[GadgetGav]

A friend of mine found an odd pen-like thing in her car...
It looks like a sawn-off pen and has a magnet in the end where you'd expect to find the writing tip. It has a BMW logo on it and the top has a pocket clip like a regular pen.

Anyone know what it does...?

[BillK]

Does it telescope (pull out to a longer size)? It sounds like a pick-up tool, used when a screw is dropped in a small place to help retrieve it. Maybe a company gift to the service tech? (Hence the logo.)

[Albert]

That's probably a magnetic pick up like BillK said. Those things are a life-saver. I don't know how many times I've dropped a bolt, washer, nut, etc. in a crowded engine bay and was lucky enough to have the magnetic pen in my toolbox!

Anyway, did she recently have her car in for service? It may have been accidently left there by a technician.

[MiniMan7]

Where'd did she find it in her car? Odds are the tech dropped it in her car when it was being prepared for her, or being serviced.

-MiniMan7

[David Scott]

If memory serves me correctly, before a MINI is shipped the battery circuit is "opened" (turned off) for safety reasons. Upon arrival at the VPC and/or dealer, a magnetic "pen" is used to "close" (turn on) that circuit once again. The "pen" your friend found in her MINI was inadvertently left there by either the VPC and/or the dealer. Tell her it makes a great souvenir!

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by GadgetGav
A friend of mine found an odd pen-like thing in her car...
It looks like a sawn-off pen and has a magnet in the end where you'd expect to find the writing tip. It has a BMW logo on it and the top has a pocket clip like a regular pen.

Anyone know what it does...?

I think it's to activate the temporary electrical cut-off switch only fitted while the car is in transport to the dealer. I've seen these switches behind the window glass on MINIs (and BMWs) fresh off the transport trucks before they are dealer prepped. I understand the switch is magnetically activated by a pen-like device. Sounds like you have one.

Edit: Looks like David Scott can type faster than I can!

[David Scott]

...for confirming my memory does "serve me correctly"!

David Scott

[MiniMan7]

I'm curious to see what this pen looks like. Got any pics that we could see?

[GadgetGav]

Now why didn't I think of that in the first place...!??!
I'll try and attach a pic. I think the switch activator is right, it's not a magnetic pick up tool...
BTW, the black line at the end doesn't move, but it looks like it could indicate how far you're supposed to stick this thing into something else for it to work.
edit: The other logo on there is Power Motive b.v. so I think the switch idea is right. Can anyone explain in more detail where this switch is - does the dealer remove it and if so, why not just make it a physical switch..?

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by GadgetGav
...Can anyone explain in more detail where this switch is - does the dealer remove it and if so, why not just make it a physical switch..?

All I know is that the switch is temporarily mounted on the window glass inside the car during the transportation process. The pen is waved over the outside of the glass to magnetically activate the switch, which I understand turns on and off the car's electrical system (like a battery disconnect).

Speculation: The car's keys are left inside the vehicle for factory shuttle drivers, dockworkers, transportation truck drivers, etc. They use the pen unlock the cars, grab the regular keys to move the cars, then lock the cars up by a pen swipe to engage the electric locks and then disconnect the electrical system. This would prevent the MINI's keys from ever being separated from the vehicle and getting lost. Again, just my speculation.

[ASBrainstorm]

Quote: Originally Posted by BruceK (original)

All I know is that the switch is temporarily mounted on the window glass inside the car during the transportation process. The pen is waved over the outside of the glass to magnetically activate the switch, which I understand turns on and off the car's electrical system (like a battery disconnect).

Speculation: The car's keys are left inside the vehicle for factory shuttle drivers, dockworkers, transportation truck drivers, etc. They use the pen unlock the cars, grab the regular keys to move the cars, then lock the cars up by a pen swipe to engage the electric locks and then disconnect the electrical system. This would prevent the MINI's keys from ever being separated from the vehicle and getting lost. Again, just my speculation.

I am a longshoreman out of Bayonne, NJ where all the mini's and other BMW's come in for any EAST Coast sales.

You are right, they are used instead of keys in order to prevent keys from being "lost". Once you swipe over a sensor on the front windshield the car jumps to life. Often there is one person that collects the pens, and then goes and starts up all the cars for the drivers. They are called break-out men.

[ASBrainstorm]

Ohhh forgot to mention. It doesn't unlock the doors or anything, all the doors come unlocked from the factory when we unload them from the ship.

The pens are used only on are cars that have a sun roof or special roof, the windows roll down slightly as you go to open the door. For cars with hardtops and normal roofs there is a physical switch inside the car to engage and disengage the battery. On cars that the windows roll down a centimeter as you open it there is a need to engage to battery from outside the car, hence the magnet.

Man if you guys like mini's you would absolutely LOVE one of the docks I work on. I see all the models before they even hit the showroom. I'll take some pictures of the car field and show you guys some cool stuff. Maybe even make a lil youtube video or something.

Sorry about the 4 year delay on the post