So my 2013 R55 has developed a 'weird' habit. Every tank of gas once it gets to the last 2-3 bars my check engine light comes on. When I called up my service advisor he said it was because the car was 'slurping' for gas in the reserve tank, possibly causing pinging in the engine, hence the check engine light. Once I fill the tank it goes away within the first few miles. My question is: Is this normal? Seems like a 'crying wolf' type of check engine light if it is. My gas gauge is red, the small display window has a gas pump icon, is the check engine light 'needed' for low fuel? I have had it, new from the dealership, for about 3 months now and it did not do this for the first two. It has only ever had Shell 91 octane fuel put through it, so I don't really believe when the service advisor says being low causes pinging in the engine, so I wanted to check with the community.

 

Hard to say about the SA's comment. There is one thing for sure though. MINIs do not like to 'slurp' fuel. There are many threads about running the tank down to near empty just to see if the owner's manual and OBC know what they are about. The results are disastrous with burned out fuel pumps and other nasties. Just a hint here, 'There are no old bold pilots' meaning old pilots always prefer to burn off the top half of the tank. Try not running yours down so far between visits to the pump and see does the problem go away.

 

First , READ the code, bet it's a LEAN code from lack of fuel. Unless you are a woman who think anything above E is enough, refrain from that practice.

When the gas gauge goes red you have less than a gallon left.

 

is it true that you only have a gallon left when it's red at 2 bars? my computer tells me there's about 80 miles left though...

 

Wow, your service advisor can read the code and diagnose the problem over the phone?

Go get the code read and then proceed from there.

And no, it is not normal for the CEL to come on when the bars are in the red.

 

No, my closest Mini deal is ~60 miles away and I filled up my gas before I left. The light was on the whole way there, but as soon as I turned the car off in the service line it was off when he came to look. He said the techs didn't find any readable codes in the system.

 

Next time pull into an auto parts store and see if they can read the code (for free). Some codes are mini specific, but many are not.

 

Then the techs didn't try hard enough. The codes stay in memory for a while, certainly longer than one start cycle.

Maybe next time put in just enough to get to the dealer instead of filling up since the problem seems to be triggered by a low fuel level?

 

So this has been happening on and off still. Thinking it was brand of gas specific. Seemed to not come on with Costco gas but it does with Shell or Chevron. I took it to get the code read today. Came up with P2068 'Fuel Level Sensor B Circuit High'.

Had a friend who was looking at cars to purchase ask me why my check engine light was already on in a 2013 car. Was a little embarrassed when even others are noticing it already. =/

 

Sounds like the sending unit may be faulty.

 

+1 for what cerenkov says. If the level sensor is faulty on the one side of the tank, then it will illuminate the CEL. The mini dealer should replace both sides. This fault, I have heard can also relate to fuel pressure issues.

 

Not normal. Take it in and get it fixed.

 

hahahaha

They DO, don't they?