Manual transmission, MSC, N14, 2010, 65k.

I notice before the engine warms up the car runs a bit quirky. Kind of jerky when accelerating modestly in a neighborhood. Makes me wonder what's about to go wrong with it...No codes, lights, etc.

 

That sounds like my 2011 N18 manual was acting when the HPFP was going out. I think I was at about 32k, and thankfully still under factory warranty.

 

Most of the problems I see people post about problems with the HPFP is stalling out when starting. Is there a way to check the Bar pressure at the pump without spending hundreds of dollars on a scan tool? I wonder if I'm having the initial symptoms of the pump going out.

 

You may get the same symptoms when the valves need to be cleaned.

 

Would carbon on the valves only effect the car during warm up? I would think a constant problem like that would cause constant issues.

 

Mine was bipolar when cold. Nothing happened smoothly until it warmed up. It probably had something to to with at the altered fuel mixture in open loop.

 

His much should I be looking at for valve cleaning? Indy shop. Not dealer

 

I paid $800 for my dealer to perform walnut media blasting, found out the Mini indy shops only charged $350-$550 for the same job. Usually the dealer updates the ECU, the one that I got got rid of my torque steer in high second gear. The thing about carbon deposits they absorb gases when hot further leaning out your AFR ratios and just continues to burn hot that could possibly burning a valve.

 

OP, I had the exact same symptoms: cold starts lead to hesitations and backfires and then ran more normally once it warmed up. Walnut shell blasting made it 75% better and replacing my old coil packs did the rest. HPFP could also be the culprit, but it sounds more like coked up valves if you don't have any stalling.

 

I recently replaced the coils and plugs due to hesitation and choking. I guess I'll replace the HPFP since that's the cheaper of the two and I can do it myself.

 

What if it's your other fuel pump inside the tank is bad and not your HPFP? Money wasted if you lose the gamble.

 

Maybe I should just let an Indy shop diagnose it.

 

Might be the best idea, but can always check over everything fueling related as well as look for any types of leaks in the system. This had some good suggestions to a similar issue. Otherwise, if nothing seems apartment let us know what the shop finds out!

-Luccia