mystery button on MINI 2006 dash-

Spot on Mark! it dims in increments with every push, then returns to normal after 5-6 pushes. Damn. They could have put a lightbulb on that instead of temperature guage lookin sorta thing. leave it to the germans-thx again. Jay Q

...er umm Robert!....mixed up anyways-

So, this little item was overlooked in the owner's manual?

page 22 shows a picture of it. Used to be in the Engineering Department...mechanical design, myself. Surprised this is all BMW. The button works, when it wants to- oddball function. should have been a lightbulb on that pictogram somewhere?!

You know that BMW has used this icon since the early eighties, right? Light bulbs are used to indicate interior lamps or a blown bulb in exterior lighting.

never owned a beamer. This is all brand new to me. the "slushbox" automatic with the M/S mode is hard to get used to. The wife cannot drive stickshift. Next time will buy a cooper S with 6 speed manual!

they don't feel the need to share the oil pressure or coolant temperature with the driver. Confident. ain't we?

Bob - My '11 Countryman S, manual, went in for a failed thermostat in less than a year. I diagnosed the problem when the aux. cooling fan ran for over 10 minutes following a 3 mile round trip to the grocery store. It took the dealership the better part of 45 minutes to concur. Their suggested standard rule was to drive it until they could work me in!!! After some comparing of notes, I got bumped to the top of the list. No wonder we did not buy from our local Field's group. That little gauge is a great option I will be adding to our console, no question about it.

By the way, the R60 Countryman is the 6th BMW vehicle I have owned, and the only one to have been purchased NEW.

I'm poor. Drive a 95 Toyota crampedquarters pickup. They tell me 150,000 is "just breaking in" this vehicle. Wife and I decided let's get a MINI. leather with green was my only requirement. she insisted on low MI. 33,000 miles is almost new. It smells new. Carffax tells us that it was a rental. Confidence! Michael. The nose usually knows. One sniff of the exhaust..interior will tell all.

Bob Nueske is the feller I buy my smoked bacon from Wittenburg, Wisconsin. This bacon is to DIE FOR! my real name is the less savory Javed Qureshi~

Well okay then.

the aux cooling fan WILL keep running until temp is brought down. I've seen this on VW! Nissan and Hondas do this too. Bet this is a boilerplate coolant function.

Was a part-time Sunday Mechanic at Greenworld, Berkeley -1993-1998. We specalize in ALL makes and models...dontcha know?!

Michael I hope your taking you countryman back in soon for the recall of the relocation of the coolant temp sensor other wise you will be having that same issue agian.

I had not heard of this one! Thanks Robert!

First thing any car owner should do, new or used READ THE MANUEL, be surprised what you'd learn

I have a mini cooper 2006 and the engine light is on solid. Took it in to dealer and they spent 2 hours diagnosing, and couldn't find any air or oil leaks anywhere. Wanted permission to spend whatever $$$ it takes to find air leak. replaced gas cap etc. turned off the light using a gizmo, still comes back on. Any advice? I'm inclined to take the bulb out altogether.

..yes the manuel, no the manual!, say bookworm, doesn't this thing give you any 'trouble codes' as I recall the check engine only exist when there is a problem with one of the sensors...do we know which one? can we find out? you know there's gotta be more than one shop that specializes in MINI's, here in the Bay Area we have four- ps, don't take out the light, you'll regret it~ find a different guy~ one who will extract the trouble codes and be willing to share with you (after all you're payin' for it)

Don't have a temperature gauge, am losing coolant. car only has 34,000 miles on it. Tom Deyman said that I'd better replace the timing belt...sheesh, what am I made from money, can barely keep up the payments....gonna have to sell it 'cause tom says it's time on account of an interference motor?....don't like it.....one bit~

You can always purchase your own code reader for about 100bucks. Just be aware that if you get a code pointing to lets say a oxy. sensor, that don't mean run out and buy one.Why is it setting the code? Is it just worn out(after all it is just a battery more or less) or is there a circuitry problem. Maybe F.R.E.D. himself has a problem. Who's F.R.E.D. you ask? He's the name I gave my vehicle on board computer years and years ago. F^±¥N Rediculas Eleltronic Device. Aamco trans. will check your computer for free. Unless your prepared to go all the way it's best left up to someone familier with your system. Oh and by the way, I never saw a timing belt leak water. Now if your car has an internal water pump, its driven by the belt, so ya you want to change it the same time as the pump, and believe it or not, vice versa. I've seen many cars come in with a broken timing belt. I tell the owner they may as well change that internal pump at the same time, the parts not much and the labor is 95% done getting to the belt. They saw no, and come back a week later, on a hook. W.P. Froze up busted the tmg. belt again. 1st. thing ya do for a water leak, put pressure to the rad. and see where it comes out.

this is a CVT transmission, has no dipstick and leaks a few drips at the main seal...quite sure AAMCO is going to shake their head no CVT oil for the mini is $210 a quart~

@Roy, how old is that mini? that tranny is warrantied like for life

It better be. Just bought the thing, according to CARFAX has had nine owners including a rental agency....now loses a couple of cc's of coolant, can't tell 'cause it's the dusty surface of the moon with boulders....mini don't like it here---will see about that, know that people hate them and they only like used them for a couple of years, I personally enjoy the manual/sport mode, but it's a bit jerky and slow to start crawlin'----oh well the wife's payin' just gotta drive it....black/green eye on the battery, noisy powersteering leaking a few drips of coolant per use and enjoy the hell out of it...like it says on the manual "just drive it" and all, kinda neato, kinda like it, but must have an ability to actually control and be at the controls, not like a buick for example~

Really want to come face to face with FRED, but don't know where the diagnostic plug is, where the reset on acct of the oil change button is and am just getting to the puzzlement of the three key button

Mark, to answer your question it is a 2006, nine owners and 34,000 miles on it....I'm not feeling confident...oil leaks you cannot refill are cause for alarm-~ will have to call Concord BMW/MINI to see if indeed this one is still under warranty due to the mileage~ perhaps they'll be nice to me as I will be needing the belated 30,000 maintenance-~

First of all, yes I'm a woman. Secondly, I am NOT a mechanic. I was also losing coolant on my 2006 MC. Researched online and found that Mini's have defective thermostat gaskets but Mini doesn't warranty them. The dealer here in Canada wanted to charge me almost $400.00 to replace it. I told them to screw themselves, bought the parts and did it myself. I researched and found a video online. The dealer told me it would take me all day. It took me 45 minutes. If you do the research, a lot of repairs can be done yourself.