ok am going crazy and i need help before i spend more money trying to fix my mini. Half engine light came on so i took it to autozone to have the free scan. the agent told me it read bad spark plugs and coils. Got new ones and the issue has not bin resolved. When i turn on the car sometimes it works fine, most of the time it struggles to turn on and sounds like a motorcycle and shakes a lot, but the most common outcome is it starts struggles to fire up, sounds like a harley and finaly turns off. What might you guys suggest i do next?

 

This sounds a lot like something that happened on a buddy's R56 (or R53). Although it happened to him while he was driving down the road. After he replaced his plugs/coils, he finally took it to a shop. Ended up being a broken valve caused by a broken fuel injector. Whole top end needed replaced. Hope that's not what you're looking at! I think it was like $5k to fix. What did you plugs look like? Two of his looked normal, two were coated in carbon from the rich burn.

 

Get a compression test done as well as have a better scan tool put on the car, it could be in need of a high pressure fuel pump.

 

Quit screwin' around with it and take it in to a knowledgeable repair shop before something serious goes wrong.

 

^^^ if you go to autozone and buy new coils and plugs because of the scan then you are wasting money.

 

It happend to me and it is the high pressure fuel pump.

 

+1 with nkfry

my first mini had the same symptoms. loud motor cycle and you shift to D, it turns off. Also, lots of "rotten egg" smell...LOTS...ended up being bent valves because the chain tensioner bolt came loose :angry:

invest in some tools and get a compression reading. in the mean time while waiting for the tool, you can take the valve cover and see the condition of the rails, valve lifters. Also, take a loot through the holes of the spark plugs and notice any shiny surfaces (liquid inside)