Have you been on an important time schedule and hurried out to your Mini Cooper, loaded it up with your ‘Important Presentation Equipment’, slid behind the drivers wheel, go to start the engine and just heard that awful clicking sound or worse no sound from the engine at all? Again?! I thought I just had that fixed!
Mini Coopers are fun cars to drive and look pretty cool too. They have been around in the auto industry for quite a while. Newer versions of Mini’s have lots of factory installed upgrades like sound systems, navigational aids (GPS, etc.), vehicle theft protection, fog lights, stuff like that. All these different components require electricity from the vehicle charging system in addition to what the engine needs to operate.
Like any mechanical equipment, parts eventually wear out and need to be repaired or replaced. Sometimes, there little issues arise that are hard to determine exactly what is causing them. If the Mini has an aftermarket sound system, which is very common, some electronic components can drain the battery even if the engine has been turned off. This is called ‘parasitic battery drain’. It is something that is quite common in additional electronic equipment. The good news is that it is something that can be repaired.
Here at Beyer Motor Works we have trained ASE qualified technicians that use the correct testing equipment to determine the electrical problem and what is required to repair the issue. Our Techs will test the alternator charging system to make sure the battery is getting the correct amount of voltage to maintain the electrical system needs. We will also check the battery’s health to make sure it is the right size battery to keep your Mini Cooper running and dependable when you start the engine.