Ok, I took my recently purchased '02 MCS (9k miles) into Classic for it's last free maint as the maint warranty was expiring in a couple of days. This was one wild Mini. Smoke the tires in 1st and 2nd and good chirp in 3rd. Completely untamed! So we get there and Classic says there is a recall open on the program and they will need to update it. So in my naivety I says OK (I believe tho that it would not have mattered what I said). Anyway they do the oil thing and the brake fluid thing and filters and so on as well as the program. I looked at the monitor and we had v32 in it and they were plugging v40(?) into it. All is done and we take off for home. Only we don't leave with the same vimm and vigor as when we arrived! I think I left some of my Mini at Classic! Can I get it Back? It's not the same fire breathing beast now! What have I done to my Mini?

 

I'm gonna take a guess and say the ecu will need to relearn your driving habits

 

As frightening as the present situation is, give it a few days to work itself out, and you should see the return of your peppy, responsive car. Not sure why the ECU updates turn the car temporarily into a lawnmower, but luckily it doesn't last long.

 

Well, thanks gang. I am feeling better already. It was sure a shock when we drove home. Not as bad as the John Deer, but seemed to be. So we're off to the curvy roads for some therapy.
Happy days are here again!

 

Did the previous owner have a flash-based ECU upgrade? If so, having the dealership upload the "new" software would be a sure-fire way to lose power.

 

yeah, Classic is good at *#&$ing things up.

just go complain, it seems to help up there lol

 

I've had top-notch sales and service from Classic MINI; and recommend them to everyone. If you've had trouble with Classic, try a load of MCM, then you'd really know what crap service is!

 

I need to Drive Vader to MCM for a servicxe bulletin and see what they say.. what ya think rye?

 

They'd give you a dumb look and then say that, even though it's running fine, that you caused the problem and they'll charge you double labor rate just to change the wipers, which are already covered under the maintenance clause.

 

Don't know. This is a bone stock/plain jane '02 MCS. Which is the way I like it. I'm not faulting Classic, just dissapointed that v40 would have this impact on performance. Sure would like to know how to get v32 back!

 

Buy another '02 MCS--change the oil/filters yourself and squeal the tires as you go by Classic.

 

Does this sound anything like the same problem you might be having...

I posted this in the "Is your car stalling" thread.

"I’ve had my MCS almost 3 years now. August 02 build and have never had one problem with it. No yo-yo, no stumble, no anything. I have posted many times over the last 3 years that I have one of the most reliable MINI’s that has ever been built. I even have stone chips in my windshield the size of a nickel and the windshield won’t break. Other than on road trips about 3 times a year, I buy my 93 octane gas at the same station every week. In the history of owning my MCS I have never had a stalling problem. Other than the oil being changed, I’ve never had one thing changed or go wrong with my MINI

A little over a month ago I had my 02 MCS in to the dealer for the emissions recall update. Until then I had the original v32 programmed in to the car. I had never upgraded once. The philosophy, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

The dealer installed the newest update at the time, v40 I believe it was and my MCS has had nothing but stalling problems since.

Now it’s very hard to start in the morning, I can’t even pull out of my flat driveway without stalling and it’s getting worse daily. I’ll sit at a stop light and hear the engine sputter, choke and even die now and then. It runs and idles rough. Pickup off the line is terrible. None of this has ever happened – ever to my MCS with v32.

It has nothing to do with the gas a certain time of the year, the outside temperature or wet/cold/hot conditions. It is the ECU program alone and my indestructible MCS has been ruined because of it.

I’m not a happy camper."

 

Mine's a May '02 build MCS. It doesn't stall (and it better not start!). it just doesn't BREATH FIRE like it did before. And I know it had v32 cuz I looked at the monitor and noted I was 8 revs behind. Wish I still was 8 behind. Seeing as how you've been around awhile, what can we do to get v32 back? Maybe a wrecked '02 in the bone yard?

Hang in there......Les

 

Just get to driving it the way you usually do and it will come back. I dont know what the difference is between v32 and v40 but in general modern ECU's will actually learn your driving style and adjust the car's tuning accordingly. I recently drove my mom's S70 for a few weeks while I was waiting for my MINI to arrive and that thing was unbelievably slow compared to the one i had years ago (hers is a 99 with 2 more horsepower than my 98). By the time i gave it back it was smoking the tires off the line just like mine did years ago. Flashing the ECU will erase everything the car has learned thus far so it has to be retrained.

