The installation was pretty straight forward, the issues were accessing the BOV valve and people having correct allen wrenches. I have a pretty good collection of tools from lots of vehicles over the years. Access seemed to be an issue. On mine, I was easily able to pry the oil line to turbo over to one side to access one of the 3 allen screws. Others mentioned their oil lines were pretty rigid and had to use flex extensions to get to the screws.

 

I just ordered the Oxspeed BOV spring. I'm hoping it helps with 1st gear starts and quicker power after shifting.

But I'm not sure I understand how it would improve the 'stumble' condition described in this thread.

I experienced (what I think was) the stumble for the first time on a road trip last weekend. The hiccup almost felt like a misfire. It happened 3-4 times during the trip, but only during acceleration while in gear (like passing or hill climbing), never right after a shift. Wouldn't that mean the BOV was already closed? If so, I'm not sure how the stiffer spring would help.

 

This morning on the way to work I was sitting at a long light, clutch in and engine idling. When the light turned green I did the usual - pressed on the accelerator to give him some gas and started to let out the clutch. There was no engine revving up, just five "chugs" and then the engine died.

The action I was taking was exactly what I usually do starting out, but the lack
of engine response matched what has happened on several occasions. I've previously described. What was different today was this was a no-pressure situation so I could focus on how the car didn't respond.

It's probably been a couple of weeks since the previous occurrence.

I've already had the system programming upgrade - that took care of high speed stumbles. This has continued on through that process.


Update: Installing the '2013' clutch in my 2011 ALL4 seems to have taken care of the startup stumbling issue. Smooth sailing since the replacement.

 

Hi there
I'm brand new to Mini Mania but I had the exact same problem with my 2011 Countryman with automatic transmission
A BAD hesitation about 3/4throttle and about 4-5k rpm
It finally went away after I Had the thermostat recall done although I also had a cold air intake put on it and a Borla exhaust at the same time so I'm not sure which one fixed the problem
Good luck
Email me if you gave questions
I am Dave G

 

Hello!!
One week ago I spend the same thing to myself in my Countryman S of 2011. A few vibrations between 120/140km/h on having advanced a bus for highway.

Take the countryman to bmw-mini and they commented to me that in the computer I record " I fail in the combustion ".
The conclusion to the failure went that it was changing petrol Investigate and I saw this post, went again to bmw-mini and said to them q there were mas similar failures and it was solved rescheduling the software. They answer me a little this week because they do not know anything of this software

Thanks to all for helping in the problem

 

Vale:
There is any special software.. my MINI dealer was uptated to thbe standard one.. but updated...may be is a good idea mo
ving to another dealesr (sorry guys, I will write some words in spanish.. )
Vale, te escribo en castellano, que me cuesta menos.. A mi me sucedió y me lo solucionaron, pero me busqué un concesionario con cierta buena fama... Al menos a ti te quedó marcado en el ordenador, el problema es que a una gran mayoría no quedaba ni marcado. como me pasaba a mi.. .. y a pesar de todo, si era un concesionario decente.. te lo soluciona.. (yo llevo mas de 10 mil kms desde el update y ningun problema):
Salud!

 

My 2013 CMS All4 6spd (11/2012 build) - has done this a few times now. Not sure if it's the same as everyone else, but it's happend around gears 2, 3, and 4 for me. All in normal driving with the sport button off. I put the highest Octane in that available in Colorado - 91.

The first time it happened, I pulled out to cross a 4 lane rd, and it was a hesitation. I thought it might have just been trbo lag, but it lasted about 1-2 seconds and then kicked in.

The next time, I had just turned right onto a street with normal acceleration and no sport button and it happend a second or two after I had shifted into 2nd and accelerating into 3rd... It was subtle, but noticeable nonetheless... It felt like a short misfire with no noise, and then it went away and everything was fine.

The last time it happened was just a couple of days ago. I had just gotten it back from it's first service done at the dealer. I had mentioned it to them and they said they could not duplicate anything ad that they ran a systems check and nothing had triggered an alert on the cars computer. They said it might be bad gas... But that there were no new updates as mine is a 2013. I was approaching a red light and downshifting to slow down and then it changed green while I was in 2nd gear and rolling to the light... I just kept it in 2nd, took my foot off the brake, and pressed down on the accelerator and it began to gain speed just fine then I felt 2 small lurches in succession with a drop in power, and it then it went away and ran normal afterwards.

