Stalling and not starting

JollyRodger · #1 08-23-2007, 01:00 AM

Ok so i picked up my mini last friday...drove it a little bit around town through the weekend, nothing major everything is great. Get in fire it up, go to work. Go to leave work for lunch and the car decides not to start...the battery in fine there is full electrical, even the ac is on, and it makes the chug chug chug sound like it's trying to start the engine only it never starts...

So I try all kinds of crap, pulling out the key, putting it in, etc.... and finally it starts...but it's really sputtery like it wants to stall, but I get rolling and its fine... then I have lunch, go to get in and it won't start again. So I call road side get it towed down to the dealer tell them what happend etc... they say ok we will look at it....just for grins before I leave they jump in it to see if it will start....and shure as shootin' it fires right up. So I get the phone call a day later, we reflashed the computer and it seems fine.

So I go to pick it up yesterday, I get in I start it, everything is good, and drive off. I get half a mile up the road and the car dies in gear as I am accelerating!@!@#$#@@!, it compeletely stalled out. so I pull over to the left turn lane in the middle of the road, because there is no where on the right to pull. And then I try to start it and guess what? nothing!@@@@!!! except that when it tried to start this time it let out a foul smell like rotten eggs that saturated the interior compartment..I had to roll the windows down it was so bad! SO not only did the car die, and not start...it also farted on me! so I call roadside once again, and I start all over with the dealer...for a car that is days old this is realy concerning me.

The issue is striking me as a fuel delivery problem....or the computer is bad...mainly because the techs are saying that they arent getting any codes at all from the ECU....

This just takes all the fun out of getting a new car! anyone with advice or info with similar problems please do post.

Thanks!

**Dr Obnxs** · #2 08-23-2007, 01:13 AM

Sad thing is today that the dealers try once, say it didn't happen, and give you your car back.

1) Check your state lemon laws. Since you have a worrysome car now, it will be a good investment in time to know the definition of lemon for your state (it varies by state). If things keep going south, you'll know when the lack of resolution by the dealer triggers lemon status for your car. Then they buy it back and you either get a new one, or your money.

2) Since the diagnostics in intermittant problems is so poor now (pretty much everywhere), keep a cell phone with video features or a digital camera that can record small videos with you. When it happens again, you can record it to play it back for the service team so they don't think your smoking crack.

3) See if they'll give you an extended loaner so that they can have the car long enough to have the problem occure. Usually you'll have to give permission for lots of street driving. Some of the shops that I've used to hunt intermittants I let the service techs drive my car to and from work (not the Mini, other cars I'd had in the past. Not that I wouldn't lend my car, just there's been no need). MAny of us are very sensitive about our cars, so this one may not be an option if you don't want any one else messing with your ride.

4) suffer till the frequency is up, and then it will happen to them and they'll have something to fix. This sucks as you're at risk for problems until it's resolved, but this is acutally the highest probability path for resolution.

Matt

Arnbut · #3 08-23-2007, 06:12 AM

That sounds like a defective cat-con to me. When they croak they stop-up the exhaust and the car won't run. Jiggle the rock around a bit and get it cool enough and you'll get some vapor around it --- then it gets hot and backs up again.
Could be a host of other things like fuel delivery, etc. But the rotten egg smell is a telltale cat symptom.

JollyRodger · #4 08-23-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arnbut

That sounds like a defective cat-con to me. When they croak they stop-up the exhaust and the car won't run. Jiggle the rock around a bit and get it cool enough and you'll get some vapor around it --- then it gets hot and backs up again.
Could be a host of other things like fuel delivery, etc. But the rotten egg smell is a telltale cat symptom.

Great info, all of you thanks a bunch I will forward this onto my tech.