 

I usually have had good luck after running Ryan's ECU reset procedure.

 

Mine didn't stall either for the first few weeks after the ECU flash. just a real lack of power that I once had.

Hang in there I think you'll be in for a great treat.

BMW has a copy of every revision they've ever made. It's how do we get them to reflash our MINIs with v32.

This is nothing Classic did per say, just the dealer who performed the flash. Mine was done at Brian Harris in Baton Rouge, LA and I don't blame them other than the fact I didn't want it done. BMW/MINI ruined my car, not the dealer.

 

Sorry, but that's hilarious (in an unfortunate way, of course). I really wish you guys luck. Funny how MINI is more than happy to stick '05 buyers with '03 NAV discs, but it seems they have to update the ECU software every time they replace a bulb or inflate a tire.

 

Legally, they probably couldn't do that if they wanted to. They issued a recall on the code. Reinstalling it would expose them to considerable liability.

Wasn't the recall over the hesitation present when pulling out (turning) from a stop? My car does this if I forget to turn the ASC off when I start the car. I've still got no intention of letting the dealer reprogram anything. If I HAVE to go to a dealer I've got a spare ECU that I'll put in the car first.

 

First, I only drive one way and that’s hard, whether it’s hard at 35 MPH or 125 MPH.

Ryphile knows me personally and will vouch for that.

Second, I’m not sure how naive you are, but a bad ECU flash will not fix itself because of the way you drive.

Last, Brian Harris flashed mine late April. I was at the Dragon destroying a brand new set of tires for the week one week later. When is it going to learn how I drive? The tire guy loves me because I’m putting my third set of tires on this year, because I have a Dragon trip in a week.

BTW I’m not burning rubber to wear the tires out, I just drive my MCS the way it should be, I drive aggressively.

 

Chatted with service today and they say they can not go back in revisions. Only forward.
mmmmm......Appears I have a couple of options....
1. On the off chance they bungled the flash, I could have them re-flash.
2. Then drive it like I like to and hope it "learns". How that happens I don't comprehend just yet.
3. Scour the planet for an unmolested '02 MCS ECU. (Anybody got one?)
4. Any other ideas gang?

....Les

 

When we had the 03 there was a software recall/manditory upgrade that had to do with emissions. They basically said that if we do not do it the warranty could be effected (and, of course, it would probably also cause problems smogging it). I don't remember what version it was or anything, and since I wasn't the driver on that car I couldn't tell you if the dl hampered the performance any.

Seems like Mini has issues with ECU software, just like BMW

 

Les, I think they encode the vin number into the ECU and it wouldn't work in a car with a different vin number. At least this is what I remember reading/hearing somewhere...

 

Try resetting the computer? either with the 'hold reset button then turn key' on method. Or unhook the battery cable for a few minutes. Then drive the cr@p out of the car for about 100 miles.

 

I didn't think they could go back, but I know they have it.

1. They bungled the flash only to the point our perfect running 02's don't like it a and they have no reason to worry about cars out of warrenty.
2. Only thing your MINI will learn is how to choke out from this flash and I don't care how you drive.
3. That's an Idea, but tell me how you will tell it has the v32 flashed on it.
4. Get a catapult to get you out of the driveway in the next few weeks because your MINI won't make it on its own.

Sorry dude, but I'm in the same boat as you.

 

Ok, what's the reset the flash routine. My MCS is a PJ (plain jane), no computer, no MFSW. Is it the "hold trip odometer reset button whilst rotating key to position #1"? Ans then step through various menu items?

SNDWAVE - I just read an older post from "BILBOA-BAGGINS" (?) and he had the exact same issue as I and could not go back! BUMMER! He, too, mentioned adaptive something or others and the car re-learns how you drive.

So here's what I going to do. I'm going to do a reset and then for next 100 miles drive like I know the Mini wants to be driven and see what happens!

Twisty/curvy roads are good therapy for what alis the Mini!!!!