Hoping your experience can help get my Mini back on the road, it's been sitting about a month now... Problems started with really rough idle and no power. I limped it home and plugged in an OBD. I could start it, but it was really rough and threw codes for P0300, P0301, P0303 misfires in cylinder 1 and 3. Also 2781, 2771, 2775 combustion misfires cylinder 1 and 3. Years earlier I had two ignition coils replaced, and so I assumed the other two were now bad, so I ordered a set of new 4 Delphi coils and 4 NGK spark plugs. When they arrived, I pulled the coils and plugs (which were dry but with thick black crust. I replaced the plugs and coils with a torque wrench set at 20 pounds, but when I went to start the car it cranks for a long time but does not start. My friend suggested maybe I'm not getting fuel? I replaced the HPFP about 1.5 years ago. A friend of mind has a mechanic friend, who heard the video and says he hears no compression, and thinks the "timing belt might have slipped" and warned me that if I try to start it the rods might get bent, and I should tow it in. (I know it's a Timing chain, the tensioner and guide was replaced by Mini recall many years ago but it has been getting louder. Before this happened the car ran but was leaking/burning oil and there was some smoke coming out of the hood scoop when idling, I was going to do a valve cover gasket). Any thoughts or advice? I already tried starting it 4-5 times before he told me, and I'm afraid to start it again. Anyone know what no compression sounds like, and is it safe for me to try starting? I've attached the cranking video link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ndM4aXQ6vtNDDP1R9

Oh, and I forgot that after I installed the new coils and plugs, I get the following codes:
273F Ignition Coil, cylinder 4, ignition circuit monitoring
2781 Combustion misfires, several cylinders
2779 Combustion misfires, cylinder 4
2775 Combustion misfires, cylinder 3

Is it weird that the misfires are still in cylinder 3, but moved to cylinder 4 after I replaced the plugs and coils? Should I try replacing wires?

 

As far as the misfires go, I'm always skeptical of new coils unless they're OEM-quality (and Delphi is), and they are sourced from a reliable vendor (to prevent getting counterfeit coils, which are very, very common). Same with plugs.

I agree there's something very (!) odd about the sound of that engine cranking, and I would also suspect a timing issue. Be careful, because if it slips far enough your valves get into a fistfight with your pistons.

 

Thanks for responding Habbyguy! The Delphi coils are from Rock Auto (well known...reputable?) and the NGK (Laser Iridium) plugs are from clubplug.ca (less well known... Had a few good reviews). The code for ignition coil number 4 makes me wonder if 1 coil is bad? The spark plugs had a really shiny curved tip when I received them, but when I installed them and tried to start the car unsuccessfully, I took out the spark plugs and noticed that the shiny coating on the tips seems to have dulled. Is that normal? (I am an amateur and this is the first time I've changed my own spark plugs). If it's a timing issue I guess I had better get it towed in to a shop.
This is what the new spark plugs look like after a few days installed and 3-4 startup attempts:

 

I agree that rockauto is a fully vetted supplier - I wouldn't worry about counterfeit parts from them. There are a LOT of counterfeit plugs running around - I can't really tell if the ground "tab" (can't remember if it's the anode or cathode...) just has a little "combustion chamber patina" or if the "chrome plating" flaked off (shouldn't be any plating, IIRC, so that might make you wonder).

Anyway, the simple thing to do (particularly on a Mini) is to swap the #1 and #2 plugs and see if the problem follows or not. I'd also swap the #1 and #3 coils to see if that causes the problem to move as well.

But I suspect that's all moot given the way the engine sounds turning over. Don't think it's going to be starting any time soon. You might do some searching on "timing marks" and see if you can get an idea if the timing HAS slipped (basically, you line up the crank pulley so that the engine is at TDC (Top Dead Center) and then check the cam pulley(s) to see if they're at the right timing mark (that's my assumption - though with BMW so involved, anything is possible since their engineers like making things difficult). ;-)

 

Check the fuel pressure. The HPFP may have failed.

 

Perform a compression and leak down test. Check timing. Compression test will give you the big picture; leak-down test will help isolate the combustion pressure leak for individual cylinders if the compression test finds one.

No timing belt in the N14 ... timing chain. How many miles since the chain and guides were replaced under the recall?

No plug wires on an N14 ... COP (coil on plug). Do check the ignition system ground wire. I've read posts where some DIYers have forgotten to reattach the ground wire when performing valve cover gasket replacements and fried their DME.

 

It's a BMW?MINI; special tools required. No timing marks: You need this set to check the timing.


Set cylinder 1 to TDC on the compression stroke; pin the crank, remove the valve cover, and install the camshaft timing tools.