About two months ago, I took my 2015 F56 manual on a little Saturday outing through the hills.

On one especially steep but short switchback, I got the "Drivetrain" error that states to drive moderately and have the car serviced. I pulled over and let the car sit for about 10 minutes but still had the error when I re-started. So I turned around and drove home. I didn’t notice any change in the car and during the drive home (on the highway) the error icon disappeared.

Two weeks ago, I took the car in for the 24k scheduled maintenance and recall and told the service rep about the error. He said the recall included a computer update but would check it out anyway.

Then yesterday on another Saturday outing, I got the error again – and again on a fairly steep but short incline. I kept driving until I got to a gas station, but the error stayed on all the way home. I told myself that if the error remained the next day, I would call the service center.

When I started the car this morning, I had the error but about 10 minutes in, on the highway, the error icon again disappeared. And again, I didn’t feel any difference in the car’s power or handling.

I remember reading somewhere that this error might be caused by:

• Changing oil level
• Aggressive driving

As both of my errors came on steep inclines and during fairly aggressive drives (winding and hilly), I can’t help but wonder if this is the case. This is a little upsetting as these cars are designed for the curves.

Anyway, should I be overly concerned about this? I really don’t feel like missing more work to take the car back to the service center when I was just there.

Thanks.

 

Question: What altitude?
I've had a similar strange happening 'aloft', above tree line, that disappeared after descending. Way out in the boonies, it had my pucker factor on high alert. Dang thing even went into limp mode but soon as he saw civilization all was better.

 

The one a few months ago was probably about 1k ft above sea level and the one yesterday was probably around sea level - nowhere near the tree line.

My 2006 R50 automatic went into limp mode once so I know the feeling. I imagine my F56 doesn't have one with the manual transmission.

It just bothers me that now I'll worry about an error every time I try to have a little fun in the car. One of the reasons I got rid of the R50 was because I was always worrying about the CVT failing. And now this. Sometimes I feel like just buying something safe - like a Hyundai - and getting on with it.

Either way, I have an appointment with the service center first thing tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks.

 

So altitude isn't the issue. Our local air field is 1157', we just go up from there.

 

Here it goes:

The service center didn't even ask if I wanted to wait and told me they would arrange a loaner right away.

On the way to work from the service center (in a Fiat 500 rental which was horrible), they called to say my air filter was completely clogged. I asked why they didn't change it last week during my 24k scheduled maintenance, to which they replied that the air filter is changed at the 40k mark and they'd never seen one like mine. Hard to believe since I live in the center of the country where most of the Minis are.

Anyway, they also said they would continue the diagnostics and let me know. They called around lunchtime to say the car was ready. I picked it up and brought it back to work to finish the day.

Then about half-way home on normal highway driving - it throws the error again! Looks like I'm going back again tomorrow. This just isn't right.

 

Next time you get the drivetrain error, start and shutoff the car a few times.

Get something to read error codes from the OBDII port.

 

Besides clearing the error (maybe), what will that help? What if there is a serious problem?

I had one for my R50. Again, what will it help? I won't be able to fix the error. Besides, the service center hooked it up for diagnostics and they - obviously - couldn't fix it.

Thanks for your help.

 

Yes, it clears the error. It will get you out of limp mode. Clearing the code will tell you if it happens again.

If you know what the problem is, you can guess at the seriousness of the error. You would expect the dealer is reading the codes, but I suspect they are ignoring things that are tripping the warning but not repeating.

These F56s are getting the drivetrain malfunction notice very often. On my car it has shown a crankshaft angle error on starting up a few times. The dealer has said it was nothing important. The warnings are less frequent with each software update.

 

I'm not sure I even have a limp mode. I got into it once with my 2006 R50 automatic, but my F56 is a manual. If it has one, I didn't notice it when driving with the error. Too bad my R50 reader isn't compatible with the F56. I used it to turn off the R50's pesky passenger airbag error. I'll look into a new one.

I also tend to believe it's a bug. The error appeared when I started the car this morning but disappeared after about 10 minutes.

 

Drivetrain malfunction warnings are rather interesting because they can get stored in just about any module. Standard OBD readers can only access the DME so if its a different module throwing the code = won't clear. Many of them are software errors. My car had one at 999 miles for a brake system malfunction. Turns out there was a faulty brake light error for the Center brake light not responding. Software update and it was done with.

 

Have you had your F56 checked recently for the crankshaft bearing TSB?

 

I guess it's not only you

I've had it 4 times

Totally different engine

2.00 SD

Lots of umph going up slight hills

 

I had the drivetrain malfunction several times. Until it went on and wouldn't go away. They told me my MAP sensor went bad.

 

I am bring back an older thread, as I have had the Drivetrain Error come on twice recently but no Check Engine Light associated with it. Then over the weekend I had both, the drivetrain malfunction on the center display and the check engine light. I pulled the code and it was P12A9, which is associated with a boost pressure sensor. I have cleared the CEL and drove the car roughly 40 miles since with no issues. I will continue to monitor the situation before I head into the dealer.
I am curious how anyone else has made out with tis? Seems like the Malfunction message can cover a lot of issues, similar to the CEL.

 

But no Check Engine Light?
How many miles on your Mini when that happened?

 

I just got the drivetrain malfunction warning for the second time in about a 2-week span. Both times the error came on under hard acceleration (which is kind of the point of buying these cars, no?) -- one time on a flat straight away, one time going up a hill passing another driver. Both times, the engine lost ~25% power and started running very rough, and didn't want to go over 55 mph or so. The first time, the error cleared after stopping and restarting. The second time it wouldn't clear until I had waited/restarted about 5 times on the side of the road, and then it didn't go off until I had driven about a mile. The second time this happened was pretty concerning since I was mid-pass -- definitely not safe.

Anyway, I took the car to the dealer yesterday, and they immediately tell me they're going to tear apart the engine and check the recalled crankshaft bearings, and they may need to keep the car for two weeks if it turns out I need a new engine.

Since most folks seem to be attributing the drivetrain error to a software issue, it will be interesting to see if this dealer draws some sort of connection between the error and the crankshaft bearings issue. I hadn't done much research before dropping the car off, so I didn't ask too many questions at the time.

2015 Cooper S

 

Did the dealer tell you whether your Mini is within the Crankshaft Bearing Recall VIN range or not?
Did you ever get the Recall letter from Mini?


I'm wondering if there is a failure case even when it was not in the Recall VIN range.
Also, I'm very curious to find out about if your Drivetrain Malfunction Error has anything to do with the Recall.

 

Mine occurred when I almost ran the tank dry and put in some new gas.
Service guys said it has happened if you get a bad batch of gas or run the tank almost dry.

I switched to Chevron high octane and no more problems.