Hey peps..

So, this morning started my car after seating all night outside. It was mid 40"s F temp and here is idle reaction to that:


Idle was fluctuating for about minute and then came down and was steady.. also my exhaust was doing coughing noise.. Worry about it OR ignore it?

ps. I am so eager to test drive Fiat 500 Abarth, and if I love it.. I am done with Mini and their little quirks and problems all the time.. and dealer never has answer to it. Here is my saturday morning vent!

 

Not sure if longing for a Fiat/Chrysler will cure your reliability concerns... It's probably too soon to predict reliability, but I wouldn't expect much.

 

I'd ask that it be checked at tech's station terminal and have the DME checked for updates or software repair.

You can always leave it overnight for a cold start check so they can duplicate it too.

 

Mine does that too since the first day I brought it home in Dec.

 

thanks Bud.. at least I don't feel lonely

 

Way says that it's common so....

 

What's the big deal?

Start car,
let oil pressure light go out,
Drive away...

 

Mine does that after major temperature changes from last time it was on. Not really a big deal to me, it settles in no time.

 

OP: I'm curious. Is this your first car? Have you never started a car (or other gas powered engine) in the cold?

When cold, an engine needs a richer fuel:air mixture initially until it warms up. That's why with non-fuel injected engines of many types from lawn-mower to motorcycle to older cars with carbeurated engines, you had to "give 'er some gas" to start up and let the engine warm up for a bit. What you're seeing is all the new-fangled compugadgetry giving 'er some gas on a cold morning.

 

Is it just me, or are folks looking for issues that they shouldn't otherwise be concerned about whilst a car has manufacturers warranty!

It's under warranty, right ? Why worry, if it goes wrong, leave the headache problem with your MINI dealer, stop looking for issues, that you yourself can't repair, shouldn't repair or worry about, drive it and enjoy it.

 

ummm....are you serious? If I shell out big bucks for a car, I should hope that the oil pressure was as it should be. Kind of a serious issue. I certainly wouldn't drive my car around if the oil pressure light was on, and the car sounded like it was on its last legs.

 

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Mine does the same thing every once in a while, I come to think it's normal, as well as the diesel engine sound it does when it warms up

 

Ignore it!
It is completely normal.
She coughs to clear her throat from the cold start.

 

mine does this sometime too. i attribute it to bad gas because it appears to happen sometime after refueling, even at the same station - chevron. i've seen many bmw and other cars do this as well.

 

Mine doesn't do that... Of course I never sit there and idle that long, I crank her up and off I go...

 

We are referring to 2011's.

And I too agree that a new car shouldnt do this sort of thing. Embarassing when you start it up and people think you got a lemon lol.
But I have come to believe it is normal so I deal with it.

 

In that case, I agree, it shouldn't do that. My Mini doesn't do that and neither have any of my other cars unless there was a problem.

 

New cars shouldn't have proglonged fluctuating idle problems even when they are cold. I'd bring mine into the shop and have them diagnose it. This isn't a clunker, it's a nearly brand new and technologically advanced engine. Not really acceptable to me, at least.

 

yeah it is my first car! NOT
I think it is my 7th car... and non of them done anything like that before... so, don't be a smart (_*_).... I asked question and looking for answer!!!

I could understand if idle goes up and stays there for a while... but on 2011 MCS with only 7K miles this sounds like some old clunker to me.. coughing up.. engine struggling etc..

I am not going to drive over 100 miles to closest dealer just to hear it is normal.. thats why I am asking here first...

Here is video from today.. same story, left car outside, this was first start this morning:

 

Seeing how multiple others with 2011's have said that theirs does this.. it sounds pretty normal.

Posting another video won't really do much.

Seems to make sense honestly. Just the computer slowly revving to warm it up. Noticed how it settled at the end of your 2nd video?

 

You got plenty of answers from people all saying the same thing, but you're unwilling to listen. A quick review of your posts shows that you want to find problems (real or imaginary), so you're going to find them either way. You should definitely trade for a Fiat next. You'll be happy.

 

I have 2011 JCW with 21K on the mileage. Checked mine yesterday morning and will check again this morning. Temps overnight are in the upper 30's.

Yesterday morning it did the same thing as yours. A little flutter up and down and then settled in.

 

+100 How many posts on NAM could fall under this category!

Usually high start-up idle speeds like this would fall under a "hot idle" scenario where the ECU is basically commanding the engine to idle at a higher speed to try and warm up the coolant faster. However, at 45-50 deg. F it's kind of up in the air if it would need to be used or not. My '09 idles around 800-900rpm in these conditions but I'm not sure how the ECU programming has changed.

I say if you don't have a CEL on don't worry about it. Your car is not a lemon. I have a friend in our local MINI club that had a genuine lemon. You do not want to know that pain.

If you like the feeling of driving a driver's car, the MINI is an amazing little rocket. We drove the Fiat 500 just for giggles and it was a complete joke next to the MINI in the power/handling department

 

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