Boring Prologue:
My wife's 2003 R50 had been running in EP mode for several weeks after being told that she needed a new tranny by BMW... and finally one day decided it no longer wanted to start altogether. I'm in Phoenix and the car had broken down outside of her work in 110 degree heat so I did what I could in the parking lot to get it running, battery voltage was good, sprayed fuel from the rail when depressing the valve, didn't seem to have spark... Towed it home with my truck when it looked hopeless without proper tools (5 miles, I know you're not supposed to tow the CVT on four wheels). Starting issue stayed a mystery for a few days while I waited for an OBD cable to be delivered. I suspected the immobilizer and when the cable arrived, I was right, resynced the key and it started again, but the EP mode remained... Read the codes and they were P0705 PRNDL Input, P1611 Serial Communication to Transmission Failure, P0500 Vehicle Speed Sensor.

Admonition about using google to solve all your problems:
Based on information from google and this forum went down several blind alleys, most information points to the sensors in the following diagram:

Seems logical based on the issues I was having, but actually neither of these turned out to be the problem, and you can deduce this without every turning a wrench. If your car starts, and only starts in Park and Neutral then the safety switch #4 is not the issue, it has nothing to do whatsoever with the shifting process and is an accident of someone's misunderstanding and google's ability to broadcast information that you get that answer at all, it is only a four position switch, ignore it (or at least drain your tranny before removing it because it will happen with or without your consent, ask me how I know). The other sensor in the diagram, Part #1, measures speed at the differential, when disconnected, the speedometer didn't work, so that wasn't it either. So the issue can only be so many things, the ECU seemed fine and it controls the tranny through the GIU, it was getting data back, at least enough to tell it that it was broken...

Tore apart the center console, unplugged everything, (lighter, leds, mirror switches, the actual switch to gear input) and running this way no difference to the car, so as it was too hot to work outside anyway I was looking for wiring diagrams and found the motherload free factory documents for my car.

http://www.bmw-planet.com/2011/11/05...cal-documents/

While looking at the wiring documentation for the CVT, you see something strange you can't really guess looking at a bunch of plastic "Modules" especially if you don't think about the car working on a bus system. There is one communication line (Green + Yellow) used throughout the tranny communication circuit and one ground so since the switch made no difference in any of this, it was (probably) bound to be one of those that was the issue. Pulled the switch of the shifter and found what is inevitable (in between three cup holders that aren't waterproof) in the Mini, a switch corroded by spilled drinks.
Cleaned off the switch and sanded some of the blistered soldermask and found a single burned off trace:

This was on the Red wire on the harness for the switch, which was the Green + Yellow line in the GIU/ECU harness. It was burned off up to the via, so I just jumpered it with a small piece of 30 AWG kynar wire like this:

and, long story made a bit less long, this fixed all of the above codes, switch was able to communicate, no more break in the serial communication to the transmission, no more plausibility issues with the speed sensor. As far as I can see there is only one part regarded by the car as PRNDL input. it is the switch on the side of the selector lever.

I thought about just replacing the whole switch because the fix seemed a little kludgey but after trying to buy the switch and being told that I need to buy the shifter assembly for $500 I don't think I will. Price for the repair went from $6500 to $500 to $0.01 and I'm really alright with that. I'm only posting this so that other people don't waste time like I did.

 

I have very similar issues, and have been ready to throw the Mini to the curb a dozen times. Just today I had the two sensors in the above diagram in my cart online and didn't buy them. I will be checking the speed control sensor for corrosion and looking at the board now too. The MINI is a high miles CVT and was DIRTY as all heck when I got it, so maybe some SODA or goo shorted my board.... will update and thanks! (MY EP is on...sometimes off, car runs, similar codes)

 

can you please tell me where the transmission range sensor is located? and how to get to it.
Through the shifter?? or from the bottom??

 

I think under hood on drivers side. It's been a couple of years since I replaced mine. That was the problem with my cvt. the sensor wires corroded and shorted giving me the dreaded error. Tried everything else first and this was it.

 

Well I have joined the P1611 Error code brigade.