Hasn't done it at any other time. Always with the sport button off and never done it while I was at a cruising speed. Never any lights or messages on my MINI Connected screen. Never died, just a hitch in the acceleration and then it goes. Any ideas? I'm taking off on a road trip next weekend that's 2,000 mile round trip. I just want to make sure I don't need to have them check anything else. So far, it's done 7500 miles and this is the only "problem" it's had. It very could be bad gas I suppose, but I have always put the highest octane avaialble in it and I don't think that it would be clogged fuel injectors at 7000 miles. Thoughts?

 

I own a 2012 CMsALL4 and have experienced the "hesitation/stumbling" issue twice in the last 10K, both times on the highway (level ground) at 55 MPH or greater, while under hard acceleration to pass another vehicle. I use high octane fuel religiously. My vehicle is currently in for a clutch replacement--it started to slip two weeks ago (first in 5th and 6th gear) and grew progressively worse (slipping in 3rd and 4th as well). Once that issue is resolved, I will turn my attention to this one, beginning with the "SI M12 02 11" reprogramming request with the dealership.

 

Service replaced/upgraded to the 2013 clutch a few weeks back and all seemed fine until this week! A lot of stumbling, jerking when accelerating from a slow speed... Not necessarily from a stop position as the old clutch. Has happened in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Mostly 2nd & 3rd! Emailed service last evening waitng for there reply.... Any thoughts ??
I am scheduled in for the 13th for a few minor issues with the newly installed gauges...
Then off to MOT in NH the following Wkend.......Is this clutch related or an engine issue ??

 

Mine has now stumbled 2 more times after having the "fix" done. dealer doesn't seem to have a clue.

 

Not sure if this is related to others.... But what service found was that a bolt used to hold/secure my VIP Shield when I installed the BOV a few years back had loosened up/backed off just enough that during acceleration the ground would not have constant contact and would give me that intermittent split second jerk/stumble during acceleration from 2nd, 3rd and even 4th.
Hard to believe......but 700 + miles this past weekend @ Mini's On Top in NH and no issues This is not the same stumble/hesitation I experienced during stand still start prior to the clutch replacement. Due to the 3rd party part and install, dealer had to charge the $125. for time to investigate and fix.... Added a washer to prevent from backing off.....
I can snap and post a picture of the bolt in question if anyone is interested.....

 

We have a '13 all 4 with automatic transmission (build date December 2012, now 15k miles) that seems to have developed the "stumble" problem discussed above.

It only happens several times a month, but when it does it's VERY noticeable, and actually somewhat scary depending on the exact situation. When it happens on ours we hear a popping sound, something like what a carburetor backfire sounds like (of course our cars don't have carburetors).

I was hoping the check engine light would come on to make it easier for the dealer to diagnose, but no such luck. We never experienced this on the '12 (same engine)that we had.

This car also has a chronic fuel injection problem, and I wonder if it's related. Despite that we use top tier fuel, if we don't frequently add a bottle of Techron, the engine idle quality will significantly deteriorate. Again, we never had this issue with the '12 we owned.

I'm assuming what's happening with our car is NOT the exact same issue as most described above given that the software update mentioned above was implemented long ago, way before our car came off the assembly line.

But Mr_Bueno's complaint caught my attention given that he also has a '13 that was built a few weeks before ours.

Mr_Bueno, were you able to have this problem repaired, and what was the fix? Anyone else have any insight about what be causing this, or any other '13 owners experiencing the same?

 

Anyone else experiencing this problem? It happened again yesterday. This time it was pretty scary.

I was pulling out onto the highway in heavy traffic and needed to accelerate quickly. At about 30 to 40 mph (not sure what gear I was in, the car has an automatic transmission) all of the sudden it was as if the ignition shut off for less than a second four times in a row, and each time it happened there a popping noise which I assume came from the engine. The episode was over within 3 seconds or so, but in the interim I was very concerned about the traffic that was bearing down on me because my acceleration was interrupted.

We have made an appointment with the dealer because this is serious. Given that the problem does not occur every day, and there's no "service engine soon" light, I'm concerned the dealer won't be able to diagnose the issue and will end up telling us they can't duplicate the problem.

If that sounds like an uncalled for negative attitude, it's because of our experience with our previous Countryman, which had to be repeatedly towed to the dealer because of electrical system problems that they at first "could not duplicate". They were never able to permanently fix the problem, and BMW finally replaced the car only after we initiated a Lemon Law claim.

 

I don't own a Countryman but I have a '11 MCS with an auto trans, and I have had this problem since the first week of ownership. It first happened on the a road trip at around 500 miles on the odometer. Was in a rural two lane freeway and slowed to cross a R/R track, then upon accelerating after the tracks the engine just did not respond. No RPM, no engine lights, nothing but the pure lack of accelerator response. After pumping the gas a few times the engine "stumbled" back to life in about 1-2 seconds it was responding like nothing happened.

