Source for motor & controller cover rubber grommets?

T

Todd Swift

New Member
Hi all,
We are loving our SE. Picked it up 12/31/20.

At some point in showing my friends the top of the controller/motor/crash cage under the hood, I lost two of the grommets that hold the plastic cover down. Does anyone know of a source to buy some extras? (I have not tried the dealer yet).
Love the forums and information sharing!
 
Todd Swift said:
Hi all,
We are loving our SE. Picked it up 12/31/20.

At some point in showing my friends the top of the controller/motor/crash cage under the hood, I lost two of the grommets that hold the plastic cover down. Does anyone know of a source to buy some extras? (I have not tried the dealer yet).
Love the forums and information sharing!
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It's not a good design that those grommets can so easily come out of the cover. My body shop ordered one of those grommets from the dealer last year. Still waiting.
 
insightman said:
It's not a good design that those grommets can so easily come out of the cover. My body shop ordered one of those grommets from the dealer last year. Still waiting.
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I just called the body shop and they said the grommet is in! They meant to tell me...
 
Todd Swift said:
That's great! Sounds like my best option is to call the dealer... any chance you have or could get a part number?

Thank you for jumping in on the thread to share.
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I just returned from the body shop. The grommets (they came as a packet of 4) that took more than 6 months to arrive are the wrong grommets! So I cannot give you the correct part number. I'm waiting for a call-back from Motor City MINI, who obtained these grommets from MINI. I will ask them for the correct part number.

To make my needs clear to the dealer, I removed one of the remaining 3 grommets in my cover so I could make the annotated photo below. To my surprise, the grommet was difficult to remove! I tore it in the removal process!! I expected it to almost fall out in my hand--I don't understand what happened to make the missing one disappear so easily when I was showing off what's underneath the cover. So now I need 2 grommets.

upload_2021-4-30_15-50-9.webp
 
insightman said:
I just returned from the body shop. The grommets (they came as a packet of 4) that took more than 6 months to arrive are the wrong grommets! So I cannot give you the correct part number. I'm waiting for a call-back from Motor City MINI, who obtained these grommets from MINI. I will ask them for the correct part number.

To make my needs clear to the dealer, I removed one of the remaining 3 grommets in my cover so I could make the annotated photo below. To my surprise, the grommet was difficult to remove! I tore it in the removal process!! I expected it to almost fall out in my hand--I don't understand what happened to make the missing one disappear so easily when I was showing off what's underneath the cover. So now I need 2 grommets.

View attachment 11774
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Crud. I’ve pulled that cover 3 times. I better go check for missing grommets!
 
My advice would be to twist the grommets every time you remove the cover. They should twist easily if the rubber retention prongs are not crowding the grommet hole as the grommet prepares for its escape.
 
insightman said:
I just returned from the body shop. The grommets (they came as a packet of 4) that took more than 6 months to arrive are the wrong grommets! So I cannot give you the correct part number. I'm waiting for a call-back from Motor City MINI, who obtained these grommets from MINI. I will ask them for the correct part number.

To make my needs clear to the dealer, I removed one of the remaining 3 grommets in my cover so I could make the annotated photo below. To my surprise, the grommet was difficult to remove! I tore it in the removal process!! I expected it to almost fall out in my hand--I don't understand what happened to make the missing one disappear so easily when I was showing off what's underneath the cover. So now I need 2 grommets.

View attachment 11774
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Thanks for keeping us posted insightman!
 
Chicago said:
>>every time you remove the cover<<

Is it repetitive curiosity or are mice getting under it and that is why you guys are removing them?
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There's so much to show off under that cover. Our MINIs look pretty much like every other MINI, so it's natural to want to display the most important difference. If I could pop off the inverter to show off the actual motor, you know I'd do that, too.

Look what you could see if you could just pop off the wheel and fender (where's the heat pump in this mess of hoses?):

upload_2021-5-6_11-36-32.webp

Do you know about the frame that holds the engine and inverter? MINI designed it to attach to the same mounting points as the engines in the ICE MINIs. It also helps protect the components inside the frame in an accident. Orange wires! Everyone expects to see orange wires under the hood of an EV but you can't see them when the cover is in place.

I wish there was a guide with labels and arrows describing all the components under the cover because through decades of owning and repairing ICE-powered automobiles, none of my experience helps me understand what I'm looking at under the cover. I like to point to the smooth vertical cylinder in the right front of the motor compartment and say it looks like something I'd expect to find in the debris field at a flying saucer crash site.
 
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Todd Swift said:
Thanks for keeping us posted insightman!
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My Motor City MINI parts guy told me he is arguing with MINI's corporate parts department. He tried to order part 11-12-7-614-138, but they told him he was wrong and sent 11-14-7-799-108 instead.

When I googled 11-12-7-614-138, I found images of the grommets we need, but also the grommets I received with the same part number!

I'm happy to learn these grommets are also used for BMW engine covers instead of being a custom part made for only the MINI Cooper SE because that increases the chances we'll get what we need and at a reasonable price.

upload_2021-5-6_11-48-46.webp
 
Since we're talking the innards (maybe there should be a dedicated thread for this?) and I ran across these nice pictures showing the battery layout (once again shamelessly from the Electric MINI Enthusiasts Facebook group).

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182983775_3592162844221036_1767434008618357448_n.jpg


182205785_3592162320887755_7000458858167652515_n.jpg


182923905_3592183444218976_2901558299203238142_n.jpg
 
insightman said:
My Motor City MINI parts guy told me he is arguing with MINI's corporate parts department. He tried to order part 11-12-7-614-138, but they told him he was wrong and sent 11-14-7-799-108 instead.

When I googled 11-12-7-614-138, I found images of the grommets we need, but also the grommets I received with the same part number!

I'm happy to learn these grommets are also used for BMW engine covers instead of being a custom part made for only the MINI Cooper SE because that increases the chances we'll get what we need and at a reasonable price.

View attachment 11869
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Thanks for the new update! Are you going to order some of the 11-12-7-614-138?
 
Sounds like you need a dab of high temp silicone to hold the grommets in the cover retainers and a bit of PTFE spray on the four cradle pins and you guys are all set to catch those mice!
 
Chicago said:
Sounds like you need a dab of high temp silicone to hold the grommets in the cover retainers and a bit of PTFE spray on the four cradle pins and you guys are all set to catch those mice!
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Add a couple drops of peppermint oil, that works well to keep mice away.
 
Puppethead said:
Add a couple drops of peppermint oil, that works well to keep mice away.
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That reminds me that I have to learn how to check the cabin air filter to see if there are any critters who have set up house there. Oh, I just watched a video and it looks easy. Perhaps with its location away from the motor compartment it's less prone to vermin infiltration than the one behind the glove box in our Clarity. The Inside EVs Clarity forum has a whole thread where people show their unfortunate cabin filter photos: What's in Your Cabin (Filter)?
 
I love it when a single mouse can carry an entire peanut butter scented glue tray off the top of an engine, place it behind the vehicle and appear to laugh at you when you step in it. Putting a nice juicy walnut meat in the center of the tray-gets them every time!
 
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