Bit of info

We have a 2006 Mini Cooper just turned over 90K miles.

How it happened. Wife came to a stop light and car started bucking her and died. She restarted and now SES and EP showed up. She drove it home but it would not shift and went in an out of shifting. Sometimes it showed D then went back to EP code.

So I got out my code reader and it shows code P1611. I attempted to clear codes but no no avail. Looking on a few forums the battery seemed to be a potential issue. It was y 7 years old and was only holding 12.2 off but would try and hit 14.2 running. so I replaced battery for good measures.

Went back in and reset codes, no go. Still EP still P1611

When driving the car I can stomp on it in M/S mode and it will shift hard but EP never clears on dash. Initially over the last 5 days it was going in and out of EP and what gear the auto was in. Now it is hard set EP.

I always appreciate forums but it is diffult as few come back and discuss closure on their findings whether they DIY or had dealer fix it.

Anybody to care to offer up what they found and did. I do not want to randomly start replacing components in hopes I find the root cause. I bought this used and good shape but It is near the uneconomical to repair stage as its value is ~$4500 and I do not want to pour money into it.

Thanks in advance Mini Members

 

Bumping this up for a question:
What circuit board is that in the OP's photos? I think I have the same issue but I can't figure out what switch OP is talking about...

 

He talked about cup holders and that he pulled the switch off the shifter, so do youremove the console, look for wires going to/from the shifter?

 

The OP made 3 posts back in 2013 and then Rover must have grabbed him taken him back to the Village.

 

Haha vanished. Hope he's alright.

Anyway thanks for the reply. I found the circuit board OP was referring to. Sure enough, it had liquid residue on it, and there was no continuity between the 2 points OP jumped. I tried soldering a line just like OP, and it resolved issues for a drive around the block. After putting it all back together, EP mode is back!

I'm convinced the board may be fried in other areas. Will purchase a new 2nd hand shifter unit and see. Does anyone know what the board actually does?

This thread has almost 1500 views, I bet many have come here with the same issue. Hopefully there is a concrete definite resolution! I'm pretty convinced this is an electrical issue as OP noted, sending the car into limp mode due to some fault.

 

My daughters car is having similar issues with the CVT. Doesn't seem to be a mechanical problem as it shifts okay; however, it shifts with a mind of its own. It won't always go into manual when asked. It may downshift to first on the highway (yikes!). Very erratic. Dashboard codes are D (sometimes even when asked for manual), SP when it goes above 5500 in manual (it chose manual on its own), EP when it tried entering the highway at 1100 rpm.

I've taken the shift sensor off and looked at the circuit described above but that looks fine. BTW, it mounts alongside the shifter against a spring loaded magnet on the shift shaft. I've also removed the TCU (transmission Control Unit) mounted on the brake pedal frame. That also looks perfect.

Still no resolution. :(

N.B. To remove the console you take the side bolts out which requires lowering the knee guard. Nowhere does it say how to do this but it is in fact extremely simple. Just grab at the top and it snaps loose and lowers on bottom hinges. Literally a one second job.

Regards,
Peter

 

Hi everybody, I am new around here but basically I have the exact same problem (P0705 error, EP on dashboard and tranny not going over 10 mph).
I removed the module next to the shift lever and bingo, it was burned on the same exact spot as the original post. Same cause, spilled coffee. For those who are wondering where it is, its on the left side of the shifter, only 2 screws hold it. Part numbers reads LEM 400460061787-10 on my 08 R50 CVT

Cleaned and took it to soldering as suggested, put it back, cleared the P0705 error with and OBD scanner and test it. It worked for less than a minute and the EP mode came back again :(
My mini only shows EP on the dash and does not change when shifting P-R-N-D or on the sport mode.

