- #216 of 282
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Re: Door Won't Open in Very Cold Weather [shark715]
by wilemakeit
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Jan 02, 2009 (3:28 pm)
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Replying to: shark715 (Jan 02, 2009 2:27 pm)
My did the same thing......What happens is the handle on the outside does not spring back. If you help it spring back you can get in and out of your car from the inside. I have not tried yet but I am going to use a dry lube and see if that helps.
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- #217 of 282
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Re: Door Won't Open in Very Cold Weather [wilemakeit]
by shark715
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Jan 02, 2009 (6:53 pm)
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Replying to: wilemakeit (Jan 02, 2009 3:28 pm)
Thanks much for responding, but it sounds like our car has a different issue. Our outside handle DOES spring back normally...just as if the door was locked. The good news is that the door is working again because it warmed up to 20 degrees where we are today. But I really would like to figure out a permanent fix as not being able to count on a working passenger door in extreme cold is a real pain. Anybody else have any ideas?
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- #218 of 282
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Windshield and Headlight Washer Problem
by shark715
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Jan 02, 2009 (7:04 pm)
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In addition to my previous post on the passenger door not opening in extremely cold weather, when the temperature gets close to zero, both the windshield and headlight washers stop working (sounds like our car really hates cold weather, eh?). I always use washer fluid that is suppossed to work to 25 below, and don't have the same problem with our other vehicles. You can hear the electric pump(s) trying to pump the fluid, but no fluid comes out. When the weather warms up, the washers start working again. Anyone else have the same issue?
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- #219 of 282
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Re: Windshield and Headlight Washer Problem [shark715]
by bodble2
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Jan 03, 2009 (12:05 pm)
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Replying to: shark715 (Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm)
That might simply be due to the nozzle openings being clogged with ice, or other debris.
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- #220 of 282
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Re: Windshield and Headlight Washer Problem [shark715]
by ltq
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Jan 07, 2009 (2:43 pm)
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Replying to: shark715 (Jan 02, 2009 7:04 pm)
You might ask, how can ice form (see bodble2 answer) when I'm using -25degF washer flui? Well, I have seen high-methanol content used in washer fluids to achieve that selling point. However, when the weather is "warmer", or just over a long period of time even in the bitter cold, the methanol portion evaporates leaving the washer fluid right at the sprayer nozzle outlet, with low methanol content - Presto! Frozen fluid.
You need to get the glycol-based fluid like Prestone. Unlike methanol, ethylene glycol will evaporate slower than the water portion, and therefore retains the anti-freeze properties at the nozzle. For exactly the same reason, this type of washer fluid will not re-freeze on your windshield (while the methanol-based ones do that, once the methanol evaporates).
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- #221 of 282
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Re: Windshield and Headlight Washer Problem [ltq]
by shark715
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Jan 07, 2009 (3:02 pm)
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Replying to: ltq (Jan 07, 2009 2:43 pm)
Thanks so much for your response, makes sense! Actually what happened was that the wiper washers started working again when the temperature went back over 20 degrees, but the headlight washers did not because one of the hoses on the underside of the hood blew off...I'm assuming from the pressure due to the headlight washer nozzles being blocked by ice.
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- #222 of 282
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Oil Change/Wheel Bearings
by rosie11
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Jan 12, 2009 (10:42 am)
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Took my 2002 Mini in for an oil change at a garage that often services the car but has not done an oil change. 103,000 miles. Usual cost at BMW is $80, today it was $25. I asked if they had used snythetic oil and they said a 'semi synthetic'. Does that make sense? Then they said the wheel bearings on front driver's side are "very bad". $280.00 approx to replace. Does this all make sense? I've used this garage many times before for the Mini. Do garages usually check wheel bearings when they do an oil change?
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- #223 of 282
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Re: Warning lite [bodble2]
by kitty15
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Jan 19, 2009 (8:55 am)
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Replying to: bodble2 (Dec 29, 2008 7:39 pm)
I had about the same problem last week. Went to the dealer and they said the Intake Manifold had liquid in it. They cleared it and it runs fine now. I supposed extreme cold weather will make the water in the pipe to freeze.
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- #224 of 282
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Re: Oil Change/Wheel Bearings [rosie11]
by joem5
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Jan 25, 2009 (5:22 pm)
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Replying to: rosie11 (Jan 12, 2009 10:42 am)
Semi sythetic is good  ,believe in it.
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- #225 of 282
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Re: Oil Change/Wheel Bearings [joem5]
by ltq
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Feb 11, 2009 (11:10 am)
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Replying to: joem5 (Jan 25, 2009 5:22 pm)
The MINI specifies FULL SYNTHETIC only. You should not be using anything else if you are depending on the CBS to tell you when to do an oil change. Period. If you change at 3K or 1.5K intervals regardless, then it would seem that semi-synthetic would do OK.
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