Hello,

I have a 04' mini cooper R53 that has some major issues. First off the problem I'm having is what some on here would say is a cold start issue deal. The car will start fine in ther morning after it has been sitting all night but after the 2nd start of the day if I'm making short stops where it only sits 40min or so turned off it will not idle at all after start up.

So far I have changed the fuel pump, fuel filter, all plugs and wires, checked for vac. leaks. Also I've taken it to TWO mini dealers one in louisville, ky and the other in cincinnati, oh and they can't find the problem. The last one I took it to put it on the diagnostic computer suposidly and said that it might be a bad valve and low compression. That turned out to be wrong, and the other changed a int. air filter hahaha. So needless to say I'm just about tired of this deal, the stalling is getting to the point it kicks the CVT into EP mode sometimes .

I live in lexington,KY and the two nearest mini dealers are both the ones I've been to. They don't know what to do, and one told me just to sell it.
the car has 129,000 miles and looks like new and has always been serviced on time. I really want to keep this car but it doesn't run when I need it to. So do anyone have any suggestions on what to do? Maybe call Mini USA?

 

Please call MINI USA then let all of us know what they tell you

 

Since you are not seeing any codes, have someone hook up one of those hand held Micro Scan readers into your OBDII port and make a few test runs and see what it says when it's actually ocurring. If it can be simulated in the shop at MINI while hooked up, all the better.

Probably the only way to find out when codes are not being stored.

 

,JPMM
I will let you know what they say, I'm going to try to call them this afternoon.

,Grey raven
I have a scanner and the only code that I can ever get to pop up is P0422 and thats a system evap leak i thought. So i went do the road of vac. leaks fuel pump leaks etc. and could find anything. The only place I haven't explored on the fuel system is the canister in the RR wheel well. I've heard of leaks there but I'm thinking if it was leaking it would cause my car to run bad all the time. Not allowing it to run perfect on the 1st start of the day then all other starts after result in stalls.

 

What kind of gas are you using?

You mention a CVT, is this in fact an S or a regular Cooper?

 

JPMM,
I just talked to MINI usa and they said they couldn't help me out, hummm thats not too good . The fellow on the phone at first tried to give some tech advice, but soon figured out he wasn't going to fix the car over the phone so he just said he didn't know much about the tech parts of the car and that was it. he just suggested going to another dealer than I had before. But the only 2 dealers in a 200 mile radius are the ones I've been to. So then he suggest taking it to a local repair shop? Ha mini now suggest taking my car to someone but an authorized service rep. thats funny.


,MINI33342
I am using the highest octane gas I can get here in ky, 93 octane with up to 10% etho
and it's a regular Cooper.

 

The octane has little to do with how well the gas keeps the engine clean. What brand and the additive package it has is the real difference.

Have you tried using a top brand gas or adding Techron (or an equivalent)?

How long have you owned it?

 

I've owned the car since it was brand new in 2004 and drove every one of the 129,000 miles on it today. I usually use shell fuels but I've tried techron as well. I've also seafoamed the fuel sys. in the last month just as normal maint. when I get my oil changes. But I don't think it's my fuel thats the problem. When I go out to start the car in the morning it will run/idle perfect just at about 1,200 while its warming up. Its currently in the mid 20s here in central ky. But after I get to work and come out to start the car on the 2nd try for the day it will start idle up to 900 and back down to 600rpm and then back up to 900. If im lucky its will smooth out in a min. or two. But sometimes its so bad I have to hold down the pedal just to keep it running. and after a min. I can let off slowly and hopefully stablize around 1000 rpms. But as of late the car has aquired a new phenomenon. If I just let the car idle as normal on some occasions it will idle fine then drop to 600rmps and sputter like one cylinder is missing and EP comes up on the speedo display. This is all before I have even put the car into drive. When I get my EP sputter issue, I just turn the car off and restart it and then its all hunky dory . I'm really thinking i probably have a bad computer or something and its related to fueling the engine.

 

Similar to Artoo ('03MCS w/115,000 miles). Have you changed your fuel filter. Yes, Mini says it is a forever filter but when I changed mine it came out black as coal.

With the good instructions around it will take you about an hour and it is worth a try.

Rich

 

,Rich
I thought the same thing about the fuel filter being the problem. So I changed the filter and put a brand new fuel pump in at the same time. And you are right about the old fuel filter being dirty whoo it had a lot of gunk in there. But after the change it started fine just as it has been on the 1st startup. But on the second startup it was back to it's old ways of loaping idle.