First, my car wouldn't start so I figured it was Operator Error but as soon as AAA came by to start it, the check engine light was on.

Took it into dealership, they couldn't find anything wrong with it. That was 3 days after I bought the (brand new 07 MC) car.

Fast forward approx. 3 weeks or so to today.. while sitting in traffic, "doo doo doo!"

Check engine light comes on again. Yellow.

I'm not going to let myself get frustrated yet.

 

Our 07 Coop did the same and has been fine since they switched out the main air or mass air flow sensor --- can't remember what it was called exactly. The light would come on but no codes were generated.....Good Luck

 

I wonder if it's safe to keep driving for another day - I don't have time to take the car into the dealership yet!

 

My engine light came on yellow yesterday at 920 miles and has stayed on. I called the SA and he said it's safe to drive (but how does he really know that without doing a diagnostic check? ), and I haven't noticed anything different in the way it drives. He also told me it's probably the gas cap, which I don't buy. I have an appointment in 2 days.

Edited to ask: If the dealer attempts to fix this and fails 3 times, does it qualify for the lemon law?

 

The car is almost always safe to drive with an SES light on. More often than not the SES trips and stays solid for emissions related issues, the MAF, an O2 sensor, etc. If the light is flashing, turn the car off and have it towed, but if it's solid, you can't really hurt anything .

 

That happened to me with the check engine light and I am embarrased to admit that it was the gas cap

 

The reason I didn't think it was the gas cap is because the last time I had filled up was a week ago. Is it normal for the light to go on a week after the cap was opened and closed? If so, then it may be that.

Thank you, rustyboy155, you've helped put my mind at ease since I'm continuing to drive the car for a couple of days before I bring it to the dealer.

 

i have the CEL on too, R56 MCS, at 800 miles...

 

After spending a whole day and night at the dealership, Mini of Nashville finally told me what's up with the car:

Basically? Nothing, engine wise. It's the computer itself. I'm not the only person going through this according to MINI HQ. They can't figure it out either and it may turn into a recall.

So the dealership is turning off the light, I get my little Percy back today (yay!) and I've been advised to just hang tight. If the light comes on again, to ignore it. Unless, of course, the car actually feels and is noticeably weird.

It's not THAT reassuring but at least I know I'm not doing anything wrong! All par for the course, I guess, with owning a new model car.

 

Thanks very much for the update, MrsTune. I'm bringing my MC in tomorrow. Edited to add: My appointment has been changed to next Wednesday by me, so I'll report then.

 

There is a thread in the '07 section that addresses this issue...

 

The light's back on again. Exactly a week after the last time.

GRRRRRR

 

Did you recently get gas? If not the gas cap, then I'm assuming it's the issue MINI is currently addressing. My light hasn't come back on.....yet. It was on for a few days and 50 miles. I'm guessing it will come back on after my next fill up in the next couple of days. Will post if that happens (and at the other thread as well).

 

Funnily enough, I did get gas last week, filled up the tank full, made sure the cap was screwed on tight and clicked it several times to be sure.

3 notches down, and here it is again.

This is so frustrating, but at least I'm breathing again knowing it's not operator error!!!

 

My light came on about a week after I got gas as well. My husband removed the gas cap and put it back on again, and (as I wrote above) the light went off 50 miles and a few days later. The SA told me it can take a week to reset, so I guess that's what happened with me. Maybe do the gas cap thing again?

 

That's weird about the possible gas cap occurance. I'm crossing my fingers for you about not having to go thru a recall. Now, that's a pain in the you know what! I went thru a recall on my Mercury Capri in the very late 70's. I had to go without my car for over 2 weeks while the service guys fixed it.

 

According to the owner's manuals on our cars a yellow warning lamp generally indicates that it is still safe to cautiously operate the vehicle as long as it seems to be running ok.

Never, ever buy into the "it's probably the gas cap BS". I have personally owned an '03 MC, and currently own an '06 MCSC. Both of them have a seperate indicator for a loose or missing gas cap. I just checked the online version of the '07 hardtop owners manual. There is still a dedicated indicator. On the '07 it looks like a picture of a car with a gas cap beside it.

On the '02 through '06 it says "CHECK GAS CAP". It is not one that lights up when you turn the car on, so you will never notice it unless you leave your gas cap off or loose. I have only seen it once in 4 years of MINI ownership.

I don't understand why even the dealerships seem to be ignorant of this factor of the car.