[RCS]

i wonder if you guys can give me an objective view on some probs im having with my MCS - wonder if im being too picky!

Basically i bought an 06 MCS from a cherished dealer last week. Since buying it ive found that it didnt have its 10k oil change on TLC (mileage was 10700 when i got it), the radio doesnt turn off when ignition off but does turn off every 20 mins while driving, the leather seats (recaro leathers) are coming out at the bolster and the car pulls to the right..

The car went back to the dealer on saturday (6 days after i got it) to have the oil changed, fix the radio and sort the fact that it was pulling to the right when driving and the seat. Thats when i found out the radio needs to be changed and the tracking is shot as the steering alignment wasnt correct due to kerbing of the wheel which was fixed prior to my collecting the car

My question is am i being too picky, or should these things have been done by the dealer prior to my collecting the car from them?

Thanks,

[humph]

No you are not being picky. Your car should have been put through a pre delivery inspection before you picked it up, it obviously didn't. You shouldn't expect this from any dealer, especially not a MINI dealer where you are paying a premium.

[RCS]

so you reckon i have a right to complain then?

Was thinking of writing a letter to the dealer principle and mini cherished directly as i thought the same - pay a premium from a cherished dealer for a reason, that being i would get a fully prepared car as they had a week between me buying it and picking it up so it wasnt a rush job.

[dakini]

the oil might not have come up for a change at 10,700. my 06 MCS didn't hit the countdown 0 until just after 13,000 miles, and from what I gather if you drive decent stretches at a time, that's pretty normal. So a car not having the 10,000 oil change at 10,000 doesn't sound fishy if the countdown hadn't hit 0 yet. What did the countdown read when you got the car?

as for the rest of the questions, i'll let others answer who might have a better idea ...

[RCS]

If im right (and given that im totally new to mini i might well be wrong!) the countdown on the speedo was at 68 (assuming that u mean the number i got when i pressed the black button?)

[humph]

Yes sorry Dakini is right, your car may not be due a service yet. Unless the service indicator is on. MINIs have variable servicing intervals and the car will decide when it needs a service based on how it is driven. When you turn the key in the ignition a mileage will be displayed briefly, before it changes to the actual mileage. This is the number of miles left until the next service. Check that first, if the service is overdue it will display a negative I believe.

The number you got by pressing the button will be the number of days until a brake fluid change

[dakini]

no, the countdown comes up when you first turn on the car ... where the mileage will be, it lasts for maybe ten seconds, then the odometer reading shows up. once you hit 0, MINI will do the oil change ... you're suppsed to have it done between 0 and -1000. The car adjusts the countdown according to sensors so if you thrash the car a lot, or have a small leak, it counts down quicker.

the 68 is the trip odometer reading.

[drainaudio]

Hi,
Congrats on the Cooper S purchase..

So, you've paid a premium by purchasing a "premium" small car from the "cherished" program..

You have one of two choices..

a. mope around with your bottom lip on the ground doing the typically British thing of taking whatever life dishes out - sorry guys I don't mean to insult, but having lived here for 12 years and travelled all over the world mostly in business situations I've seen that the British generally consider standing up for their rights to be impolite..

b. be firm but fair and make sure everything gets resolved to your satisfaction within the limits of the warranty that you have paid for and are legally entitled to.

I'm now very happy with my 05 Cooper S and it seems to have turned out to be a very solid car - however, during the course of the original 3 year warranty it had a bunch of problems some big some small - each and every single issue from a replacement gearbox/flywheel/clutch to the trim around the interior door handle was sorted under warranty without any real grief other than technicians who couldn't diagnose problems - simple solution to that was do reasearch here on Mini 2 then visit another dealership armed with a reasonable knowledge of what the problem might be and on the 2 occasions this was necessary getting a 2nd opinion resulted in the problem being correctly diagnosed and repaired.

Bottom line is that you've paid good money and expecting to get what you paid for is not being fussy.

Good luck and don't forget under the terms of your warranty you can take the car to any dealership - if you aren't happy go somewhere else, the standard of service can vary greatly within the network.

Cheers, Geoff.

[RCS]

Agreed Drain!

The way i see it i get the car back to the way it should have been at delivery and then complain. Forgot to mention that i have also been without transport since saturday as they cant supply courtesy cars on the weekend - and like a lot of folks i work during the week ...

[Ant FR]

trouble with the mini is the typical owner it attracts. i would say about 65% of them are the type that would'nt know what a dip stick is if you asked them. Therefore they tend to assume the man at the garage will sort it for me. Thats why in most cases its best to buy a mini used from an enthusiast. Cheirshed is good, but there seems to be so many flumps in the system owned by morons who never even knew there was a bonnett release catch.

[RCS]

Agreed Ant ... def the case in the Integra world where buying from an enthusiast is def the way to go due to the nature of the car and the rarity somewhat - plus most dealers selling them have no idea what the hell they are saying - was told by one it was a 2.0 turbo!

Think ill be visiting the dealer a fair few times to get the car just right - and have it set up properly. so it handles as it should.

[DaFlake]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ant FR (original)

trouble with the mini is the typical owner it attracts. i would say about 65% of them are the type that would'nt know what a dip stick is if you asked them. Therefore they tend to assume the man at the garage will sort it for me. Thats why in most cases its best to buy a mini used from an enthusiast. Cheirshed is good, but there seems to be so many flumps in the system owned by morons who never even knew there was a bonnett release catch.

What is a dip stick?

[NeuroBeaker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ant FR (original)

i would say about 65% of them are the type that would'nt know what a dip stick is if you asked them.

Quote: Originally Posted by DaFlake (original)

What is a dip stick?

Oh, I know all about that - it's just an urban legend, a myth, a horror story told over the flickering embers of a midnight fire on a MINI run, where hardened enthusiasts compete in tales of blood-chilling terror...

"You mean the cars don't service themselves?! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

[dakini]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaFlake (original)

What is a dip stick?

i'd post a picture to show you ... but i might get banned for violating the forum rules