Tuesday, January 29, 2013

MINI Cooper S: Battery Box Water Leak - the presence of water in the back hatch storage compartment of several R50 and R53 MINI Coopers.


Battery Compartment half filled with water



















Even a small crack can cause the seal
to fail and water to enter the hatch.
Something we have seen in our shop more and more frequently as these cars get older and take some abuse, is the presence of water in the back hatch storage compartment of several R50 and R53 MINI Coopers.  This problem is directly attributed to the seal around the hatch door handle wearing out and allowing rain and other water in.  Sometimes the leak can come from the plastic handle itself cracking from repeated pulling or from using it to support the weight of the hatch itself.

  

 
Rust and mud spreading from the screw holes



This can be a costly repair if left unchecked.  Not only have we seen rust damage in these areas that can rot the sheet metal, but in the Cooper S the battery and several electronics attached to the battery can be destroyed.  Repair of the cables, sensors, and fuses connected to the battery are a minimum of several hundred dollars in parts alone and will require several labor hours of wire routing.



Battery Compartment half filled with water


















This handle is held on by 4 screws and is easy to replace on your own.  If your handle is not cracked and in good shape, you can just replace the gasket.  If the handle is cracked, you can replace the entire handle, with a new gasket included, safely and easily.  If you ever wanted to upgrade the look of the rear of your MINI, this is also a great opportunity to upgrade to a black or chrome handle that will not require any color match painting.



Installation and removal only involves these four screws






6 comments:

  1. This is really nice. Your information about ac services is really interesting. Thanks for sharing this informative article.
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  2. Very helpful. While i'm not sure this is my root cause. it's a good place to start. thanks

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  3. في شركة شركة عزل فوم بالدمام نعمل قدر الامكان علي حل المشكلة واعطاء العميل فكرة كاملة عن الوضع وكذلك التكاليف المفترض دفعها مع العمل علي اصلاح وصيانة مكان التسرب فقط وليس البدء من الصفر داخل الحمامات او المطابخ كما نقدم في شركة شركة عزل فوم بالقصيم كافة خدمات الصيانة بعد الكشف ويشمل ذلك ( تكسير – اصلاح – ترميم ) كل ذلك بخدمات مميزة وفنيين علي كفائة عالية جدا ومعدات حديثة تضمن صحة النتائج لذلك تعد ركن نجد افضل شركة تسليك مجارى بالرياض
    للمزيد يمكن زيارة
    شركة تسليك مجارى بالخبر
    شركة كشف تسربات المياه بالخبر
    شركة كشف تسربات المياه بجدة

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  4. What do you call the orange box that holds a 32v 200a fuse. What's it's specific name?

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  5. does any one know ? I need one!

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  6. Yes, I found exactly this caused my Mini's battery compartment to collect excessive amount of water. I first time noticed a year ago (not a lot), but I thought it's just a condensation so dried it out and put things back together. This year, autumn when the rain intensifies, I found larger volume of water. It then looked like a serious leak is coming through somewhere. Whether that or something else, it I got airbag fault light on the dashboard too. I'll get the boot handle seal replaced or brand new chromed handled installed. I'd suggest to take action the moment you saw water. There are plug holes at on the bottom of battery compartment, which can be pierced to ensure surplus amount of water does not collect. Then, take action to sort that leak out, because there are a lot of wires, connectors inside the trunk lid which can be damaged by water. Don't wait! Keep an eye on the level of water, especially if your car is 10year+ old.

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