apparently not well enough to drive the power steering because it was very hard to turn.

I turned her off, got out and found that my key button wouldn't lock the car. I manually locked by inserting the key and turning, then went to have lunch.

I came back from lunch and no electrical worked at all. Zero, zilch nada. No sign of life. I opened the bonnet, opened the "+ Terminal"plastic cap (but didnt touch anything). I closed the Bonnet. Got in, tried again and the car started.

Now, I've read a two year old thread on here about rainy weather and recalls, and I've read this one (http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthre...&threadid=25254), but neither of them describe exactly what happened to me here. I nearly had roadside assistance to me, but I'm very unhappy that this is happening jjust before my big move to MA, and I can't recreate the problem for a dealer.

Any ideas on how I might be able to recreate this problem?

FYI: I've had situations on hot summer days where the idle drops too low and the car stalls when I'm not doing anything but sitting at a light. This problem was different because it died even when I was keeping revs high.