I was driving my 2007 R56 this morning. Everything seemed fine until I started driving this portion of the freeway uphill when I notice that I wasn't getting much if any power under acceleration. My car wasn't speeding up much and then I started noticing that my acceleration was stuttering. Basically, I had my foot on the pedal, but my acceleration would go up, stop, go up stop, and so on. The car was kinda rocking back and forth in a sense due to uneven acceleration. After a while my check engine light went on. I drove with this issue for another 5-10 minutes until I reach my work and used an OBDII code reader to check what the issue was. I got 3 codes, one for a random misfiring cylinder, another for misfiring at cylinder 2 and another for cylinder 4. Another thing was idle was very rough. Engine is literally shaking and idle rev would constantly bounce up and down and not maintain a constant idle rev.

I checked the forum and talked with another guy and our thought is that it maybe the ignition coil-on-plugs that may be failing. Something electrical may have gone bad. I replaced the spark plugs less than 6 months ago. Coils have never been replace yet. My car is currently at about 145,000 miles. There's also mention of possible bad o2 sensors, fuel injectors, catalytic converter, etc. Cost for each plug is about $55 each at Autozone for Duralast COP.

Has anyone had similar issues? Notably the fact that it just happened while driving. Let me know. Thanks.

 

From what I've read, you're describing a failing HPFP..

 

^^^ Not id he has a Cooper with an N12 engine. No way to tell as that info is absent. Maybe kiyo21 can fill us in on what flavor MINI.

If he has a MCS I'd bet it is due for a walnut blasting of the intake valves.

 

Sorry about not posting the engine type. It's an 2007 Cooper S with N14 engine. I had some help today testing out the ignition coil on plugs (COP) for each of the spark plugs. He did some testing with a multimeter and noticed that one of the COP was shorting out unlike the other 3 which seem to test fine. As of right now, the plan is to replace that one COP with a new one and see what happens.
The local Mini dealer is asking for about $85 for one, while Autozone has a Duralast model for $55, but needs to be special order and delivered. I got the one from Autozone. Now just waiting until it arrives by Tuesday next week.

I'm hoping this is all it is but we'll find out once it's switch out. I had the fuel pump replaced about two years back. I hope that didn't go bad again.

 

A post from 2010 by the op said he has an S.

 

Duralast parts are junk....
Had bought one for a highlander....went bad 3 times (same cylinder) in 7 months...ordered new OEM Denso brands...changed them all...now OK...the OEM coils went 200,000 miles...the duralast "made in China" coils went about 2500 miles each. Similar with a "standard" coil I got about the same time....the replacents oem coils ended being CHEAPER when I bought them online.....
To have more than one coil fail at one time is odd...you can usually move the bad coil...and the misfire will follow if the coil is the issue....

 

Yeah. We did switch the ignition coil around from one cylinder to another.
The failing COP was coming from cylinder 4. The spark plug wouldn't spark. We then switched the COP out with another connected to cylinder 3 and the spark plug sparked fine. When we connected the failing COP to another cylinder, it wouldn't spark.

 

$85.00 ? for a 12137575010 ??

What dealer is selling those above posted LIST price of $65.00?? They need ruler across the knuckles....bad show.

 

Yeah. Replacement parts I've bought from the local dealer has been a bit overpriced than what I see online. I use realoem.com as a baseline for price point. Sometimes I can get them to drop the price a bit if I ask them but sometimes not depending on who's working the counter.

 

It's called price gouging and UNLAFUL in some states last I knew.

Like charging Matrix pricing for keys....cant publish one price as list then raise it up just cause ya feel like it.


This should apply in your state. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...le=17200-17210

 

Sorry Gray, but up you may want to brush up on your law books.

The price may be high and unreasonable, but price gouging may be unlawful only when the product is both considered a necessity, there is not an open market for the product, and no reasonable alternative source for the product is readily available. And you already know MINI's posted prices are only "suggested" retail prices. It would be a violation of federal law for MINi to mandate any price for its product sold by an independent dealer. And it was previously mentioned that the MINi product is better than the cheaper Chinese made alternative...

Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

Would have been more accurate to call it false advertising then your right but Real OEM is published/update with film owned by BMW, and while there is as what you mentioned, Suggested Retail price, that is not how BMW is posting their prices. It clearly states in their film which is transferred to Realoem as; "PRICE" and not SRP....

 

So I just get the new ignition coil on plug today. I replaced the bad plug with the new one for cylinder 4. I ran the engine and it runs better but idle is still rough and stuttering. When running the engine above 3000 rpm at neutral, the engine maintains the revs better than before but still jumps or drop.

After running the engine for about a minute, I inspected all the spark plugs. All of them seem to be igniting since they were dry and weren't wet with fuel when taking them out.

I also rechecked the check engine codes. I am getting another code now besides misfiring cylinders. It is P1497 which is "DOWNSTREAM THROTTLE AIR LEAK." After checking other post, they mention the most common issue for this is a cracked valve cover. Can both the misfiring and this new issue be related to a common cause?

 

So here's an update regarding my MINI. I've had two shops inspect the car and both mention that there is no compression at cylinder 2. This is likely due to burnt exhaust valves. One of the shop did both a wet and dry compression test. He mentioned that its more than likely just the head that needs fixing. Each mentioned there is a slim chance (5-10% chance they says) that there may be other issues such as damage to the cylinder wall, piston or piston rings. He's confident but can't say for certainty unless he takes off the head and verify. One shop quoted me $2500 to fix the head. Another quoted me an estimate of $2300-$2400. Head job would include reconditioning the engine head, recondition the valves, replace burnt valves, new head gasket, spark plugs.

For a MINI with 142,000 miles on it, do you think this is worth it? I was thinking about selling the car as is now, but am reconsidering. Now I'm thinking about fixing it now, drive it for a few more months, and sell it later this year. My resale value should increase and it should be easier to sell the car with a working engine than not. My concern now is the estimate. I don't want it to balloon up if they see more internal issues (cylinder or piston damage) besides the head since they can't be 100% sure unless they open the head. Anyone get their head recondition for burnt valves only to discover more issues?

 

Trying to sell it as is will be difficult for a non-running MCS, however if it were running it becomes much more possible to sell it. On the flip side if there's more damage other than the head and valves you just dug yourself a deep hole to throw money into or perhaps it's just the head and valves that's your only issue.

This is not an easy decision by any means! The smart move in my opinion is to have the head removed, this is the only way you'll have your answers as to whether or not to proceed forward.

 

I'm not sure if it helps, but I'd thought I'd chime in since this hasn't been mentioned yet ..

.. when was the last time you had your valves cleaned??

I have a 2007 MCS with 53k that I bought back in September. About a week after I got it, I was experiencing many of the same issues you were and was throwing a "misfire on cyl 2" code. I forgot the actual code number. Anyways, after changing out the spark plugs and still having no result with the misfire code, I finally caved and took it to my MINI dealer.

Symptoms when brought in - CEL code for the misfure, hesitation/slight jerking on acceleration, and jumpy idle.

Dealer offered the walnut-blasting to clean the valves. It cost me $425 out of pocket, but it resolved every single one of those issues. It's been 6 months and 6,000 miles later and she purrs like a kitten. Runs and drives much smoother, and zero codes or issues since then.

It still seems like a lot, but it's a whole lot less than the $2500 you were quoted at. I would try that, before anything else .. oh and also the HPFP bc from what I understand, they present similar issues.

 

OP has a base non-S Mini Cooper, so port fuel injection. I also have a 2007 MCS with 53k and it started running like yours until I had the walnut blasting, engine was knocking/detonation was do to excess carbon in combustion chambers. Nothing 4-5 bottles of BG 44K couldn't clean.

 

uhm, What? He said he had a Cooper-S ...

 

I seemed to have missed the post where he states it's an S, first post said 2007 R56.

 

 

Might want to start your own thread. But You having the N12 means you dont have a HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) And the valve cleaning that is listed as a possible solution wouldnt apply to your motor either.