2009 N12, P0301 code and I'm stumped...
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2009 N12, P0301 code and I'm stumped...
the car: 2009 Mini Cooper clubman, N12, 6 speed. Wife's summer car. Mileage: 138350 kms.
End of last season it was burning oil, smoking and setting a code P0301. It also had a slightly hunting idle and a light "ticking" at start up.
Trouble-shot oil burning to valve seals and decided to do the timing chain on spec.
Used all Mini/BMW parts from ECStuning.
Timing chain:
Followed ISTA and a few narratives off the internet where ISTA didn't stipulate a few details. Replaced chain, lower sprocket, guides, and tensioner. Did the front crank seal and all the associated bolts and pivots in the ECS kit. Purchased the cam locking tools and the Spring compressor tool for the vanos springs for an N12.
Set the crank and cams as per manual. Torqued pre-tensioner to 0.6 NM as per the manual (I work on motorcycles too, so i already had a low in/lb N/M tool) before torquing the cam gears to their final 180. Confirmed the lock tools would drop on with the pre-tensioner installed. Installed the new BMW tensioner. Rotated engine a couple times, timing tools dropped right back in place so torqued the cam bolts to 180 degrees, as per the manual.
Valve seals: replaced with new from ECStuning. Used the "head on engine" tool and just did the seals. Reassembled and did a thorough visual a couple times to make sure Everything was assembled as per.
Changed out the serp belt, the belt tensioner and the WP drive pulleys since I was in there and the car is relatively high mileage. Installed a new vacuum pump as well since it was weeping oil and higher mileage.
Used my Foxwell scanner to delete the adaptions and do the relearn process for the adaptations and the VVT gear.
Reassembled and started the car. Smoking is gone, so good news there.
Called up the misfire live data. All clear. Took it for a drive. P0301 comes back above 3,000 rpm or if lugging the engine. In "0" load condition (IE: not in gear), no misfire counts until topping 4500 rpm. There's also a p0300 code for multiple misfires. Additionally, there's a rattle/ping noise once crossing 3000 rpm under load, but not when it's under a no load condition. No other codes set.
Swapped coils between 1 and 4 - no change
Swapped plugs between 1 and 4 - no change
Swapped fuel injectors between 1 and 2 - no change
Pulled valve cover and re-verified everything looks right mechanically.
Re-verified the cam lock tools still drop on the cams with the crank locked
Pulled the vanos solenoids and verified the screens were clean.
Static compression test: all within 5% of 170 psi. No leakdown test, but when pressurizing cylinders to do valve seals, very little pressure lost and no audible "hiss" sound in the intake or exhaust.
I even tried re-installing the original tensioner to see if the increased pressure of the new design tensioner was messing up the cam timing. No change.
Pulled the intake cam sensor connector and misfire codes disappeared. Could not get a misfire count regardless of RPM or load.the light rattle/ping was also gone with the sensor disabled.
Never any other obd codes other than p0300 and P0301. P0300 doesn't set until there's enough p0301 counts to set the MIL. Never sets a code at idle or low rpm, regardless of load condition. Always 3000 rpm or better under load sets misfire counts until it reaches the max total counts (somewhere over 70 counts) and sets the MIL.
Inspected the intake vales with a borescope when the intake manifold was off. A tiny bit of coking, but nothing serious. The valve has some black deposits on it, but no build up other than a black coloration.
At this point, I'm stumped. Not sure where to go next. I'm going to "Hail Marry" and change the plugs, as they are fairly black at the base from the previous oil leak and taking a wild guess that they're breaking up at higher rpm. I'm doubtful it will do anything because I've already swapped plugs between 1 and 4 with no change to the p0301 counts.
At this point, other than plugs, I might just have to call up a flatbed and have it trucked to the dealer. Not looking forward to that as I'm sure that will be at least a grand or more. They want 200 just to hook up their scan tool so.....yeah.
Anyone have any ideas, because I'm pretty much fresh out......
End of last season it was burning oil, smoking and setting a code P0301. It also had a slightly hunting idle and a light "ticking" at start up.
Trouble-shot oil burning to valve seals and decided to do the timing chain on spec.
Used all Mini/BMW parts from ECStuning.
Timing chain:
Followed ISTA and a few narratives off the internet where ISTA didn't stipulate a few details. Replaced chain, lower sprocket, guides, and tensioner. Did the front crank seal and all the associated bolts and pivots in the ECS kit. Purchased the cam locking tools and the Spring compressor tool for the vanos springs for an N12.
Set the crank and cams as per manual. Torqued pre-tensioner to 0.6 NM as per the manual (I work on motorcycles too, so i already had a low in/lb N/M tool) before torquing the cam gears to their final 180. Confirmed the lock tools would drop on with the pre-tensioner installed. Installed the new BMW tensioner. Rotated engine a couple times, timing tools dropped right back in place so torqued the cam bolts to 180 degrees, as per the manual.
Valve seals: replaced with new from ECStuning. Used the "head on engine" tool and just did the seals. Reassembled and did a thorough visual a couple times to make sure Everything was assembled as per.
Changed out the serp belt, the belt tensioner and the WP drive pulleys since I was in there and the car is relatively high mileage. Installed a new vacuum pump as well since it was weeping oil and higher mileage.
Used my Foxwell scanner to delete the adaptions and do the relearn process for the adaptations and the VVT gear.
Reassembled and started the car. Smoking is gone, so good news there.
Called up the misfire live data. All clear. Took it for a drive. P0301 comes back above 3,000 rpm or if lugging the engine. In "0" load condition (IE: not in gear), no misfire counts until topping 4500 rpm. There's also a p0300 code for multiple misfires. Additionally, there's a rattle/ping noise once crossing 3000 rpm under load, but not when it's under a no load condition. No other codes set.
Swapped coils between 1 and 4 - no change
Swapped plugs between 1 and 4 - no change
Swapped fuel injectors between 1 and 2 - no change
Pulled valve cover and re-verified everything looks right mechanically.
Re-verified the cam lock tools still drop on the cams with the crank locked
Pulled the vanos solenoids and verified the screens were clean.
Static compression test: all within 5% of 170 psi. No leakdown test, but when pressurizing cylinders to do valve seals, very little pressure lost and no audible "hiss" sound in the intake or exhaust.
I even tried re-installing the original tensioner to see if the increased pressure of the new design tensioner was messing up the cam timing. No change.
Pulled the intake cam sensor connector and misfire codes disappeared. Could not get a misfire count regardless of RPM or load.the light rattle/ping was also gone with the sensor disabled.
Never any other obd codes other than p0300 and P0301. P0300 doesn't set until there's enough p0301 counts to set the MIL. Never sets a code at idle or low rpm, regardless of load condition. Always 3000 rpm or better under load sets misfire counts until it reaches the max total counts (somewhere over 70 counts) and sets the MIL.
Inspected the intake vales with a borescope when the intake manifold was off. A tiny bit of coking, but nothing serious. The valve has some black deposits on it, but no build up other than a black coloration.
At this point, I'm stumped. Not sure where to go next. I'm going to "Hail Marry" and change the plugs, as they are fairly black at the base from the previous oil leak and taking a wild guess that they're breaking up at higher rpm. I'm doubtful it will do anything because I've already swapped plugs between 1 and 4 with no change to the p0301 counts.
At this point, other than plugs, I might just have to call up a flatbed and have it trucked to the dealer. Not looking forward to that as I'm sure that will be at least a grand or more. They want 200 just to hook up their scan tool so.....yeah.
Anyone have any ideas, because I'm pretty much fresh out......
Last edited by NoBrand; Jun 4, 2023 at 05:01 PM.
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