Could bad spark plugs be the issue with my car and give is a P0014 engine code?

I have crappy throttle response after a bit of driving horrible fuel economy and no power on the top end.

I really hope this could be the issue because i've tried changing the camshaft sensor and the vanos solenoid and i cant really afford to keep on changing sensors until it fixes the problem...

 

The gap on the plug look a little big. I don't know what the gap is supposed to be but you might check, find out what the gap is and what it is supposed to be. What does the code point to? I don't have my list handy. How many miles on the plugs?


Tom

 

Does it sputter when you start it up?

 

The plug looks fine. Motor on.

 

Ive got 53500 on the motor. and sometimes it does sputter.

 

Mine was acting similar and I had issues with my high pressure fuel pump

 

That spark plug looks like the right color, don't know about your gap though. Your plugs color is the normal tan brown color.

 

Is your car an S or a base cooper? If it is an S, you have enough miles to need new plugs (60k for S is what I remember). Your plugs have a decent amount of buildup on them.

Depending on the year of the car, there may be carbon buildup that can also affect stumbles and hesitation.

Have fun,
Mike

 

Judging from his earlier posts, the OP has a base (non-S) Cooper. High pressure fuel pump and carbon buildup would not apply.

 

i have a non-s cooper. why wouldnt carbon build-up apply?

 

Port injection sprays gasoline onto the intake valves keeping them clean, direct injection injects gas from within the cylinder, no gas or cleaning additive sprays onto the intake valves sense its direct injection.

 

^^ just to clarify... the non-S engine has port injection, and the S engine has direct injection.

 

My main issue is the p0014 engine code. I've replaced the camshaft sensors and vanos solenoids and still nothing.. even though that's what the code is thrown for.

 

I can't say it will make your P0014 code go away, but I would go ahead and change those plugs if they have 53k miles on them. They are supposed to last longer (75k?), but many here have had problems at 40-55k due to spent plugs and/or ignition coils. Replacing the plugs is an easy DIY job, and even if they are not causing your P0014, you're going to need to replace them soon enough anyway. You can't just go by looks—mine didn't look bad either, but they certainly were.

I replaced my plugs ('10 Justa Mayfair) at 54,000 due to performance problems (bogging and missing at lower throttle levels) and various cylinder misfire codes. That got rid of the codes and restored performance almost completely, but there was still an occasional miss or hesitation. Replacing the ignition coils cured that and all has been well for the last 5k miles.

I did my plugs one week, then changed the coils the next week since I was trying not to spend money if I didn't need to. But it's best to change them all at once because bad plugs can reduce the life of the coils and vice-versa. I spent $18/plug and $32/coil.

 

UPDATE: its not the spark plugs i changed them and still nothing...

 

bump

 

I believe it's time to take your Mini to an expert, there's not much else I can think of that might fix your problems. Tell them what a going on about your bad gas mileage and everything else you have mentioned.

Or you could continue to replace parts until it's fixed which I don't think is a good idea.

 

i also forgot to mention my icarsoft gave me a 283d code and it says "vanos exhaust adaptation stop" and the light goes on and off as well

 

VANOS is a secret BMW word for your car is F up. I don't even know why I read the codes in my car. I use the code reader and still have no idea what is wrong. Take it to the dealer sit in the wait room with the big glass wall over looking the shop and watch the tech look at the big screen above their work station and then watch fiddle with car and look at the big screen again. Don't know if it Fox NEW OR ESPN they are watching. LOL

 

Again just because it states the "vanos adaptation stop" code doesn't tell you what's wrong with your car other than a cam problem, there's more than one thing that can cause that code. Why do you resist getting you car looked at by an expert? You need more help than we can give you, sooner or later you'll realize that. Good luck.

 

SYSTEMLORD, if we all went to the dealer then we wouldnt need a forum. If you dont know then you shouldnt talk. This forum and any other forums are for people who dont know and reach out to people who do. I have posted things only to get the answer weeks later.

 

Check the condition of the plugs and wires that go into the end of the valve cover - the wires are inside that shroud you remove to replace the thermostat on the Justa.

Sounds like an intermittent problem, pricey at the mechanics to troubleshoot but how else are you going to test the coils? Their machine can show the amount of juice going through them, although those old plugs did look ok to me.

 

Calm down.

I didn't say he needed to take it to the dealer, I stated there's not much else we can do to diagnose the OP car. OP has been throwing new parts at his Mini in hopes it would resolve the issues, it has only removed $$$ from his wallet that could have been used to have his Mini looked at by a mechanic. Whenever you're having Vanos issues you've got serious problems, finding a mechanic that knows about Vanos outside of BMW is difficult.

I do know what the problem is, Vanos. Problem is troubleshooting the Vanos is no easy task.

 

Could be a cam timing problem. The "adaptation stop" could mean that the VANOS has moved the cam as far as it can and the engine management system thinks it needs to be moved further.

Unfortunately, that can wind up being even more serious than just a VANOS problem...

 

Thanks Slave, thats sounds logical. Its nice to find a person who doesnt judge others and Iam glad for 116.