Only noticed it tonight but this photo is from when the car was for sale (only had it for a week) and the gap can be seen on this also.
As looking at the car straight on it is on the right side where the bonnet meets the bumper directly below the headlight.
Is this normal? I am guessing not but I have been trawling through images on Google but struggling to find images Cooper D Clubman's straight on to compare!
No its not normal. Check the gaps around the headlight, if they are off the bonnet catch may just need adjusting. If they are right it may be just the bumper needs lifting, i know on the gen 1 minis the bumper can be slightly adjusted on height so maybe yours can too
Will have to take a look tomorrow in better light but at first glance the headlights seemed fine.
I'm confused as to what would cause this though?
I brought the car used from a local reputable dealer and it was fully HPI checked etc. and the car is immaculate condition wise so just seems odd...
I have read that the bumpers that the bonnet itself sits on can be adjusted too so maybe this is worth a shot as it is apparently easy to do simply by screwing them up or down.
How would you actually go about adjusting the bumper?
I'm thinking that seeing as I have only had it a week it might be easier just to go back to the dealer and see what they say about it.
The garage can remove the front bumper to access the radiator etc and might not have put it back exactly as it was, not that they rush jobs these days of course.
Just a guess, as I'm not your "authorized MINI service professional" , but I'd guess it's like the adjustment bumpers on the tailgate. They probably go out of adjustment over the years.
Popped the hood this morning to check something else and after shutting the bonnet I noticed the gap again...
So I re-opened the bonnet and reluctantly slammed it shut with quite a lot of force and the gap disappeared again!
It would seem that it wasn't actually the rubber bumpers but in fact the bonnet not being closed correctly but in all fairness I have never had to slam a bonnet shut anywhere near as hard as the Clubman, it almost feels wrong
I'd suggest closing the bonnet the same way we close the front trunk lid on our Porsche--let it drop naturally from a short distance, then put both hands equally apart from the center point and press down to latch. That should distribute the weight so it closes evenly. If it doesn't, get the dealer to adjust. You shouldn't have to slam anything--gravity works!
Oh! So glad I've found this forum. First issue I've noticed with my car is this sort of bonnet gap. I'll be following the instructions above later today. Thank you
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