Hey guys!

Been having some problems with the car and I dont know where to take the next step. symptoms started yesterday. It is a 2013 mini cooper S. ~40,000 (I know I know)

I was out driving around cruising/slight beating on the car. I started to notice slight hesitation when in WOT. So as i was driving back home, I figured I would stop and buy a new set of plugs. When i took the old plugs out, there was very little what appeared to be carbon on the spark plugs. Since I had all four plugs out, I figured I would do a compression test. Each cylinder tested right around 190(all plugs were out) I then put the new plugs in, and went for a test drive to see if it fixed the problem. Of course it did not. Now it is misfiring even worse when i build boost, but still does not misfire/hesitate when driving normally. (Best I can describe the misfire is like a split second-second of driving 2 step.) I stopped at sheetz to grab some food, and when I was leaving sheetz I through a check engine light and put it into limp mode due to hitting boost from traffic. Had the code read, and it was for misfiring cylinder 4.(p0304) This is where I started thinking it could be the HPFP going bad since it is the last cylinder.

Today: leaving work, I decided to change coils 3 and 4 around on the plugs to see if it could be as simple as that. Misfire in boost was the same for a while, and then it started to clear up a little bit. Started to have hope! Stopped at another gas station for cigarettes. As I came out to the car and started it up, everything was fine. pulled out on to the road and got on it slightly in 3rd....and check engine light instantly. Was back in limp mode and this time it was idling rough. right under 1,000rpms. Had the codes read again and this time i got cylinder 1 & 2 misfire. (p0300, p0301, p0302)

I think I have narrowed it down to carbon build up, HPFP, bad gas?, or possibly a boost leak. only thing done to the car performance wise is catback straight pipe, hot side boost tube, intake, and JB+ tune.(havent been using the tune since yesterday and never had a problem before this.)

My question is why would it only be misfiring in boost? (can take rpms up high without hitting boost.)

only thing done recently was an oil change about 2 weeks ago with castrol 5w30.

 

I don't know the answer to your question but it brings out a question in my mind. Why not take it to the dealer as a warranty problem?

 

^Basic warranty is 4 year, 50,000 miles. Take it to your dealer. Don't waste your money.

 

I have an appointment for thursday. but would they still warranty it even with the car modified?

 

I would also suspect the HPFP.

 

What modifications are we talking about?

 

There's no way to know but if it turns out to be something expensive I could easily see Mini deny coverage do to that you modified your Mini and you can kiss your entire warranty for good. Take the mods off, then take it in! Mini is very clear about mods and even says under the bonnet next to the fuse housing, "any mods (alarms, stereos etc..) will void your factory warranty".

Mini will not diagnose your Mini until it's restored back to factory specs.

 

performance wise just catback straight piped, hot side boost tube, and a intake. this is how the car currently sits though. Dont think exterior components would void it since it has nothing to do with the problem right?

 

a couple of the sales guys and a mechanic know about and have seen my car. I havent been able to get in touch with them yet. I'm just trying to start a backup plan just incase.

 

Those mods are very minor, so you might get lucky. But I have heard of some dealers denying warranty for less. I hope you have a nice dealer! Good luck!

 

Those guys report to Mini USA and will report any mods when submitting warranty claims and those guys might tell Mini USA that they don't believe it to be from your mods, but since it comes out of Mini's pocket Mini has the final say on the matter. Good luck.

I have heard that Mini denied a warranty claim based on a larger intercooler and that persons engine overheated and Mini blamed it on the intercooler blocking the flow of air on a small section of the radiator. I thought that was ridiculous. They may be minor mods but there still mods and rules are rules, break them and poof goes your warranty.

 

hope for the best plan for the worst... i know the dealership here is a good dealership and doesnt screw around with you. Dealership is Mini of Pittsburgh. If any of you have heard/went to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix this year, they were the holder and the marquee car for the show. So hopefully it goes well thursday then

 

Didnt you say that you havent been using the JB+ tune till yesterday and thats when the issues started? Could it be the tune maybe? You could also take it to a independent shop to see if they can at least diagnose the problem for you and then go from there.

 

I had the tune on until yesterday. Taking it off was the first thing I did.

 

First of all, that's a sweet-looking Mini.

Second, on the topic of the modifications--if the problem turns out to be a standard warranty issue/recall thing, like the HPFP, then I'm pretty sure Mini will still replace it under warranty without protesting that your (unrelated) mods caused the issue. Obviously, if they can make a case that your mods caused the issues, you'll be out of luck.

I'm sure you don't retain the stock parts since the P.O. modded it, but best bet would of course be to bring it in with warranty-kosher parts.

 

Thanks man! And there actually isn't a P.O. I did all the work to the car. I do have factory parts but I can't do anything about the exhaust as straight pipes are welded in. Everything else I can return to stock besides the coil overs

 

Just to be sure check to make sure you don't have the oil wicking problem. It caused all kinds of limp mode issues with my 2013 MCS. After I took care of it, all is good for the last 4,000 miles. Would go into limp mode and have all kinds of codes before being fixed.

 

Just researched what this was as I have never heard of it. I understand looking on the rear passenger side of the engine bay, but is there a specific location to look?

 

Look up just behind the oil pan. You will see some wires coming out of the engine. The important thing to look for is any small oil leak. What happens is oil gets into the wiring and causes all kinds of problems. It's up just over the engine mount to the passenger side.

 

Ok I will have to do that tomorrow. What kind of codes were you throwing? I'm thinking this might not be my cause as the only codes I have seen are for misfires. Nothing else has shown up

 

All the codes I had where mini specific codes that I could not read with my Scangauge II. I now have BMWhat that can read the codes. All that what happened to me was a lot of going into limp mode (half engine symbol).

 

I think you may have inform me of my problem! Decided to just take a look now instead of waiting and that wire was I fact damp. Rubbed fingers over it and it was oily residue. Let's hope this is the cause and that it'll still be covered under warranty! Thanks again for informing me on this!

 

It should be covered. My 2012 Justa had an oil leak at the oil pump solenoid, and it got into the wiring harness. The solenoid and harness were both replaced, which also meant replacing the thermostat housing because the new harness had a different plug for the updated t-stat housing.

I'm assuming your issue is the same.

I have heard that the oil can eventually wick its way into whatever computer the wiring is hooked to, and it can cause failures in there as well. Hopefully that hasn't happened yet.

 

If I remember correctly there was a recall for that issue.

 

You should be fine regarding the exhaust, even I have a Borla exhaust. As long as the changes were made after the secondary and primary Cats, I also have a Forge DV that my dealer noticed and asked me if it was a BOV and I told them it was a DV, when I told them it was a DV they were like ok. I knew beforehand that they disapprove of the BOV type valves.