What are the Trifecta of Warning Lights in MINIs

Posted on January 19, 2019 by smikyautomowp

The Mini Cooper was designed to combine style, performance, and agility. Although it’s an economy car, drivers can’t deny it’s unique appeal. Owned by BMW, this mini vehicle is far from a toy. It has the ability to zip through the roads with ultimate precision. Not to mention, the Mini is awesome on gas. It’s affordable, easy to customize and easy to maintain. What more could you want from a perfectly engineered vehicle?

Although the Mini has it’s pros, like most vehicles, it has its fair share of cons. To begin, Minis need specific care in order to operate properly. This means specialized mechanics and specific parts. In addition, the Mini is susceptible to experiencing internal issues that signal a trifecta of warning lights. These three lights are the ABS, DSC, and Brake lights. When these three simultaneously go off, there is usually an underlying commonality impacting this part of the car.

If you are dealing with these mysterious lights flashing on your dashboard, you aren’t alone. In fact, this malfunction happens on many German manufactured vehicles. Nonetheless, they require immediate attention. Let’s consider what these lights are and how they can impact how your Mini drives.

The ABS Light

The ABS Light stands for the “anti-lock braking system“. This important feature of the Mini makes sure the wheels have traction with the road while the driver brakes. This ensures the wheels don’t lock and lack motion. Usually, when this light comes in there is an electrical hinderance within the wheel sensor. Often times, the ABS could be low on fluid or old.

The problem with this system is that it is electrical. It requires specific wires to be connected in order for it to properly function. While the easy fix would be to simply replace this system, it does require a professional’s touch. When this light comes on, it triggers the DSC and Brake lights; thus forming the trifecta of the dashboard.

DSC Light

The DSC system works closely with ABS. This stands for Dynamic Stability Control and usually flashes when the car battery is low. However, since it works closely with the ABS, chances are this system is flashing due to too much pressure on the ABS. When the vehicle gets overheated and suffers from internal vibrations, this can take a toll on the DCS. Thus, it sets off the circuit, signaling the dashboard to illuminate this light. Sometimes, this light can flash due to a glitch in your Mini’s computer. However, it is wise to still have your car serviced just to make sure nothing serious is going on.

The Brake Lights

Each time you brake, your brake lights flash behind your car. This signals to other drivers that you are about to stop or need to slow down. It is quite common for these lights to flash often. However, when it is flashing on the dashboard of your vehicle, this is a direct result of the ABS system malfunctioning. This is indicating that your vehicles anti-lock braking system is deactivated and that your car’s performance may be impacted.

When all three of these lights come on, it typically all falls back on the ABS malfunctioning. While it is suggested that driving with these lights on is generally safe, why take the risk? Especially when your ABS plays such a major role in how your car drives. However, some have found that issues with the Minis computer will send these lights flashing often. When this occurs, you can do several things to deactivate the system:

1. Make sure your brake fluid levels are balanced
2. Turn off your DSC button
3. Try disconnecting the wires in your vehicle
4. Refer to the fault codes in your manual

Although these may seem like easy fixes, it is still wise to get your car checked out by a professional MINI repair shop. You would hate to compromise the health of your Mini simply because you neglected to maintain it.

How We Can Help

St. Matthews Import of Louisville, KY is specialized in dealing with German manufactured vehicles. If you are located in or around Louisville, KY, we’ll be happy to help you deal with the trifecta of warning lights should they ever pop up. After all, you should be out there enjoying your Mini, not worrying about your braking system!