My 2008 R56 with 75k on it has been giving me issues only upon cold start up! A few weeks ago when I started my car the R's fluctuated between 100 and 2000 while I was in neutral for about 10 seconds before it just died, then i restart and its fine. Well the check engine light was on and i had to deal with it for about 2 weeks before my dealer could do any work on it. When i took it into AAMCO to get the codes tested, every cylinder was misfiring. The car ran fine after a little bit. Took it to the dealer, they came back and said the only known problem was the tank was empty... i argued and told them i could assure the tank was not empty! so they reset the code when i got it back yesterday it started fine. This morning however upon cold start, the same thing happened! The Engine Light Flashed but turned off when it finally stopped acting up.

Can anyone help me better understand what the problem here is? I fear that once winter comes and temperatures at night drop to the mid to high 30's, that my car wont even start!

 

Timing chain or fuel pump.

 

Is your issue anything like the one in the videos in this thread?

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...761-post3.html

 

Very much so, yes!

 

The first time I took it in for this problem, I was told that it was the timing chain. The factory paid to have it replaced (out of original warranty). The day after getting my MINI back, the problem occurred again. I took video, got input from the NAM family, printed out the letter that DrewN told me about, and told them that I was certain it was the HPFP.

As of right now, I have been notified that the factory will also be replacing the HPFP. *BUT*, I was then told by my SA that the real culprit was carbon buildup. He said that if I didn't do the walnut shell blasting to remove the carbon buildup, the HPFP would fail again soon and would NOT be taken care of by the factory. I have no idea if this is accurate or not, just passing the info along. I'll know this week if the problem has been solved at all.

Good Luck!

 

That's absurd!! The intake should not have any effect on the fuel pump. There aren't even any injectors into the intake; there is no connection between the fuel system and the intake except inside the combustion chamber. I'd ask for that in writing, and then send it to MINI to see what they have to say about it.

 

That didn't make much sense to me either. I understand the buildup on the back of the valves: no fuel detergents because of the DI. When I asked how the injectors could be affected, the response was that the buildup was so bad that it was likely there was buildup on the injectors as well.

 

Should there be any videos or walkthroughs on how to find and get rid of this carbon build up on my own? Or do I need to take to Mini?

 

There are plenty of "How Tos" out there. One of the NAM guys even put together a step-by-step guide as a PDF. If I had the tools and somebody to watch my back, I might even give it a try. But, as it is, my MINI has been through 4 repairs in the last 6,000 miles, 3 of which were factory/warranty fixes. I'm not confident enough that some other fix would be denied because I botched the engine during the procedure.

 

I think i got the same problem in cold start too, i had uploaded some video in youtube in below link, please help~~~

 

My wife's MINI had this exact problem when she was around 40k. Turns out it was carbon buildup. After doing the walnut blasting, it went away and I got her a oil catch can.

 

my car is only 4k only......

 

ono919: That doesn't look like the problem I had. My cold start issue was resolved by replacing the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP). It's a known issue for my 2007 R56 MCS, so the local dealership replaced it, even though I was out of warranty.

As for carbon build up, my local independent BMW repair shop will scrub the valves and head for $150, same day service (if I bring it in on a Monday morning). Beats the hell out of the $1,000+ quoted by the local MINI dealer for a walnut shell blasting.

Anybody know if adding an Oil Catch Can (OCC) is a violation with California Air Resources Board (CARB)? Technically, you are altering the emissions system, right?