Second time was about 50 feet after making a right hand turn out of a gas station parking lot. Same sensation as before. This was at about 13,000 miles on the odometer.

Both times I took it to the dealer (Irvine MINI) and they said there were no codes thrown and they could not reproduce the problem. So they sent me on my way and told me to come back if it happens again.

Well today with about 19,000 miles on the odometer, it happened again while driving on a city road. Slowed to allow the car in front of me to enter a parking lot on the right and then once cleared I pressed the accelerator to move on. And you guessed it the "stumble" again. I'll be visiting the dealer again on Monday to see if they can get it diagnosed and fixed, but I too have little hope that the outcome will be much different.

On a side note, that may or may not be related. I have had problems starting the car in the past. Once it needed to be jumped and consequently warranty replaced the battery and said they refreshed some radio software as apparently the radio was turning on when the car was off and that was draining the battery.

Then about 3 months later I went to open the car door (it was parked and sitting in my garage overnight and been sitting there for a good 3-4 hours). When I went to open the passenger door the radio came on for like 2-3 seconds. Then about 6 months later the car was hesitant to start. At first I got no light on the dash and no response to the ingnition sequence. Tried a couple times and still no response. Then removed the key and tried again, this time I got dash lights, but the engine would only sporadically attempt to turn over and it was a weak attempt at that. Hard to explain but it was like a dead battery and it was turning the engine very slowly and sporadically. It took about 5-6 attempts and then it roared to life (this was at 18,000 miles on the odometer). Again I took it to the dealer for all three instance and on the last two (radio coming on and slow sporadic start) they said "no coded, could not replicate, come back if it happens again".

Not sure if the later are related to the stumble but from an MCS owner realize I'm in the same boat (powertrain) a you guys. I'll try to keep you posted on the outcome, but fear it may eventually go the lemon law route as some have stated.

 

Sumint, thanks for responding.

If you read through all the posts on this thread, you will see that the vast majority of the problems reported here are for CM's that are about the same age as your MCS, not cars with build dates as recent as ours. I wonder if your car could be repaired using the SIM # that a number of the other posters mentioned. Like you said, I think you have the same powertrain, and theoretically engine software similar to CMS's that were built around the same time as your MCS. You might want to mention the SIM # number to your dealer, and see if that might apply to your car.

One would think that the upgraded software was included well before our car was built, but perhaps that assumption is wrong.

 

My 2011 All 4S Countryman automatic has just over 36,000 Km on it and has been doing this since I took delivery, about 5 to 10 times in total while accelerating and sometimes passing other vehicles in sport auto and sport manual mode. It will jerk and lurch quite violently for 1 to 2 seconds like it is going to stall and/or like breaks are being applied and then released. It is very surprising and scary when it occurs, especially when passing on the highway. I have taken it in 2 or 3 times to the dealer who always says, there is nothing wrong that they can find. Useless! I'm taking it back in later this week for another look and if this issue is not cured, will seek a replacement vehicle as it is a severe and worrisome safety issue. This is my third mini and I have never had this issue with any of my others.

In addition, my front brake pads are already at less than 20% at 35,000 K and Pirelli tires in need of replacement! Never have any of my past minis needed these at this mileage point and I note that over 90% of my miles are highway driven and I do not drive the vehicle hard. I've also had it in to repair the driver side automatic window which was malfunctioning and for leaking oil twice.

Now today my oil fluid warning indicator went off just two weeks after having the vehicle in for scheduled maintenance!

Very unhappy with this apparent Lemon! Hoping to get remainder of my 4 year lease changed to clubman S or Cooper S as I have lost all confidence in this model.

 

My 2011 All 4S Countryman automatic has just over 36,000 Km on it and has been doing this since I took delivery, about 5 to 10 times in total while accelerating and sometimes passing other vehicles in sport auto and sport manual mode. It will jerk and lurch quite violently for 1 to 2 seconds like it is going to stall and/or like breaks are being applied and then released. It is very surprising and scary when it occurs, especially when passing on the highway. I have taken it in 2 or 3 times to the dealer who always says, there is nothing wrong that they can find. Useless! I'm taking it back in later this week for another look and if this issue is not cured, will seek a replacement vehicle as it is a severe and worrisome safety issue. This is my third mini and I have never had this issue with any of my others.