Thanks!

joey1320 · #5 08-23-2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JollyRodger

Ok so i picked up my mini last friday...drove it a little bit around town through the weekend, nothing major everything is great. Get in fire it up, go to work. Go to leave work for lunch and the car decides not to start...the battery in fine there is full electrical, even the ac is on, and it makes the chug chug chug sound like it's trying to start the engine only it never starts... try all kinds of crap, pulling out the key, putting it in, etc.... and finally it starts...but it's really sputtery like it wants to stall, but I get rolling and its fine... then I have lunch go to get in and go again and this time it will not start no matter what. So I call road side get it towed down to the dealer tell them what happend etc... they say ok we will look at it....just for grins before I leave they jump in it to see if it will start....and shure as shootin' it fires right up. So I get the phone call a day later, we reflashed the computer and it seems fine. So I go to pick it up yesterday, I get in I start it, everything is good, and drive off. I get half a mile up the road and the car dies in gear as I am accelerating!@!@#$#@@! compeletely stalled out. so I pull over to the middle turn lane bcasue there is no where on the right to pull. And then I try to start it and guess what? nothing!@@@@!!! except that when it tried to start this time it let out a foul smell like rotten eggs that saturated the interior compartment..I hadto roll the windows down it was so bad! SO not only did the car die, and not start...it also farted on me! so I call roadside once again, and I start all over with the dealer...for a car that is days old this is realy concerning me.

The issue is striking me as a fuel delivery problem....or the computer is bad...mainly because the techs are saying that they arent getting any codes at all from the ECU....

This just takes all the fun out of getting a new car! anyone with advice or info with similar problems please do post.

Thanks!

sound like a cat-converter as stated above, so good luck with that.
i'm sorry to be an ass but please break apart the the paragraph to make it easier to read/comprehend.

JollyRodger · #6 08-23-2007, 06:53 PM

sorry wrote it kind a late...was in a "stream of conciousness" mode

djam43 · #7 08-24-2007, 08:04 AM

I had no problem reading/comprehending his story.

Arnbut · #8 08-24-2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djam43

I had no problem reading/comprehending his story.

Me neither. But, then again, the Scotch helped...

PaulCIssa · #9 08-24-2007, 09:24 AM

I concur - the stink is definitely cat-con. The odor is caused by raw fuel dumping at intake. Since it's direct injected, chances are there's a bad F/A or lambda sensor (should have thrown a fault) or the ECU is shot (or many other possible fuel delivery issues). In any event, your cat-con is shot and should be replaced. Once contaminated to the degree you described, it's beyond clearing itself out.

Back to the dealer and document EVERYTHING!

JollyRodger · #10 08-27-2007, 11:41 AM

well they figured it out, told them about the cat...they checked it, and it's ok...the non start issue was electical. the main wire comming from the bottom of the fuse box to the ignition coils wasn't clicked in properly, thus the intermitten starting/stalling issues. once the clicked it in, it's been starting and running just fine. They kept it over the weekend to make sure everything is good on it...I am going to get it this afternoon.

Thanks

**Dr Obnxs** · #11 08-27-2007, 11:49 AM

did they apologize for the last service? That plug has a lock feature so that when it's seated it can't come out. If it came loose, the lock wasn't in. If the lock wasn't in, it wasn't seated the last time that it was plugged in! (Typically, I'm the cause of stuff like this on my car....)

Also FWIW, if you smell the rotten eggs, it doesn't mean the cat is dead. Two things contribute to smelling this while trouble shooting: Way too much gas from not firing gets onto a not hot enough cat, and the fact that the car is stationary means whatever comes out the exhaust isn't going away anytime soon. While the rotten egg smell may be a flag for a bad cat, a bad cat isn't the only thing that will cause it.

Matt

djam43 · #12 08-27-2007, 11:50 AM

Great find, im glad it was that simple.

JollyRodger · #13 08-27-2007, 11:55 AM

they did apologize for not finding it.. it was unlocked from the factory, I only had it 3 days before it acted up, so it was an oops from the factory, the dealer has been very good about getting it taken care of...giving a loaner ect... I am phyced that I finally get to drive it now! hehe..