I want to think that the module is burned or dirty on some other spot I did not detected, same case as jmai86.
Does anybody have any other suggestion or recommend where to get a replacement board?
I'll keep you posted on any news.
​​​​​​​
Regards,
Ernest

 

Folks,
I purchased a 2006 R52 that has CVT transmission problems. The trans is in good shape. I have pulled the pan and very little metal in there. The trans will not shift out of low. I have put it in learn mode and cleared the adaptations. I did the low gear learning, but every time I try to do the high gear learning (road), it will not kick into high to get me to 55 mph. I put my OBD reader on it, and I get a P1611 error. I saw this thread on it, so decided to pull the circuit board and have a look. The photos of the extraction and findings are attached. The bottom line, there definitely is some arching that happened with the board because of something leaking down into it, but I dont have the same problem as the others. Mine looks like it might have shorted one of the transistors on the board. I have ordered a replacement shifter, which has the board on it. Thats cheaper than trying to buy the part from Mini ($40 v.s. $788). I will keep you posted on how it goes. I think that to start out, I will remove the board from the new shifter and put it on the one thats already in the car.

Didnt have to remove this. Since I didnt know where the board was located, I did.

The board is the black piece with the white sticker in the middle of the picture.

You can see that something wasted. That big round spot is where the board was arching and heating up.

 

 

Thanks. That was the first thing I replaced. I am pretty good with the Gen 1 Mini's as this is my 3rd and the other 2, i completely rebuilt both the trans and engines. This problem is kicking my behind though. I have ordered a new TCM and a new stepper motor to see if thats the problem. I will also do a full trace of the wires once it warms up here a bit.

 

So it worked for six months and then started throwing codes and running and shifting erratically. I've found some suspicious wires rubbing sharp sheet metal and it ran poor when I soaked the wiring harness.

But now it won't have the problem. I e drive it for a week waiting for the problem to return but nothing.

My my daughter bought a 2016 today but I didn't trade in the 2005 as it runs so well. It hard to fix something that doesn't act broken.

Peter

 

Yep. I feel your pain. I am having the same symptoms in my r52. Where did you find the wires. I know I have a short somewhere, I just can’t find it.

 

I may have found the problem in the wiring to the BCD unit in the passenger footwell. I was told to check it and found seven wires in the harness cut and spliced. The dealer looking splices (an early warranty repair??) had built in shrinkwrap to seal them but had flexed so badly at the ends that the wire insulation was broken and copper was showing. I re-spliced the wires and wrapped the harness with electrical tape. Still no problems but maybe it is now fixed???

I called RPM Motorsports to reprogram a used MCU and he said to first check the BCD box in the passenger footwell. Apparently, they get water damage easily due to their location under the window and lack of sealing. The box is unsealed and pops apart easily. The cables are down near the floor and not sealed.

Good luck,
Peter

 

Hi
I have a problem with my mini cooper s 2005, it has a little more than 90k miles, the transmission does not change gears and does not enter sport mode, it also does not work in manual mode and check with my scanner and I get the code P1611 SOMEONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I CAN HELP PLEASE.







when I checked that module, I has some rust. Could anyone solve the problem?

 

Disconnect the tachometer.

As bizarre as it sounds, I wrestled with corrosion, wiring harness, brain box, and connectors, only to hear someone say "Disconnect the tachometer". I did it and the problems went away. Go figure. I think it has something to do with a canbus communication overload but I drove my 2005 CVT car for two months that way and it was great. I put the old tachometer back in and the problems returned. I have since replaced the tach with a used one and it is still good.

Good luck,
Peter

 

Excuse me, did you replace the tachometer or did you just disconnect to try?

 

Initially, I just removed it. Ha! Since the tachometer sits on the steering wheel, I drove with nothing in front of me for two months.

Two Torx screws and a little green connector are all it takes.

Peter

 

8 years later & I need your help. Hopefully, you can tell me where this circuit board lives after taking the console out. Where EXACTLY is this thing? your directionsare great, to a point. Please any help appreciated on where this thing is located
Broo

 

OK I found the circuit board, would it be alright if I just copied your fix? Because I saw no burnt contact spot on the circuit board when I it sanded down. My circuit board had different but similar contact designs (from an 06 R52 ) a bit different from yours, but the same overall.
I had 1647, 1611 & 1613 codes with EP.
Thanks

 

What codes were you experiencing?

 

Did you find the problem? what codes did you get initially?