Instrument Cluster Failure

DisgruntledSanta

DisgruntledSanta

Active Member
Hey guys! Just picked our Mini, Vanessa, on Friday, and have had a couple odd issues with the instrument cluster.

Yesterday, the odometer and the trip computer didn’t show up when the car was booted up, and today, when my wife was driving it around town, the entire instrument cluster failed to display anything.

We tried doing the ol’ off and on again a couple times, but that didn’t yield any results. It seems like after the car sits powered off for a while, it corrects itself (ie after a work day for the first time, and an hour after my wife got back).

We have tried to replicate the issue, but no dice.

Anyone else seen this happen? Any ideas on the cause of the fix?
I have reached out to my MA about it, but wanted to reach out to this rather knowledgeable community as well.

Thanks for any insights.

Pic is from my wife’s drive home with no instrument cluster for reference…
18299670165fb405fb45e93339b3bb55.jpg



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Because it did work and will work after sitting, my guess is bad electronics in the instrument cluster. Bad solder joints can sometime present as an intermittent issue (things expand/move when they get hot which causes a disconnection or increased resistance, then they return to the original place when the cool off and can work again for a bit)

From this video it seems that it's a relatively easy part for the dealer to replace, the only difficulty could be getting parts.

Also, I'm surprised you don't have some sort of error on the center display... If you go to the home screen and scroll over to notifications, is there anything there about an error?
 
Well, the instrument display has failed twice more over the last week.

Both times we have been doing lots of errands around town.

I am baffled. It is intermittent, and we can’t deliberately replicate it. Do you think MINI would replace it warranty? Only has 1200mi…

Quite disappointing.

There are no errors or anything on the center display, no notifications. The center display is working perfectly, except it does not show any of the trip computer information (typically shows efficiency, mileage, drive time, etc), it’s all “-“.


I have reached out to my dealer again, but I am afraid that the answer will be the same as last time. If we can’t replicate it, we can’t fix it…


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DisgruntledSanta said:
Well, the instrument display has failed twice more over the last week.

Both times we have been doing lots of errands around town.

I am baffled. It is intermittent, and we can’t deliberately replicate it. Do you think MINI would replace it warranty? Only has 1200mi…

Quite disappointing.

There are no errors or anything on the center display, no notifications. The center display is working perfectly, except it does not show any of the trip computer information (typically shows efficiency, mileage, drive time, etc), it’s all “-“.


I have reached out to my dealer again, but I am afraid that the answer will be the same as last time. If we can’t replicate it, we can’t fix it…


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Click to expand...

Do you have a picture of the instrument cluster being off that also shows the center display on? That should be enough proof for the dealer because the instrument cluster should never be off when the car is on.

If they still refuse, give them a bit of a hard time about it. Not having a working speedometer is a safety issue and I'm pretty sure it's illegal at least in some states. It should absolutely be covered under warranty.

The "-" for the car's efficiency data is actually a pretty big clue. According to that video I linked in my last post, the instrument cluster is fed data from the same head unit controlling the central display. The only time I've seen the dashes is when it's been reset and I haven't driven anywhere (meaning there is no data). If the central display isn't getting that data, the instrument cluster wouldn't be either so it could be an issue with the communication between the head unit and the main computer?

I also know that low 12v battery voltage can cause weird computer glitches with things randomly rebooting and resetting themselves... Shouldn't be an issue with such a new car but maybe you got a bad 12v battery?

Next time it happens, try looking through the menu on the central display and see if anything else doesn't show up. Tire pressure could be something to check.

You could also try rebooting just the central screen. I believe holding the power button (volume knob) for a couple of seconds should bring up a menu to reboot but I haven't tried it myself.
 
How long does it stay blank? Is it off for long enough that you could drive to the dealer?

I had to do this with my R53 when the fuel gauge would randomly show empty. The dealer couldn't replicate it, so one morning when I started the car to go to work and it was showing empty, I drove straight to the dealer and they fixed it under warranty. I didn't have any meetings that morning, so it didn't really matter that I was an hour late for work.
 
Carsten Haase said:
Do you have a picture of the instrument cluster being off that also shows the center display on? That should be enough proof for the dealer because the instrument cluster should never be off when the car is on.

If they still refuse, give them a bit of a hard time about it. Not having a working speedometer is a safety issue and I'm pretty sure it's illegal at least in some states. It should absolutely be covered under warranty.

The "-" for the car's efficiency data is actually a pretty big clue. According to that video I linked in my last post, the instrument cluster is fed data from the same head unit controlling the central display. The only time I've seen the dashes is when it's been reset and I haven't driven anywhere (meaning there is no data). If the central display isn't getting that data, the instrument cluster wouldn't be either so it could be an issue with the communication between the head unit and the main computer?

I also know that low 12v battery voltage can cause weird computer glitches with things randomly rebooting and resetting themselves... Shouldn't be an issue with such a new car but maybe you got a bad 12v battery?

Next time it happens, try looking through the menu on the central display and see if anything else doesn't show up. Tire pressure could be something to check.

You could also try rebooting just the central screen. I believe holding the power button (volume knob) for a couple of seconds should bring up a menu to reboot but I haven't tried it myself.
Click to expand...

The first post shows the center display being on and the instrument cluster off, yeah. The dealer has that photo too.

The first time my wife noticed it while she was driving, the other 2 times we noticed right when we started the car.

Next time it happens we will try digging through menus to see what else is not showing up, good idea @Carsten Haase.

When I talked to MINI Service today, they were pretty hesitant about taking a look (“if we can’t replicate it…” which I understand, but still..), but they agreed to take a look after I told them the trip computer wasn’t working when the display goes out. I am not sure if they agreed to take a look because of that tidbit or not.


