horstlion9

Mini Cabrio electrical issues

Okay, I'm seriously starting to freak out. My 2018 Mini Cabrio, with km on the clock, is acting completely bonkers. I keep getting undervoltage warnings, the car struggles to start, and random systems are failing. The lights are even flickering sometimes! It feels like the battery is just super weak when I try to start it. Could it be a heavily discharged or defective battery? What should I do? This electrical problem is driving me crazy!

4 comment(s)

Sounds like a low voltage issue indeed. I had a similar problem with my Mini Cabrio a while back. First thing I'd check is the battery voltage with a multimeter, both when the car is off and while it's running. If the voltage is low when off, it could be a bad battery. If it's low when running, you might have an alternator issue. Is the charging system working correctly?

Thanks for the quick reply! Where exactly do I measure the battery voltage with the multimeter? And how can I check if the charging system is working? Sorry, I'm not super familiar with this stuff.

Yeah, those were the exact symptoms I experienced. You can measure the battery voltage directly at the battery terminals. When the car is off, it should be around 12.6V. When the engine is running, it should be around 14V if the alternator is charging properly. Honestly, with those kinds of symptoms, and given that you're not super comfortable with electrical stuff, I'd recommend taking it to a workshop. They can properly diagnose the charging system and battery.

Just wanted to update you, took it to a shop, and you were spot on! Turns out the battery was pretty much toast. New battery installed, and everything is working perfectly again. Cost me 290€, but worth it to have everything back to normal. Thanks again for your help!

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