norbert_schmidt84

Mini Cabrio Electrical Issues

Alright, so my 2011 Mini Cabrio diesel is throwing some serious wobblies. I keep getting sporadic error messages while driving, or the check engine light pops on for no reason. It's mostly audio/navigation stuff that fails, but sometimes entire control units seem to shut down. The error memory isn't helping much. Could this be a defective control module cable connection to the BUS system? Service required light also illuminated.

4 comment(s)

Sounds like a communication issue on the CAN bus. I had similar gremlins with my old Alfa Romeo – random system failures, warning lights flickering like a disco ball. In my case, it was a corroded connector causing intermittent loss of communication with the control module. Have you scanned for fault codes? What exactly is stored in the error memory?

Cheers for the quick response! Yeah, I had the engine diagnostics run. The printout mentions some kind of 'BUS system communication error' linked to the control module. Is that like when your internet connection drops out out of nowhere?

BUS system communication error is precisely what I'm talking about. Think of it as your car's central nervous system having a temporary short circuit. The fact it's intermittent points to a connection issue, not a completely fried control module. I'd advise against poking around too much yourself unless you are familiar with automotive electrics. Best bet is to get a workshop to check the cable connections to the control module, as suggested. It’s likely cheaper than replacing the whole unit.

Update time! Just got my Mini Cabrio back. You nailed it – dodgy cable connection to the control module. They charged me 155€, which seems fair. Everything's working perfectly now. Thanks a bunch for your help!

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