Happen to anyone else?

[cmcveay]

This is my first "MINI Winter" so I'll come across things that I haven't dealt with. The Novelty of the "snow flake" warning is wearing off and I have to wonder if BMW/MINI thinks we are all so dumb, we don't know when it's cold outside. I've got news for them.... My aging joints and bones tells me long before the annoying "bonging" and little snow flake...

 

This morning was our first morning at/below freezing. As I was pulling out of the parking lot headed to work just before daylight, I reached over to run my windows down to knock the moisture off and I got nothing. Not even a budge. After the second try, I got the "bonging" warning and there's a little window icon on the tach and the triangle w/ exclamation point... By the time I got to work, the windows were going up and down as designed.

 

Is this really something that I have to look forward to? Windows that will actually freeze in the up position whenever it's rained and then drops below freezing?

 

Anyone else with any experience like this? It kind of scared the heck out of me because when it it happened on my VW, it cost over $400 to replace the window regulators!

 

More on friends, motor on!

[Gart]

Not sure about that... I have only seen that warning twice since october of last year. It bonged at me when the temp dropped to 38 degrees F. No problems with my windows.

[e30r56]

Never had an issue with the window light coming on. I have however had issues were I almost couldn't open the door because the windows didn't drop down, but that was when the entire car was iced over, not just a little frost. I usually just bang on the ice a lil to break it up and it works ok.

[RichSperry]

Yea, it's called ICE! You are honestly saying you have never had a door or window get frozen shut? With all the ice storms we get in the MAR?

 

They do sell these things called ICE SCRAPERS in the stores. They work wonders...lol

[cmcveay]

Okay, I'll admit it, I'm not all that familiar with ice but I do have an ice scraper. After 14yrs in San Diego, 3 years on Hawaii and a year in Cuba, I'm learning all sorts of new weather issues!

[Scavenger]

There are a lot of Winter things to learn around here, even though DC doesn't really have harsh Winters compared to just a bit North, MD, PA and Northward, we get our share.

 

There always a lot of discussion at this time of year about tires, and a general consensus that summer performance tires aren't exactly satisfactory once December arrives.

 

I, like many others, have a second set of wheels with all-seasons on them, once they wear out, I may switch to actual winter tires, and that's been an ongoing debate, but, bottom-line, most agree Summer tires are hard and slippery in the cold and sometimes icy DC winters.

[RichSperry]

Sorry, I was being a little flip...

 

It also helps to lube the rubber seals around the door and windows. BMW used to have a substance, Gummipflege, (sp?), it lubes and conditions rubber seals. I believe it only comes in spray now? Also Wurth makes a good product as does Zymol.

 

 

Anyway, condition the seals, or you may find the door won't open, and / or the window won't go down

[cmcveay]

Yeah, I got rid of the run-flats and went with good all-season tires and between yesterday and today, they did fine. I made it a point to stay away from summer tires just for that reason. I got here late last winter and had a steep learning curve in the VW. The windows thing was kind of new, never had that happen before, even when I lived in the snow belt many, many moons ago....