ok. got an '05 R52 6 speed. Love it but its got shall we say "character." Had it since 2010. got it with 30k ish miles now it has 90k. needed a crank sensor soon after purchase but outside factory warranty. replaced battery in 2012. now she's stalling and dying and won't restart for several minutes. Fuel pump is running. Pulled back seat and panel and it hums fine even when after it stalls and won't restart. Check engine light comes on when it dies but stays off after successful restart. its my wife's baby and I can't make her run. I'm thinking maybe the crank sensor's gone bad again. A MINI mechanic suggests registering the battery with the CPU after replacement but I'm figuring after four years of no issue, that can't be it. any suggestions? Many thanks!!

 

How 'bout a rundown on all the service it's had such as:
Plugs/coil - lube/oil/filter - fuel filter - alternator output - serpentine belt - and a few other normal service items.
At 90K you should also be thinking about proactively replacing the timing chain tensioner as well.
Here's a list of service items with intervals a lot of folks subscribe to.

Engine Oil/Filter changes every 3-5K
Brake Fluid every 20K
Coolant every 30K
PCV vent valve every 30K
PS Fluid flush every 30K
Fuel Filter Change every 50K
Plugs every 40K
Serpentine belt 30 - 40K
Rotate tires - 5K

 

I had a stalling problem on my '06 R52 that was fixed by replacing the purge valve (MINI/BMW calls it a "fuel tank breather valve"). It's something cheap and easy to try before moving on to more complicated possibilities — literally open the hood and swap it out in 60 seconds.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ent-valve.html

 

forgot to say...its an "S" convertible.

Service - oil & filter changes every 3-5k with a tire rotation simultaneously
plugs and wires are purchased and awaiting installation
fuel filter is almost certainly original but if fuel restriction was my problem, I don't think it'd be so intermittent.
Other fluids are original but I don't suppose they would cause this issue.

 

No they won't, but that's not why I included them. The fact that they may be original is what I suspected which indicates a lack of attention to your car's well being. MINI's are not your every day drive 'em and forget 'em soccer mom appliances. This forum is full of stories about those who neglected the care and feeding of their MINI then wondered 'what happened?'.

 

Fly'n Brick: So you've insulted and criticized me and yet offered no hint of assistance. I am a self taught mechanic and have worked on cars for many years. I'm relatively new to MINI (if you consider six years of ownership new) but know my way around the toolbox. I have performed all the work on this vehicle including replacement of the crank sensor and the a arm bushings along with all the other routine maintenance - oil/filter changes and brake/rotor replacement as well as the tire replacement and balancing. I can say I am disappointed in the reliability of the vehicle. Both front seats have failed and required replacement of rails on the driver's side and the seat back on the passenger side - neither of which were caused by a lack of changing the brake fluid. We also had an electrical gremlin that seems to have worked itself out, I'm sure it wasn't because I rotated the tires! This is an automobile, a machine. It does not need feeding. I don't consider not changing fluids that remain perfectly clear "neglect" as you strongly implied.

So here it is - I posted this to see if others might concur with my self-diagnosis of a faulty crank sensor or if there were other ideas. If you think my R52 is stalling intermittently because the trans fluid needs changing then say so and I will disagree but thank you for your input. If you have nothing productive to add, I would prefer your silence!

 

See, you don't mention any of those previous experience facts at the outset leaving anyone to make assumptions which made an *** out of both of us. Nobody on this forum posts insulting thoughts. Every thing is there as a heads up for anybody who might have questions or inexperience. Also, expressing things that indicate a thin skin over perceived insults gets nobody anywhere.
You've had it 6 years at 90K miles and all those fluids are original certainly implies an owner with little or no experience caring for a motor vehicle, that being the reason for including HELPFUL hints on normal car care.

 

Have the battery tested - it is not unusual for a battery to go out at 4 years.

Use a code scanner to see if any error codes are recorded in the ECU.

It's difficult to diagnose remotely, but if no codes are recorded, then the crank sensor may be the simplest fix - so I would recommend you try replacing it first.

If the problem persists, have the fuel pressure checked at the engine to confirm the fuel pump is operating to spec.... if the fuel filter has never been replaced, do so.

Hope this helps!

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

I'm not sure I understand what exactly is happening to your MINI, would you mind clarifying the following:

• What symptoms is your MINI experiencing? How is it stalling? Is there a lack of power before it stalls? How long does it stay dead for?
• What has been replaced that can be ruled out as the culprit? For example, a dirty fuel filter/low fuel pressure would definitely cause stalling issues.

 

sarom058 - thanks for your response. so here it is. I'll be driving along and it'll stall without warning. I coast to the side of the road and crank it. It cranks fine. The tach registers engine movement so the crank sensor seems ok. the fuel pump runs fine but the engine won't turn over. After several minutes, I key the ignition and it'll start and run fine.

The crank senor was replaced several years ago and the fuel pump and filter are probably original. The battery was replaced four years ago and never "registered" with the PCM. I just learned that was a thing but having not had this problem since the battery replacement, I can't imagine it needs to be registered.

I have not checked the fuel pressure at the rail - the intercooler makes this challenging. I also have not checked the battery which may well be on its way out but with the alternator supplying power while the engine is running, I can't imagine why a bad battery would cause a stall.

Ideas?

 

Yes, a battery could cause that. Go through the list above and let us know!

 

AFAIK, 1st generation MINI (your R52) doesn't have any procedure to register the battery.

 

+1 its just the Gen 2+ certain models that have the IBS battery cable

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nt-help-6.html

 

Have you checked the battery cable for corrosion? I had to dremel my battery clean when I first bought my R53.