I had a few of stumbling events some time ago - I made a point of emailing a description of each to my SA (above on thread). With that history behind her, she was able to arrange getting Fenton reprogrammed. That behavior hasn't repeated since. I have friends who have not pursued it so diligently and they're still dealing with it.

In addition, my front brake pads are already at less than 20% at 35,000 K and Pirelli tires in need of replacement! Never have any of my past minis needed these at this mileage point and I note that over 90% of my miles are highway driven and I do not drive the vehicle hard.

I'm at 36,000 and just did front pads and front tires - the dealer was surprised they lasted that long. Maybe the ALL4 consumes at a different rate because of the added weight? BTW, the brake sensors were reprogrammed at the same time - an added issue?

I've also had it in to repair the driver side automatic window which was malfunctioning and for leaking oil twice.

Now today my oil fluid warning indicator went off just two weeks after having the vehicle in for scheduled maintenance!

Very unhappy with this apparent Lemon! Hoping to get remainder of my 4 year lease changed to clubman S or Cooper S as I have lost all confidence in this model.

 

Spoke to my SA today on the phone to explain the problem and gave him the SI MI2 02 11 number. First off I really like my SA he seems genuinely interested in getting the problem fixed. He did state that even with the SI MI2 02 11 number if he can not get the car to reproduce the problem, then MINI NA will not reimburse the shop for the repair.

So I know sometimes these dealers get a bad rap, but its always good to know that they only get warranty reimbursed when they can prove to MINI NA that they could replicate AND fix the problem. Unfortunately we are the consumers stuck in the middle of the corporate red tape. *sigh*

Still not a good reason to have a unresolved powertrain problem, I'm not saying that at all, just throwing out some more info for those of us having this "stumbling" issue.

Will report back if I hear any new news.

 

*Note - I have an 2011 MCS, not a Countryman but I do share the same powertrain as the CM.

UPDATE: Car was at the dealer for the mysterious "stumble", from Friday last week and finally available to pick-up today (Weds). I told my SA about the Software Update number noted in this thread, but was told that after the tech looked into the number provided, it was found that it was not applicable to my MCS.

What follow is the direct text from the invoice: "Test drove and found vehicle looses power on acceleration at time. installed battery charger. Interrogated fault memory. found faults 2771- hot film mass meter signal - electrical fault 2789 - hot film mass meter correction signal operating range: preiod of duration too low. As per test plan inspected wiring. Wiring Good (diag time all). Romove and replaced hot film mass air meter (diagcode: D1160 B0000000 03 001). Cleared faults and test drove. Good

Oil pump solenoid and engine wiring harness inspected and found oil leak from oil pump solenoid (11 99 000). Inspected and found oil in harness but not DME. As per SIM 11 01 12 removed and replaced oil pump solenoid (11 41 519). Removed and replaced engine wiring harness (12 51 501). cleaned as best possible. Test Drove. OK"

Only had her back a few hours so will repost if the problem comes back. fingers crossed.

 

Sumint, really appreciate you taking the time to give me all those details. I do have one question. Did your "check engine" light ever come on?

Also, you really should mention which dealer serviced your car as it sounds like they very much deserve a positive recommendation.

Thanks again.

 

Nope. That's what makes it even more baffling.

I think I may have noted it before but I use Irvine MINI (California)

 

Hopefully that's good news for me. Someone else mentioned that the computer might store trouble codes without turning on the CES light, and hopefully that's what has happened with ours. I don't want to go through the "cannot duplicate problem" routine. Our service appointment is soon, fingers crossed. Thanks again.

 

The dealer called late today, and our car is ready to be picked up. They could not find anything wrong, and there were no trouble codes stored. I cannot say that I am shocked that they could not duplicate the problem, given that it only happens a couple times a week, but now I just don't know what to do. There is no question there is something wrong with the car, and I have to say that it is clearly a safety issue. After all the problems we had with our first CM, I was really hoping that the replacement car would be trouble-free.

 

Finally had mine fixed after insisting to my dealer service manager that there was a computer upgrade, which he at first claimed did not exist, but after my insistence he did indeed find it and have it installed. After this was corrected, I had it in the shop again about a month after as the mechanic forgot to properly reinstall something in the motor which caused a near engine failure on the highway while I was en route to the hospital for knee surgery. Have had it in the dealer for various repairs now approx. 12 times in less than 3 years and it now has just over 37,000 km on it. Wondering what will be next .... So happy this is a lease so they can take it back. If I decide to lease another mini, I will go back to the Clubman S or Cooper S. This Countryman S All 4 is unreliable junk!

 

May be you dont need another Mini, you need another dealer service...
Same problem 2 years ago, and fixed without problems first time...