I had something scary happen yesterday that I hope is not related to my Burger Stage 1 Beta tuner (B48). I think everyone who uses Sport mode knows (and even likes) how throttle response is greatly improved. Often you get that "kick" as you give in more throttle. Well, yesterday it got very scary.

I had just finished business at my bank. Started the car and as always, put it in Sport mode. Turned onto the main road and gave it maybe half throttle. Instead of the usual and abrupt "kick" (which I assume is fuel added), I got an alarming JOLT. Then I got a drive-train error and my car went into limp mode. It then died. I rolled off on the shoulder and tried to start the car. Nothing. The starter was engaging but the engine was not starting. A message said to call roadside service, or something like that. Now I'm in panic mode. Waited a few seconds and tried to start it again. Bingo! Started up and everything was back to normal. Nothing abnormal since.

I should add that I have a Burger Stage 1 Beta tuner. Anyone else experience this, with or without the Stage 1 Beta tuner? I have to believe that what I experienced is tune related, but not sure if it's related to the Stage 1 tuner.

 

Not sure where I read it, but others had similar issues with the Beta turner. May be in the garage section. Do a quick search and see what pops up.

 

How much added horsepower/torque does that give you? For $379 it looks like a pretty good deal if the return is noticeable on the road.

 

Oh, it's noticeable on the road, for sure. About 30whp and 40wtq gain.

 

what year is your car? I've heard about a few '15's having drivetrain code problems but I believe Terry@BMS have worked that out. May need to give him a yell and check about a update. I don't have one so can't tell you anything more than that.

 

I've had the same happen with my NM Power Module. I'm pretty sure you banged the rev limiter in 1st gear. As I understand, this overrides the drive train and shuts it down for safety reasons. After switching off the ignition and turning it back on, it'll go into a quick diagnostic mode, but after driving for a minute or so, everything comes back fine and you're good to go. Just make sure to be very careful pulling hard in 1st, and if you can, short shift it into second, especially if you're rolling a little bit already.

 

Is the OP's Mini AT or MT? Drivetrain Error sounds like an automatic transmission control issue. Evidently it's intermittent and is for the time being resolved. But it does seem that adding the engine "tune" could confuse the transmission.

 

I'm running a manual, and it basically cuts the engine and tells you to pull over. I think it has more to do with overrevving the engine.

 

It's a 2014 Mini Cooper S with a manual.

I didn't hit the rev limiter, for sure. I had only given it maybe 3/4 throttle at most. The revs didn't come close to redline. At least I don't think so. Trust me, if I had put the pedal to the floor in first gear I'd know it. I doubt I've ever revved the engine beyond maybe 5500rpms in any gear.

Yeah, it is definitely very noticeable on the street. Those numbers you're noting are from the Burger website, right?

 

Hmm, thought that might have been it. It's really scary how quickly it revs, especially if you're already up around 3k rpm, that's odd. I'm running NMs Power Module on the high setting right now, so I should be seeing similar numbers to your BMS, and it's really noticeable. I love the responsiveness in Sport now, and Mid still feels comfortable. I had TC off getting on the freeway on a short onramp the other day and spun the front tires pretty well into 2nd. The onramp may have been a bit dirty, but I really wasn't expecting that much torque from the Mini!

 

I'll have to keep an eye on it and IF it ever happens again how high the engine revved.

 

It probably is. And they explicitly call the product "BETA". That means it isn't the final release (be glad you don't have the "alpha"). Buyers are essentially doing field testing for them. You should contact them.

 

It's called Beta but Terry doesn't have any immediate plans to take it off Beta, last I heard. I will probably call Terry Monday and see what he says. It wouldn't be fun if this happened on the freeway during rush hour.

 

I've seen reports of this happening in cars without the tuner installed.

 

Was there any resolution? If there's a known OEM problem, it would be best to take it to the dealer (of course, remove the tuner first).

 

I had the same problem. Try returning the MAP sensor connector to stock and leave the tuner connected only at the TMAP sensor. This was a Burger suggestion. It has definitely improved the situation...I had 2 more errors and then none for a month...

 

"2 more errors" doesn't exactly inspire confidence. It would be completely unacceptable if the car was stock.

 

rkw..I was having one every 3 or 4 days - under hard load.

 

It definitely is interesting that this issue has happened with both those with a aftermarket tuner and those with the factory tune. One thing I noticed, even before I installed the Burger Stage 1 Beta tuner, is that in Mid mode there is no noticeable throttle surge. But in the Sport mode, there is often a noticeable throttle surge, but not all the time. When it does happen (except for what happened to me yesterday), the kick make it feel like you've got big blower boost. In other words, it puts a huge smile on your face. I'd love to know the exact source/reason for the throttle surge in Power mode (with the factory tune) that I and others have personally experienced. It would likely help explain what happened yesterday.

 

had the same problem whan car was new with bms stage 1. did some datalogging with terry and he fixed the problem. get some laptop cables and terrys new firmware. no problems since.

 

So, did Terry find there was a problem with his Stage 1 tune, or did Terry fix an issue on Mini's end.

 

That sounds like the factory "Overboost" in Sport mode under heavy load.

From Autoblog, since I can't find the MiniUSA media right now:

"The more powerful Mini Cooper S uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine good for 189 hp and 207 lb-ft. of torque (or as much as 221 lb.-ft with an overboost function)."

After hearing you guys talk about it, this doesn't sound like the rev-limiter cutting the drive train like I experienced. I haven't had any problems under load in any setting with the NM. Only when I smashed up against the limiter in 1st (which was most definitely my fault for not paying attention to my RPM).

 

maybe a little of both. but mini said it was the tuner.

 

First-gear-sport-mode power surge confirmed on my automatic Euro-Spec 2014 Cooper S with Burger Stage 1 Beta.

Installed the module last week, it's only been less than 100km.
The easiest way to describe it would be: the car felt like it was at WOT when I know for sure that the throttle was less than 1/2 open. I was nowhere near the rev limiter, only at around 3-4K rpm. Startled me for a sec and I immediately let go of the throttle. No limp mode or any engine code so far.

Has not happened again during these few days. I don't know which Burger firmware I'm currently running. I have the USB cable so I might update the firmware if the power surge happen again.

To be fair, to both Mini and Burger, I've never experienced the surge during the 3000km before the module was installed. I know how the car throttle response in sport mode and the surge was definitely not normal, hence I was startled for a sec.

On the positive side, power gain is definitely noticeable.

 

Doesn't sound like overboost based on what FastMini described. FastMini, what gear were you in? What RPM level when it happened? Did you reach maximum boost levels?