[Jam7eMini]

Hi guys I was wondering if one of youse would be able to help me out, I’ve only had my Mini Cooper 51 plate a couple of months and I love it! Great wee car but unfortunately as of last week I’ve not been able to drive it.
Reason being all of a sudden just the other week there my lights started turning off just randomly, not interior lights as there all fine but the headlights. It all started with my brake lights, they stopped working the week before and I was able to fix it by spraying some wd40 on the pin underneath the brake pedal which resolved this issue. But since then the cars been acting really strangely, if I leave the car for a while and then turn it back on the lights will work... but only if I leave it for a couple of minutes otherwise they will just turn off straight away. Even still, if I leave it for a couple of minutes and turn the lights on after another couple of minutes the lights will turn off again, the sidelights however work completely fine. I’ve also found my indicators occasionally fail and now I’ve got the issue were my brake lights are no longer working again. Checked the fuses and everything seems fine, it’s also worth mentioning my rear lights all work fine also.
Really don’t know what to do, I don’t know whether it could be due to a poor connection or could it be an issue with the earthing?? I just don’t understand how if you leave it for a while they’ll turn on... this however is only the case if you turn the ignition fully off and then start the car again.

To make matters worse, the air con occasionally cuts out but not that of the radio or the interior lights yet again. And the window randomly aggressively goes up and down or stops working both when the engine is running and when the engine is off, even occasionally when the car is turned off. It’s really strange.

Any help would be greatly appreciated guys!
I did have a hunch that it could be as a result of my power steering, I’ve noticed it’s gotten extremely light recently and I don’t know whether this is as a result of an electrical fault or sensor giving the steering pump too much power possibly draining the battery causing issues as the power fluctuations.

 

[mike1967]

body control module likely it has got relays soldered on the printed circuit board these fail also if any water ingress will also cause random

 

[Jam7eMini]

body control module likely it has got relays soldered on the printed circuit board these fail also if any water ingress will also cause random

Thanks for the help Mike, do you know if this is something I can fit myself ? Also would the BCM have to be reprogrammed by an auto-electrician?

 

[mike1967]

Thanks for the help Mike, do you know if this is something I can fit myself ? Also would the BCM have to be reprogrammed by an auto-electrician?

on gen 1 cars can plug and play the bcm but the central locking and alarm wont work ,, so for full function needs to be cloned is cheapest option secondhand unit ,, new unit is over £400 plus what mini want to code it,
could give this guy a bell think he can now clone them, dale 07807222262 he does all kinds of programming ie send it to him via post possible

 

[JTownPBX]

You could try to reset you ECU.
How to Reset the ECU:

1. With the key in the ignition, but in the off position, press and hold down the odometer reset button with one hand.
2. While holding the button down, switch the key in the ignition to position 1 (first click) with the other hand. The screen will have a number and the word “TEST”.
3. Scroll through the numbers by pressing the odometer rest button, through to 19 and wait a moment. (Note: the number order is: 1,2,10,19)
4. The message will say 19 "L i-off", flash to "L i-on", and back to "L i-off" again. When "log i-off" appears, press the odometer rest button again.
5. You are now in the system. Scroll through to 21. TEST and wait a moment. 21.0 RESET will come up. Press the button once.
6. Your gauges will now make some sounds and movements.
7. Once the lights come back on start your car. You have now reset your ECU and your MINI is now ready to relearn the new mods and your driving style.

Here is a list of all the tests on your MINI:



1.0 Chassis number
1.1 Kilometer count
1.2 Parts number
1.3 Coding-, Diagnostic- and Bus-index
1.4 Production Date (Calendar week/year)
1.5 Hard- and Software status
1.6 Injector status, Cylinder count, Engine factor.
2.0 Comb system Test
3.0 Service interval counter
4.0 Actual fuel consumption in l/100km. eg.0154 = 15,4 liters/100kms.
4.1 Consumption in liters/100kms.
5.0 Distance consumption in l/100kms.
5.1 Actual rest distance with available fuel in Kms.
6.0 Actual amount of fuel in tank. eg. 123321 =12,3liters left 32,1 liters right
6.1 Total amount of fuel in tank.
6.2 Show value of Fuel gauge.
1= both senders OK, 2= sender failure, 3=ti signal implausible (no reading)
7.0 Actual coolant temp.
7.1 Actual outside temp.
7.2 Actual engine revs.
7.3 Actual speed
8.0 Hexadecimal readings of menu 7.0 to 7.3
9.0 Actual on board voltage (Battery)
10.0 Land codes
11.0 Unit codes
12.0 No function
13.0 Gong test
14.0 - 14.4 On board diagnostic codes. eg 000000 = no failures
15.0 - 18.0 No function
19.0 On/Off for Test menu.
20.0 Correction factor for Fuel consumption Formula for correction:
Shown consumption x 1000 / user defined consumption
Push the trip reset button to begin the correction. Numbers count up from 0-9, when correct number shows push trip reset button.
20.1 Sets 10ths. for consumption factor
20.2 Sets 100ths. and 1000ths. For consumption factor
20.3 saves the new consumption factor and shows new value
21.0 Software reset. (Same as disconnecting battery)

At any rate It sounds like the General Control Unit power supply. I would try a You wrench it! type of
Junkyard for the component. And if I did decide to go with something online. I would be keeping to
the fact that it is not a BCM,TCM, code named gonna rip me off for my money and make me want to
return it for 550 dollars. It's Called a GENERAL CONTROL UNIT POWER SUPPLY ! that controls the functions in question rear tail control and functions, along with headlights control and functions.
The Unit itself is a power supply therefore it has a transformer of some kind built into it. And with that
heavy duty diodes that more than likely have heat sinks on them and they get over heated. Unless you have xenon headlights or something, which would make the problem something entirely different.
Most places that are regional will have some type of a exchange on a item like this. So make sure not to try to crack the unite open until you know you cannot get exchange rebate on it.
So I would at the price of a new one under the conditions I listed above crack into it and see if any of the components can be soldered off and back in. A good solder gun and a pcm board holder tool are more along my hobby at a problem attitude. Before making the big plunge on a price item like that.
General Module Or Body Control Module - R50/52/53 Cooper & S

 

[Jam7eMini]

Right guys, thanks for the help yet again. I found it extremely useful and beneficial!

I took the BCM out of the car today, sprayed it over with wd40 and let it dry out. Along with that I also went about cleaning the connections with a small brush and some electrical contact cleaner.
I noticed a few of the pins were bent from the green plug / connector so used a pair of tweezers to re-align them and plugged the BCM back in.

This at first didn’t seem to fix the problem but after I disconnected the battery everything seemed to be working as it should again. Besides that of my brake lights, so I tried resetting the ECU using the mention above with no success.

I am thinking that the issue with my brake lights could be down to the brake pedal switch, as in the past that is how I went about fixing it and it worked. When the pin use to fall down the lights would turn on, now that is not the case. I believe this also could be a diode issue. However I will hopefully be able to tell you exactly what has been causing my brake light issue by tomorrow. Going to replace the diode first and then if that doesn’t work put a new switch in.

Cheers Mike and JTown both been v. helpful 👍🏼

 

[JTownPBX]

Green plug connector I attached today. To many things I had to install today so I did not take pics of them. But that green green thermostat connector I did plug in as well as the Grey not brown connector that goes to the Oil pressure sensor.
I replaced the washer that is rubber/metal.