About 2 weeks ago my dealership called to let me know that the part they needed to fix the fuel cap door was in and to scheduled an appointment to get that fix once and for all. I live some 90 miles away from our dealership and its usually a waste of my day to drive the car there. Anyways, they fixed it in about 2 hours, as I am driving away from the dealership I notice that my turn signal is flashing faster than usual but I didn't pay much attention to it. Later that night I found out that my tail light (driver side) and the rear blinker light (driver side) were not working.

I called the dealer the following day and let them know what was happening. They said that the light was blinking faster because the bulbs were probably out. It seemed like quite a coincidence that right after they finish working on the gas cap lock, both rear lights go out. I told them that I doubted that the bulbs were out, that they messed something up. But all the dealership did was deny it.

Again I had to take another day off work to drive the car to the dealership, and what do you know they told me that when their technicians worked on the gas cap lock they unplugged some wires (don't really know much about the electrical system) and that it was their fault that the lights weren't working.

I was hoping that that would be the last time I would have to take my car to the dealership. But... A couple of hours after I returned home that day I notice a 2 inch scratch right below the passenger side mirror, that was not there when I took the car to the dealership. I immediately called them to tell them about the scratch, yet they denied doing it. I took the car to a body shop, they told me that it looked like someone dropped something on the car to make that scratch. I called the dealership again, this time they agreed to have their service manager look at the car on the 27th of this month to determine if they will fix it or not. According to them, the scratch was there before they did any work on the car. So I guess it comes down to their word against mine, but they were wrong in the past when they thought that the light bulbs were out and it wasn't anything that they had done wrong that caused the light bulbs not to work.

And all of this happened just because the doors were unlocking automatically. It has been a nightmare =(

 

Giessy, Sure sorry to hear about your mis-adventures with your dealer. Hopefully they will get everything right. One of the bad things for most mini owners is that dealers are spread out pretty thin. Mine is about 3 hrs away.

Amg, I don't know how it stayed running... I assumed that it was the feed line out of the fuel pump because so much gas was flowing. But you are right.. you'd think if you cut the pressure to the injectors the engine would die right away, huh? Maybe it was the return line from the injection system?? I couldn't see which way the stream was shooting, to or from the engine. It was just coming out in a hurry. There are three fuel lines running parallel to each other at that point. I'm not sure why it takes three lines.
The quick disconnect is being sent to me as of Friday. If you were to see my temporary connection, you might not worry too much. it ain't coming apart, but I agree that I would rather have the correct fittings on something as crucial as a fuel line.

Cougsfan

 

Hm, I always thought that MINI had no fuel return line. Maybe a fuel line and two brake lines?

 

Maybe I should cut into those other two lines and see what is in them

By the way.. I don't know if a Mini has pulse injectors or spray injectors. If they are pulse injectors, that may explain why my car stayed running with a broken fuel line. I do believe, but don't know for sure, that most pulse injectors develop their own pressure, and there was probably enough residual. I also believe most spray injection systems have return lines to the fuel tank.

My new fuel line clamp never did come. Frustrating.. I called the dealer, they said the only way they could give me the clamp is if I called roadside service, and had them tow my car all the way to Portland, and they would change the clamp and tow the car back to me. That would take 3 to 5 days.

I said "That is absolutely crazy!!!"

They said "That is our Risk Manager talking. It is part of the fuel line so they can't let me install the part." (with the inference that I will in all likelyhood screw it up and blow myself and the car up into a mushroom cloud.)

We went round and round for a while. I told them "I will NOT let my car be towed away for something as menial as that, and if I happened to get burned up in my car because MY temporary clamp leaked and YOU wouldn't sell me the right clamp.... I would leave in my will for my wife to sue you and your Risk Manager for a gazillion dollars, if not more."

They said, "Oh, you want to buy the part. that is different. we were going to give you the part under warrenty. if you buy it the risk is off us."

Jee, I was willing to buy the part all along. I was the idiot that broke it. But if they wanted to give the part to me... And I am confident that even an idiot like me can change with out too much risk. (I will NOT smoke while changing it. I promise). Well it is now in the mail after I paid $28 (I had to buy the whole fuel line). Now watch, It will be the wrong part.

Grrrrrr... We need a few more Risk Managers in this country!

My temporary clamp has lasted 1400 miles so far, and nary a leak. I keep a close eye on it. My bet is that it that my temporary clamp wouldn't fail as easily as the stock clamp. (So why am I putting the stock one back on??? Because I have always been a lousey gambler.)

And what does any of this have to do with poor Giessy's doors unlocking, and his subsequent woes, you might ask too? My, have we strayed off course.

 

By the way, I did get my fuel line today, and I was able to change it without blowing anything up, and all three of those lines are fuel lines that go to the tank.

 

Did you ever get the problem fixed & if so what was the fix
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