as a fellow R53 owner (3rd time now!) and soemone who has gone through the fun of restoring a classic, and also a modern vehicle, I am beyond impressed.

IN for more updates. And dont worry about boring people with the step by step small procedural stuff. Those of us who do our own work as best we can really take a lot from those of you who actually KNOW what they are doing and aren't making it up as they go along (like me).

 

Thanks. I really like the classics, have restored at least 5 of them so far. Not mine but friends, would like one but the wife isn't down with me owning yet another car.

And got it all paint and mostly put together yesterday. Need to paint the wing yet and the Aero side skirts, just didn't have the time yet. Once the paint is dry for another few days the vinyl stripes will go back on as well. They are painted to match the roof color.

Out in the front yard at the shop, mind the mess.

 

That's looking amazing Fin

What type of gun/guns are you using for your coats?

 

Wow that looks good.

 

That looks great... can't wait to see it completely finished. MINI should have gone with non-metallic BRG. How does Old English white compare to pepper white?

 

Looks great and really good work. I have a suggestion though. Paint it black behind the thin middle aero grill and if you think it looks good, paint the surrounds on the two upper grills like this:

 

Thanks guys.
Spencer I use a Iwata 400 for all my painting these days, which isn't much any more. I like it, has a great spray pattern just need to thin the clear a little more than normal and put on 3 coats rather than 2.

I was going to paint behind the middle grille but I can't see a difference anyway the BRG is pretty dark when not in direct sunlight. And the black around the fog lights was going to be added in just ran out of time out at the shop, needed to get home.

 

And if anyone reading this thread is good with electronic issues please post up if you have any suggestions.

So about 5 miles from the shop on the way home the 3 dash lights came on ABS/DSC/Tire Pressure. I have search that out and found it's most likely a ABS sensor which is fine I can order new ones but would rather not get all 4 so I was going to read the codes.
I get no responce from the ECU, I have had 2 different plug scanners on it and one Bluetooth scanner. The one scanner worked 100% on it about a month ago, all the scanners work perfect on my wifes SUV.
So I checked to see if all the pins were giving voltage and or ground as they should be (checked ground with battery disconnected so not to harm the ECU) and everything checks out. The only way I knew how to check the 2 signal wires from ECU to OBD2 port was to check for conitnuity from the ECU harness to port and they are perfect. Checked all fuses in both blocks and they are all good, also checked the engine ground points cleaned and rebolted. Nothing helped.
Any suggestions on what I should be looking for next?

 

Excellent gun choice...no need for all the flash!

Have you tried a factory reset..?
If the codes are prevalent you might get a response the next time...
I'm not entirely sure about the continuity problem in the devices side... but..a factory reset could help.
I'll see what else I can come up with if you haven't fixed it by next response

 

Factory reset as in disconnect the battery? I had done that for about a hour todaywhile searching the net for any clue. I'm not srue how that would effect the ECU connection? Maybe I am not thinking aobut this the right way. lol Going a bit nuts trying to track it down though.
Anyone know the voltage that I should be getting on PIN #7 (violet/white) on the OBDII connector with ignition power on? Like to test that but I can't find what it should be tested out to.

On a better note I found the ABS sensor that was bad by checking the ohms, Rear Left is 2X the ohms as the rest so I'm guessing that is my faulty one.

 

Yeah your right about the BRG, but I wasn't talking about the fog lights, although I like those done too. MINI actually has an insert for those that look really clean, but they are pricey. I was talking about the outer edge of the upper and middle grills though. Here's the MINI instructions:

 

Ah I get what your talking about now. No thanks I like it black.
Point is moot though since I wont be driving it until I figure out this electircal issue which I seem to be getting no where on.
Might be buying a winter beater and coming back to this in the fall.

 

I thought I'd throw this out there. I just bought a Creator C310 off of Amazon to address an airbag light. I had really good luck with it, and there are a ton of diagnostic parameters that you won't get with a standard OBDII scanner.

 

That's not my issue as I have access to a shop scanner as well as 2 others and a K+DCAN cable.
I'm getting no signal from the ECU to the diagnostic port so doesn't matter which scanner I hook to the port it's got zero feedback to do anything with, no connection.

