Multiple warning lights on start up - MINI Cooper Forum

Sparkling Silver · #1 (**permalink**) Sep 5th, 2012, 08:01 AM

Started my Mini One this morning and the Airbag warning light came on. Switched off ignition and back on again and the Airbag warning light came on together with a yellow engine warning and then ABS yellow warning. At some point the red warning light of a car on a lift came on. When I then switched off again, the yellow steering lock warning came on.
The nearest BMW garage is 25 miles away and they don't come out. Can anyone suggest what the problem might be and do you think a non-BMW garage would be able to diagnose/solve the problem. All advice gratefully received as I am not at all mechanically minded, but love my mini.

Sparkling Silver · #2 (**permalink**) Sep 22nd, 2012, 01:09 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Sparkling Silver (original)

Started my Mini One this morning and the Airbag warning light came on. Switched off ignition and back on again and the Airbag warning light came on together with a yellow engine warning and then ABS yellow warning. At some point the red warning light of a car on a lift came on. When I then switched off again, the yellow steering lock warning came on.
The nearest BMW garage is 25 miles away and they don't come out. Can anyone suggest what the problem might be and do you think a non-BMW garage would be able to diagnose/solve the problem. All advice gratefully received as I am not at all mechanically minded, but love my mini.

Weird thing. Drove the car 5 miles to petrol station, filled up and the lights all went off. Drove it for two weeks without a problem.
Petrol has just got low again and it's like Christmas on my dashboard - lights of every colour. The petrol gauge went up and down, turning from red to orange and beeping everytime it got to red. Handbrake light, airbag light, seatbelt light, ABS and yellow engine light all on now. It will have to go to BMW to sort out the electrics.

The Nun · #3 (**permalink**) Sep 22nd, 2012, 02:55 PM

Keep it filled up, sounds like its likes a bit of a drink in its old age, like some folk, they arent normal until theyre well lagged.

bmwr606 · #4 (**permalink**) Sep 23rd, 2012, 02:18 PM

you don't say how old your mini is, if the battery is aging and getting weak, all kinds of weirness can happen

i would have the battery tested both for voltage and capacity

scott

Sparkling Silver · #5 (**permalink**) Oct 4th, 2012, 08:11 PM

Spent three hours at BMW garage while they looked for the cause of my pretty lit up dashboard. They decided it was either dodgy wiring or the "cluster". It cost me £105 for this diagnosis and a day off work. They want it back again next week for several hours (another day off work) to get to the bottom of the problem. If it is the "cluster", it will cost me £700, not including labour. Rapidly falling out of love with my Mini. It is 5 and half years old - I bought it five years ago, ex-demonstrator.
When I drove it home from the garage, not only were all the warning lights on, but the speedometer read zero and the mileage didn't change.

Then halfway home, the doors locked and half the lights went off. Never a dull moment! Thanks for your reply "The Nun", it made me laugh.

Sparkling Silver · #6 (**permalink**) Oct 15th, 2012, 05:46 PM

Spent another day at BMW last week - £115 per hour - for investigation. This time, they have decided it needs the DSC unit replacing - £819!!! OK, that's alot of money to get it put right you may think - but no! This is just what they need to do before they can reassess it. There is no guarantee it will do the job. I am stuffed! I can't drive a car with all the warning lights on and no speedometer or mileometer. So on Wednesday, we go back to have the DSC unit replaced and I empty my savings account. Fingers crossed it works, then I am straight down to the Ford dealership to offload it for something cheaper to run.

I have always loved Minis and have had five years of enjoyment, but BMW have killed the Mini for me. I have a 50 mile round trip for every service, cos only they can do it, charging extortionate amounts. Mini driving used to be about fun - this is an expensive toy I can't afford now.

hibbs · #7 (**permalink**) Oct 15th, 2012, 06:21 PM

Have you tried negotiating with them over the labour rate? They are forced to discount the rates for fleet, so if they want the work......

Alternatively, use a local garage - I have found a local one that has all the diagnostic gear, without the high prices!

Either way, hope it goes well!

deadinamerica · #8 (**permalink**) Oct 19th, 2012, 01:38 AM

i dont think its your dsc module... it seems like there is a problem with a k-can. all the lights that you have mentioned are controlled by the body modules. and the reason they are coming on is because the modules have problems communicating with each other. most body modules communicate through the k-can bus system. your dsc module is on a pt-can bus system. JBE module serves as an interpreter between k-can and pt-can busses. i think your problem is there. if your battery was dead it will have sporadic communication faults. i worked on a car today that had a similar problem and i found a loose ground connection at the JBE module.

Sparkling Silver · #9 (**permalink**) Oct 19th, 2012, 02:48 PM

Thank you so much for the responses.
Spent 5 hours at the BMW garage on Wednesday. DSC Unit replaced and all warning lights now off. However, I am £1000 poorer and have lost faith in my lovely Mini. Every corner and every bump in the road and I am waiting for those lights to come on again.

So, yesterday I traded it in for nice sensible Ford.

This is my last post on the Mini 2 Forum. Good luck to all you Mini owners. I hope you have deep pockets. I'll always love Minis, but I can't afford the maintenance or the stress. I hope the next owner of Sparkling Silver Mini One loves it and cherishes it as much as I did.