Hey Guys,

Just looking for some pointers on an intermittent issue I am experiencing with a 2007 R56S that I recently inherited. I'm trying to decide if it is worth keeping this Mini on the road due to the current needs of the car. The car is a 6-speed Cooper S which has 116k miles on it and seems to be in good shape overall. When I first received the car, it would not start. I initially charged the battery as it was a little weak and after unplugging the MAF, the car eventually started. There were several codes stored but most of them seemed to be related to the low battery voltage. I cleared the codes and almost all have not returned. The car was consistently starting over the past few days and threw code P0128 which I believe is for low coolant temperature. I've currently got a thermostat housing on order which includes a new temp sensor for this.

I thought everything was fine but last night the car decided that it did not want to start again. I was a little better prepared this time around with Bimmerlink and my toolset. When trying to start the Mini, I noticed that I could smell fuel and after pulling a plug, I realized I do not have spark. Bimmerlink is currently showing no codes from any module besides the low coolant temperature code. I initially tried unplugging the MAF again but I was unsuccessful in getting the car to restart. After a series of checks and lots of cranking, eventually the car began to sputter and after unplugging the MAF again, the car came back to life.

Sorry for the long winded post! I'm just trying to see if there are any common failure points I should be checking. I've checked out the common JBE module which looked fine with no indication of water damage. Fuel pressure seems normal and I can hear the LPF priming. All grounds seem to be clean and tight. One thing to note is that the car does have a slight timing chain rattle. I'm at the point where I'm trying to decide if it is worth it invest in a timing chain replacement or if I should consider parting the car out. The car also needs tires, brakes and a few other cosmetic details. This is my first modern Mini but have had several German cars as well as a '79 Mini. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Most likely a faulty thermostat or temp sensor causing the no start. I know, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but there's actually a service bulletin for it.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...45369-9999.pdf

 

Thanks! I did see that as well. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing anything else that is common with the R56. I appreciate the help!