So I recently got a 2009 Mini Cooper countryman, it's been a great car in every way except that since I've gotten (three weeks ago) it had died three times for no apparent reason. I have gone to have the battery checked and there alternator and starter too, all checked out fine. The first day that I got the car it had a check engine light on as well and I had that tested to see what the code was and it was: P15E8. Which doesn't seem to match any codes I could find. When I went back to the car the next day the light was gone and we could no longer test it, the battery problems are what followed this. I'm not to sure what to or what the problem is here, I was hoping someone in the mini community would know what to do. Any help is appreciated thank you.

 

This thread has some good information for you concerning P15E8:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...i-codes-2.html

The battery situation can be caused by several conditions. First I would go around and make sure all connections are tight with NO corrosion. Check the serpentine belt for slippage/age, it should be replaced about every 30 to 40K. How old is the battery? When you park it for the night, always lock it. Unlocked there are still some nanny gizmos drawing current including the one that stays on waiting for you to punch the unlock button. There's a ton of other things that can be going on but those are usually the most common.

 

As far as that code I don't really understand what the article is saying, is it a temperature problem? Sorry new to these things.
I'll make sure all the connections are tight and corrosion free, from a glance they appear good but I'll make sure. I hadn't considered checking the serpentine belt so I'll check that too, thanks. The battery is a refurbished battery from the dealer I got it from, they didn't tell me how old it is. I always lock it up but will keep that in mind as well, each time it's happened to the car was only left alone for a few hours when I came back it was dead.
Thank you again for your feedback.

 

That right there smells like a skunk. And you know about skunks, you can always smell them before you see them.

 

That's kinda what I figured, I took the battery to O'Reily to have it tested and he said that it was testing fine putting out enough power. Would it be beneficial to take the battery out and have it tested again but more throughly? Or should i just get a new battery and see if the problem persists? Again thank you for your replies, I really do appreciate it.

 

Was it tested static or under load? Maybe have them hook up and watch it while you start and restart the engine a few times. I'm just spitballing here. One huge indicator of a failing battery is that MINIs have a tendency to do really weird random tricks.

 

you need to put a volt meter right on the battery terminals when its acting up. Personally in this situation i'd just go ahead and replace it. What does "refurbished" mean anyway?

 

since one of the causes listed is "battery change" i would assume a dead battery could trigger it as well, or obviously when you disconnected it to have it checked. Beware also the code probably will persist for some time after you fix the problem.

 

Battery is probably failing under load.

 

Does static mean tested with the car off and under load mean either the car running? Sorry, it was tested with the car turned on with a handheld device that just connected to the battery sorry I don't know more.

To update this further now the car keeps dying rapidly trip to trip kind of thing and it does completely like no charge whatsoever. The car just had a clicking sound after I go to turn the car on by hitting the ignition button and all I hear is clicking, then it dies completely.
Im having to jump it each time I go somewhere, tomorrow I'm going to take the battery out and have it tested, and I figure the best thing to do is buy a new battery. But could this be something other than the battery?

 

homestly your guess is as good as mine on the refurbished thing I just figured it was their way of saying it's a crappy battery we had lying around.
I'm going to replace the battery and see if the problem persists, hopefully it doesn't but if it does I don't know what it could be.

 

A new battery sounds like the right thing to do. If that takes care of everything then consider the dealer using a 'refurbished' battery to sell a used car. That should be a good indicator to NOT rely on them for future reliable service.
For future reference, the following link will take you to a list of independent BMW/MINI service shops. Granted, it's a promotional type listing but admittedly, they do service the marque.
http://www.minirepairshops.com/

 

The real question here is where did you find a 2009 Countryman since they only started them in 2011?

When at Oreilly's did they test the charging system? Most do it for free.

 

I was focused on the battery issue and didn't even notice the obvious error.

 

it's still a Cooper, I thought the same thing when I got it. It's a Cooper countryman I suppose, so it's the countryman style, bigger, hatch doors so on, but it's still a Cooper.
They tested it a couple weeks ago. And they do it for free thankfully.

 

I got a new battery for it, took it to another place and had them test the battery it's was putting out fine voltage but the cca was much to low. So we replaced the battery and haven't had a problem since, I'll update if anything happens further. Thank you for all your help everyone!

 

glad you got it sorted it out. If you have the barn doors in the rear, then your Cooper is a Clubman. I think the first year for the Countryman was 2011.

 

Yep, sounds like you have a Clubman, not a Countryman.

 

In very simple terms, in the days of old when you hit the start switch you closed a circuit and sent the battery juice to the starter, and you held the switch until you heard ignition or gave up!

In today's modern wiz bang world of which MINI is a PRIME example, when you press start you ASK the COMPUTER: would you start the motor please? The computer then checks MANY things and if everything is good, probably will initiate the start sequence.

I have several times seen a MINI that would either not start or was doing weird electrical stuff when a start was tried and the battery "tested good"

AND a NEW battery solved all the problems. Seems the standard battery tester isn't as finicky as a MINI computer. A battery that's 'strong enough' for the old days may NOT be good enuf for MINI. All you need is some voltage fluctuation and the computer gets a bad headache.

***********

p.s. Guide to MINI models, with years .... http://new.minimania.com/MINI_model_designations

 

That's the best I've heard it explained. Lots of touched-around-the-edges but that nails it. Too bad this can't just automatically pop up next time someone starts a new thread with the OP's problem.