Electrical faults

[LouB30]

Hiya.
My Mini Cooper is now 4 years old and I've started to have a couple of problems, all on the right hand side of the car.

The electric window has stopped working. it sometimes works but then decides to stop again! The central locking does not open on the right hand side and most recently I had a flat tyre (run flats) and didn't know for ages as the run flat indicator didn't come on. This one is worrying me quite a bit!!

Does anyone have any answers as to what I can do to fix it as I really want to try to avoid taking it into BMW as I know it'll cost me a small fortune!! Any answers or experiences will be much appreciated!!!

Cheers
Lou

[thewalshter]

Try checking the wiring loom for breaks in the wire, on o/s/f door to pillar.

[sonses]

Hi Lou,
Although my mini is older, I have experienced similar issues. The passenger side window had a similar period of being temperamental, and then stopped working completely. I agree with the previous post- it's probably the electrical connections under the seat. Funnily enough my window started working again once the passenger seat was moved around and used more frequently.

On the run flats, I can offer some advice. It might be that the sensor hadn't been reset. Go inflate your tyres to the reccommended pressure and reset the sensor. From my memory (which can be a bit ropey!) you turn the ignition key just so far as to light up the dash then hold down the button by the handbrake that has an exclamation mark ! on it for a few seconds then turn the engine over. It's worth checking this advice out either in the handbook or with your dealer who should be able to tell you for free over the phone - as I say my memory's ropey.

Also with the runflats it is worth regularly checking the tyre pressure and inflating them, as they do lose pressure sometimes, and I'm sure I've paid for new tyre in the past when there wasn't a puncture at all. I've learned though and now when my runflat sensor comes on, I re-inflate the tyres and they're fine. Of course, if the sensor keeps coming on, I'll get a new tyre!

Lastly, if you've done these things already, it might be worth getting the sensor checked out.

Hope this helps,
sonses

[KenL]

In response to the post above:

The R56 tyre pressure warning system is reset through a more complicated procedure via the trip computer.

Also, tyre pressure should be checked regularly by owners and corrected as required.
The warning system will only spot a large decrease in pressure of a single tyre and cannot spot a gradual decrease due to normal pressure loss which will be similar in all the tyres.