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chrunck said:
How long does it stay blank? Is it off for long enough that you could drive to the dealer?

I had to do this with my R53 when the fuel gauge would randomly show empty. The dealer couldn't replicate it, so one morning when I started the car to go to work and it was showing empty, I drove straight to the dealer and they fixed it under warranty. I didn't have any meetings that morning, so it didn't really matter that I was an hour late for work.
Click to expand...

Well, there’s a great idea. From what we’ve seen, it stays blank indefinitely until the car is left turned off for ~10min or more.


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That is really unfortunate, but I don't know how it wouldn't be a warranty fix. I'm surprised they can't find any error code, the MINI has an amazing amount of error data as I found out when tracking down my intermittent 12 V battery drain. The car actually logged remote fob button pushes as the cause.
 
Puppethead said:
That is really unfortunate, but I don't know how it wouldn't be a warranty fix. I'm surprised they can't find any error code, the MINI has an amazing amount of error data as I found out when tracking down my intermittent 12 V battery drain. The car actually logged remote fob button pushes as the cause.
Click to expand...

I should clarify: there was no CEL (I suppose that’s kind of a misnomer on an EV, eh?) or other notification that something had happened. Maybe it is logged somewhere but just not customer facing…?


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The dealer absolutely must address this. :mad:

In addition to the picture in your initial post, @DisgruntledSanta, next time it happens you might want to try capturing a brief video, ideally while you’re on the move, to demonstrate how the car — and the dealer, due to their neglect — is forcing you to drive without a speedometer (not to mention all the other essential data points it should provide).
 
1. Get them to refuse speedometer replacement, in writing.
2. Drive the car too fast around a corner and put it into a tree.
3. Retire on the $10M lawsuit.
3. (addendum) Let me know where the corner is, so I can stand on the sidewalk between you and the tree; we'll both retire!
 
Those last two posts are important - get a video of the problem showing that the car is in drive (maybe in a parking lot where it's safe to film the car moving), and get the dealer to refuse you in writing. That is ridiculous - you don't need an error code to know that the instrument cluster should be replaced under warranty.
 
This is a safety problem. If your dealer is incapable of diagnosing it, they (or you) should escalate to MINI Corporate to get the support necessary to resolve it.

With disrupted/constrained supply chains, it is reasonable to not blindly replace the instrument cluster--especially if you can't confirm the cluster itself is faulty. The electronic systems in modern cars are very complex and interconnected, so the instrument cluster turning off may be an indication that something else is failing; something deep enough in the system that diagnosing and fixing it is outside a dealership technician's capability. That may mean MINI's engineers need to get involved to figure it out.

Ask your dealership to escalate for help. If they won't do it, check the Owner's Manual or Warranty Book for contact numbers and raise the flag yourself.
 
DisgruntledSanta said:
Well, the instrument display has failed twice more over the last week.

Both times we have been doing lots of errands around town.

I am baffled. It is intermittent, and we can’t deliberately replicate it. Do you think MINI would replace it warranty? Only has 1200mi…

Quite disappointing.

There are no errors or anything on the center display, no notifications. The center display is working perfectly, except it does not show any of the trip computer information (typically shows efficiency, mileage, drive time, etc), it’s all “-“.


I have reached out to my dealer again, but I am afraid that the answer will be the same as last time. If we can’t replicate it, we can’t fix it…

Hi,

just wondering as to how the your issue was resolved, I recently bought a second hand Mini EV and four months later, the Instrument Cluster has twice failed completely with no indications at all. Once car was locked and left for five minutes, it reappears on start…?

Anybody know what the solution is?
Click to expand...
 

Hey LxSMR! Sorry you have this issue too. I was hoping it was a one-off. The dealer did a bunch of tests, submitted a ticket back to corporate (allegedly), and eventually got the OK from them to replace the entire instrument cluster. I haven't had any issues since it was replaced. Likely just a bad unit?

I would go back to your dealer and have them replace it, and be persistent. In my experience, since they couldn't replicate the issue, they couldn't diagnose it and get a warranty replacement. I think I had to go back 3 times until they finally ordered a new part to replace it, hopefully your experience is better.
 
Hi DisgruntledSanta

Many thanks for your response, this happened twice so far, the vehicle is no longer under Warranty, I’ll monitor and have a chat with the Mini dealers if it gets any worse, I’ll get video evidence if it fails again…
 
I have the same problem but it has become worse. The car is more than 3 years old (2021) and if I remove the dash and reconnect it the display is restored temporarily. Mini want £100 to put it on their tester before they decide what the solution is. But surely it’s a simple connector issue or loose solder? As stated my view is it’s dangerous and I shouldn’t have to pay for anything including diagnosis.
 
Geoff Goostrey said:
I have the same problem but it has become worse. The car is more than 3 years old (2021) and if I remove the dash and reconnect it the display is restored temporarily. Mini want £100 to put it on their tester before they decide what the solution is. But surely it’s a simple connector issue or loose solder? As stated my view is it’s dangerous and I shouldn’t have to pay for anything including diagnosis.
Click to expand...

I assume you are just out of warranty now….

I mean, I think it absolutely is a safety issue. Worth 100£ to me if it means they replace the unit, especially if you have video/photo evidence. There is always some red tape it seems to get a non-error-throwing fault.


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Hi, My Mini SE EV has just developed this fault and I would be interested to know if you got to the bottom of it @Geoff Goostrey? My Mini is also a 2021 car (4 years and 4 months old) and well out of warranty. My local main dealer is charging £150 to investigate!

I suspect the fall out from the recent recall. In the case of my car, the software update crashed and burnt out the EME. Fortunately BMW/Mini accepted liability and covered the cost of replacement and repair (£4,500). Up to that point we had never had any issues with the Mini. Completely faultless.
 
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