Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) MINI cost woe

Mrs F has a 2016 MINI Clubman. It needs one new brake light bulb. First failure in the 7 years she has owned the car. A lot of web surfing failed to identify the correct part but did hint at the likely cost.

This afternoon, we called in at Sytner’s in Nottingham where a cheerful chap quickly identified the correct part and told me they had one in stock.

Then came the bad news. £34. For a 21W bulb. OK, it has four contacts. But since when did a bulb become so expensive?

I can only assume that the bulb failure detection circuit is built into the bulb along with some CANBUS magic - I may be able to find out when I swap the bulb tomorrow afternoon and get the chance to prod about in the old one.

Paul, maybe worth putting your Reg into the GSF site they are very good for VAG parts.

Crikey, I'm glad my (new to me) 09 Cooper Cabriolet uses standard bulbs

Mini Cooper s clubman. 2011. Battery clamp nut from main dealer costs costs £250 because you have to buy the lead also. Plus around £150 to fit. So the reality is the nut costs £400. Bought a nut on EBay for £7. We won’t be buying another BMW mini as we prefer to live in the real world.

I'm in the middle of a very similar issue with another major German car company.

Vehicle is five and a half years old and there seems to be a spate of things failing. Frustratingly, one is the wiring loom that runs from the engine compartment to the door; which has broken at the section where it goes through the conduit. Now, perhaps unreasonably, I reasoned that the wiring that goes between the vehicle and the door should last longer than five years. Add to that, the window switch on the same door has failed. The service department manager, in a moment of candour, admitted that they often have to replace the window switched because they fail prematurely and whilst less common, the wiring is also a job they do on a regular basis. Add to that, one of the injector seals has failed (probably a 0.10p part) and the vehicle is pumping diesel out at a reasonable rate, rather than consuming it; therefore, that is another issue to deal with.

Price quoted to fix the wiring... £981.00... price to replace the 0.10p seal... £270.00

As JBK said, the experience will alter my buying preference moving forward.

However, I'm not sure many of them are much better because with the 'buy-on-line' model the manufacturers are moving towards, dealers seem to be relying more and more on servicing for their turnover and profit.

Wayyyyyy back, on my 2001 Golf TDI, it was maybe five years old, but possibly less. The aircon ECU failed. All I could get was arctic blast, or open hot oven door. It was the fancy push button version. No knobs.........

Anyway, the dealer told me they would have to strip the dash to get access to determine the fault, so an immediate cost. To be fair to the dealer, at the end you could not tell it had been touched. Maybe it hadn't.........

So they got inside and declared it was the aircon brain. They could either reassemble and charge me whatever and I would be no better off, or replace the brain. The bill for that was £850. In 2005/6.

Thank you Richard. They do list brake pads for the car but no bulbs.

I have a 2016 Merc E class S212 and the sunblind on the drivers side kept falling off where it attached by the side window pillar.

Can you buy the little plastic clip which attaches it, no don't be silly. You have to buy a complete replacement sunblind.
When they told me the price I laughed thinking it was a joke. I have been a customer for some time through 6 Mercedes of various models. We have a good relationship so I thought he was joking. No.

I went on eBay and it took me four minutes to find and order the part. It arrived literally next day. It is immaculate.
I have worked out the problem - it did not come in an MB plastic bag, they are some expensive bags!!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...oac=1&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211 Just in case it helps.
Maybe don't do this for critical bits but even someone as cack handed as me can fit this.

Paul I was just sorry it didn't work out, I tried to find them last night but was thwarted by the Reg number.
That is a crazy price for a lamp though.

I’m old enough to remember clambering over a scrap yard, when I was 18, to try to find a replacement headlamp for my Mini.

Bud
4/4 - Stanley