 

Fin,
I'm going to ask you this just to make any further inquiries relevant.
Is your scanner the correct CAN format?

Seems like this is the most common problem with people that have brought me scanner continuity issues.

 

Yeah the scanner I have has been in my car since I bought it always worked with it, the bluetooth is brand new.
In any case I think I got my original scanner working again finally just the BT one is not, I'll buy another and see if I can find one that will connect over BT. Thanks for the replies.

 

Fin,
I'm glad you have your other unit working!
If one scanner is working and the other isn't...I'm def confused as to what is causing the continuity issues.
I figured you might have pinched wiring on reinstalling any surrounding parts or were having a problem within the fuse wiring for that circut.
Either way at least you got the correct sensor without the tool and you have one working.
Big ups mate

 

Edit: I found I am no further ahead I did not get the scanner to connect to the ECU. It connects when plugged in but only as far as to read the VIN.

I got my DCAN cable all installed and hooked up to the car and it only sees battery power and no ignition power, so back to square one.

Might pull the thing back apart down to the motor and see if there is anything miss wired etc as I go.
Not sure what else to try other than unless someone thinks the ECU would be the issue? I would rather not buy one just to see but if it's looking that way I will for sure.

 

Oi Fin,
Apologies on the late reply....the sun is almost done for the year here in the NW so I've been on my motorcycles quite frequently.
It's definitely sounding like the OBD2 harness from car. Hearing that it only reads the VIN makes it impossible to believe it's not the harness. If your ECU was "bricked" or "binned" I don't feel you'd be able to get that far.
Unfortunately I can't recommend an easy way to do this as tracing every segment of the OBD harness will require disassembling some of what you've installed.
I will try and get you a schematic when I get into the shop

 

That would be great, I have a Bently Manual but trying to read the wiring diagrams is like reading German to me. LOL I did isolate the ECU signal to the round plug behind the hood latch on the drivers side, I am going to take the airbox and intake pieces out and go through all the wiring on top of the tranny see if anything is out of place or pinched today.
And I agree with the ECU, I don't think it would burn a pin of a ECU. It's usually all or nothing but I'm not 100% counting that out either.

 

Okay..... I'll get that to you!
And your definitely right for not counting anything out

Stranger things have happened...

Good luck.on your search whilst you wait....I actually hope you find it before I get you info....just so you can enjoy your car after all of that work

 

Following! Nice looking build, I hope you get your problem sorted out soon.

 

Thanks.

Went through every wire I touched and a lot I didn't. All the connections on both kick panels (there is a crazy amount of connectors in this car ) Cleaned them and reconnected. They were all spotless but did it anyway, rechecked all fuses out of the car with a mutimeter for the 3rd time reinstalled. Traced all the OBD2 plug wires made sure they were not pinched or anything, unplugged and pluged in again every guage or switch I took out or touched. Nothing changed.
I'm to the point I think I'll buy a ECU/EWS/BC1 off ebay and see if that fixes the issue. I just dunno what else to try at this point.

And took a few hours out to finish putting stripes, scutltes and wipers back on. Only thing I'll be putting on now until after winter will be the wing, side skirts will wait till snow melts I think.
I know the signature sticker might be a bit much but my fav Mini since I saw it was the WC50 and knowing I'll never own one this is as close as I'll get to the look.

 

Wow its a WC50 R53 version. Awesome.

 

Thanks ECS, and thanks for all the parts (great prices) and shipping the right ones.

And side note to my ECU issue. I took it to the dealer (against my better judgement) and same thing no communication at all. They wanted to keep it and diagnose the issue for $200 an hour but I declined. Cost me enough for them to tell me what I already knew.
So I bought a 2006 JCW ECU, BC1, EWS, Ignition/glove box/door Key/barrels and internal fuse block, should have that all on Friday if the post office doesn't mess up. Will see if that changes anything or if it's a harness issue somehow.
And before anyone says anything I have a set of 380cc injectors here to throw in and run a 17% pulley with CAI and cat back exhaust so the JCW ECU shouls be about right I think.