Is your car stalling upon starting?

[thecigarman]

I have one on the way from Morristown MINI. I hope you are correct, thanks.

[call it spade]

Also check your throttle body sensor/plug and see if it's connected completely.

[ZippyNH]

Originally Posted by TimL

I'm not sure if this is precisely the same issue, but for a while I was having intermittent issues with cold-start hesitation -- and almost stalling -- in my '05 MCSa, which I've owned for just over 4 months.

I had the PCV valve replaced about a week and half ago, and the car seems to run much more smoothly, and I haven't had any issues with hesitation or stalling since (knock on wood!).

I can't be entirely sure other factors weren't involved, but it did seem like the PCV valve replacement helped. If so, it's a pretty cheap fix.

Yet another good, but often overlooked basic mataince item!! Good reminder. Mine was also done about a month or so ago.

[thecigarman]

I just called Morristown MINI and apparently the PCV was not sent out and they told me I will get it tomorrow
:-(

I checked the sensor plug and it is fine. Yesterday, BTW, I reset the ECU.

When I did my daily Google search for info I added Throttle body Sensor to one of the searches and came upon this thread post #6 by agoodsign and did it

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ttle-body.html

To save you looking

"There are apparently two potentiometers in the TPS system that need to be in sync with each other, on reads somthing like 1-7 volts and the other 7-1 volts in reverse (I can;t remember the exact voltage), they need to be balanced, it's a fail-safe system to make sure the ECU knows where the throttle position is. Somehow they got out of sync in the car and we just had to find a simple reset procedure for it... Turn the key to the 1 position, hold the gas pedal down wide open for 25 seconds, let off completely for 10 seconds, and start the car and let it run for a while, it'll idle rough at first but eventually it evened out."

The car did start up and idle rough and I hit the accellerator a couple of times and got the hesitation but a bit less. I got out and checked under the hood to look and listen for possible vacuum or other leak--nothing unusual.

When I got in the idle had evened out and no hesitation when I hit the pedal. Now, the time was shorter than it was before but I won't really know if it helped til the car sits overnight and I get a true cold start.

[thecigarman]

I got the PCV valve and put it on.

Now the car won't start at all. It turns over but does not fire. It mkes a chugging sound as it turnsover but no fire--NADA.

I'm going to let it sit and see if that helps but it looks like Sparky will have to take a trip to the garage on Monday.

[thecigarman]

Update

Before I tried starting it I checked my OCC. It has been on for 4 months and was empty. I removed it (One OCC line was to the Gray LIne and the other to the PCV valve-I connected the Gray back to the PCV)

The car started. It ran very rough and when I stepped on the accelerator it stalled. I restarted, let it go and it ran rough, idle dipped and the check engine light went on. I let it run for a few minutes and shut it off and restarted. Check light still flashing and it gradually smoothed out and ran fine.

I don't have a sparkplug wrench that will reach the MINI's plugs to pull them so I'll just have to have it checked at the garage this week.

I bought a OBDII but it has not arrived yet, but I suspect the codes are misses, as before.

[-=gRay rAvEn=-]

CM,

1) You said the MINI was sitting for a while and was fine before hand, Any chances some little animal made it's new home in your intake air box and possibly had a meal or two of your spark plug wires ? Woudnt be the first time.......check for signs of mice.

2) Get the long socket for the plugs, got mine from Mossmini I think. Pull them and give them a check for color ect. I have been using the NGK Iridiums and not even going one step colder with mine I am AOK with JCW Box, 17% scp and JCW injectors. Have about 8k miles on them and no ping.

3) Did you get any codes for O2 sensors. The one before the cat usually goes first and is the one we are most concerned about, the post cat O2 sensor monitors the health of the cat.

Have to head out but this is all I can think of right now, get bk later tonight.

Dave

[thecigarman]

EDIT:
last night Pulled wires and some white residue, put on some di-electric grease and made sure connections were tight. Started right up but the same hestation and near stall when accellerator is depressed. In about 2 minutes it warmed up and ran fine.

Today I just read the codes--4 present: NA, P0303, P0303 P, P0301 P (Misfires on Cylinder 1 & 3) I/M test I/M on; MISFIRE, FUEL, CAT, O2S --all ready; CCM & EVAP-- not ready; HCM, 2AIR, AC, H2OS & EGR-- N/A

I got a set of NGK Iridium (BRKR7EIX-11) plugs.

I've had the flu/cold the last couple of days and fter reading some fo the threads about people blowing plugs by not torquing them correctly and since I don't have a torque wrench available and since I'm irritable with the flu/cold the past few days I'm taking it to the garage. I have an extenede warranty and if there is anything wrong (I'm sure they will find something) it should be covered.

Feedback would be appreciated even if someone is going to tell me I just about had this fixed

[thecigarman]

Update:

In the pm, the car would not start (altough it did in the am). I tried 3 times at half hour intervals with no luck, so I pulled the plugs and replaced them with the NGK plugs. No torque wrench so I put them in snugly. Went in washed my hands and it started immediately.

The hesitation was still there but it was ready to go in under 2 minutes.

I examined the plugs and they were black with soot but appeared OK. I put them in the boxes and numbered them for the mechanic to look at.

Car ran like a champ and so I wnet to the garage. They called me and asked me questions about when things were done to it told me they read the same codes that I saw before and they are thinking wires.

I suggested coil (original OEM is in the car). They will call me later...

[thecigarman]

They ran diagnostics again and seemed to think it was electrical and wanted to start replacing the wires. At the suggestion of Grey Raven I called Greasy's Garage in Mass. and had a good conversation with one of the guys there.

He seemed to believe that it is a fuel pressure issue due to a bad regulator (when car is cold, fuel pressure is too low and it takes a bit for the pressure to build up, so if you hit the accellerator the pressure is still low and the engine goes into a stall condition. What I was interpreting as better as it warmed up was actually more that the fuel presssure now got to the normal range).

He suggested that the pressure be guaged when cold but also that when cold starting to turn on the ignition and hold the pedal to the floor for 5 seconds to see if the stall condition ends sooner (the 5 seconds allows the pressure to build w/o bleeding it off with the engine consumption). Maybe one of you with the stall condition can try this.

I hope that I interpreted his instructions correctly here.

In any case it will be Monday before the garage can test the fuel pressure. I'll just drive the Civic and appreciete my MINI more with each mile

[thecigarman]

MINI of Towson finsihed with that car and could not find anything wrong. Fuel pressure was 51 at start and 41 at idle, compression was good. They did not even have a cold start problem either day. I as wondering if there was something that that inadertantly did when they ran diagnostics and checked the compression and pressure, or if it was bad gas.

I'll get it back Monday and we'll see if it is gone.