I am very frustrated by the constant problems with my Mini. Things were great for the first two months of ownership. Then the EP warning light went on, meaning there was a malfunction with the automatic transmission. I took it in, and they supposedly fixed it. One month later, my car was lunging and stalling, so I took it in and they supposedly reprogrammed it. Then one week later, it stalled, and it's been stalling about once a week for a month, and today the EP light went on again. I'll call the dealer, but I'm afraid they just tinker with it, but don't really fix the problem. Is the problem even fixable? Do I have a lemon? How many more chances should I give? I otherwise love my car, but the weekly stalling and the EP light are making me very nervous. I would appreciate any thoughts and advice. Thank you.

 

Chililover, sorry to hear that.

Stalling and lurching are problems that other CVT owners have had...do a thread search, I think that there are lots of posts. The key is that this CAN be fixed, even if the solution is a transmission replacment (as some have found). BUT you need to get to a dealer who can properly diagnose the problem and address your concerns. True, there may be some degree of back and forth between you and the dealer (perhaps that's "tinkering&quot required, but it can be addressed.

What's your dealer? A constant thread in all of these discussions is how some (many in certain parts of the country) MINI dealers absolutely stink while others are stellar. If you have one of the stinky ones and can't get yourself and your car to another, better, one you may need to bring MINIUSA into the picture. Sometimes that helps.

 

What's your mileage and build date?

Your car seems to be the perfect candidate for the following replacement parts:

1) New engine wiring harness
2) New throttle body contro module
3) New software update version 33.2 (Version 34 coming up soon)

Those are the culprits behind your constant issues with the car. Call MINIUSA at 1-866-ASK-MINI and ask to talk to Jenn.

Good luck.

 

Transmission replacement is not always needed. The three items I listed above are commonly found as causes for most EP light and atlling related issues. Let the dealer make the final diagnosis on it.


We have a 2002 Cooper CVT with 9K+ troublefree miles in the odometer. The car is smooth as silk!

 

Thanks for your responses. I called the dealer today and of course they never returned my phone call. And today, my EP light disappeared (which happened the first time, too). I got a new control module two months ago, so I hope that it's the wiring harness this time. I asked for the latest software last month when my Mini was stalling, but the dealer said they can't give you the latest software just because you ask for it. Their "qualified mechanics" have to diagnose the problem first. It turns out they "reprogrammed the DME", and I'm not sure if that meant getting the new software, but at least it really doesn't lurch anymore, it just stalls. I may try another dealer. Thanks!