Service Engine light came on a few weeks ago on my '04 MC. First ever non-maintenance issue, and I'm 200 miles from the dealer, so I ran by the local garage that works on our minivan. They checked the code and read a P2097; they had to look that up, and their sources said it meant the post-catalyst O2 sensor was reading too rich, meaning the pre-cat sensor wasn't doing its job and needed to be replaced.

For the sake of expertise & proper parts I made a 2 1/2 trip to the dealer for the actual work. I was there till the end of the day, & was tired and stupid by the time I got my car, and was well down the road before I realized THE D*** SES LIGHT WAS STILL ON! (And I restarted the engine several times, without successfully clearing the light.)Got home and checked the service papers and saw they'd read the same code and replaced the POST-cat sensor, apparently since that was the one sending the "too rich" message.

I will have an in-depth chat with the service department on Monday morning, but to fortify myself in the meantime: What do the experts here know about the P2097 code? Which sensor does it say needs replacing?

Thanks, as always, for any insights.

 

for that code you don't replace any o2 sensor. the issue is with the adaptation values for the dme.your dealer will have to do the following since they have the proper diagnostic tools.

tell them to check/clear the code.
reset the adaptation values.
do a "quick delete" before disconnecting communication between diagnostic equipment and car.
disconnect the battery from the car.
do a battery reset- touch both connectors that go to the battery posts with with a wrench for a minute.
let battery sit disconnected for 1/2 hour.
reconnect battery.
check to see if code is gone.

if not then do it all over again and let the battery sit longer. maybe an hour.
the dme has to reset the amount of fuel it delivers to the engine, which is causing you "rich"code.

that should take care of it. good luck!
i just fixed a car with the same code today by doing this, so it should get you going.

 

I have the same problem, when you say "quick delete" are you meaning just clear the code, then disconnect the battery etc, etc?

 

no...unless you have a GT1 that Bmw uses or a autologic tool you wont be able to reset adaptations.

 

Will the system REST if you disconnect the battery over night?

 

what do you mean by REST. nothing can be done to the adapations other then a master reset with a special tool. killing the battery will just clear the readiness codes for emissions

 

is this a warrranty item? we have a 2005 non-s that just turned 30k miles, but is about 7 months post warranty. there is no dealer nearby. i'll have to go to nashville to get this done. what exactly is going on and is this going to happen again. was there something done while driving it to cause this? thanks to the experts.
brad

 

Speaking of code P2097, I need some advice or suggestions from members who are more experienced in troubleshooting than myself. My 2003 R50 throws this code every time I start up. It began when some animal chewed up the wires to the post-cat O2 sensor. I replaced the sensor with a Bosch, cleared the codes, and reset the OBC. The SES light still came on with every start-up. I cleaned the sensor plug and connections, but the P2097 continued to appear. Thinking the problem might be at the intake, I sprayed the TMAP sensor with cleaner but that didn't help. The performance doesn't seem to be significantly affected, but I worry that the information input from the sensor might have a damaging effect over time. I would welcome any and all suggestions. Thanks.

 

Not sure if this is a related problem...

'03 Cooper with 125k has started to miss and sputter: when revving from idle, no load on the engine; as I take off from a stop and for differing periods of time as I speed up; and when getting on it hard at highway speeds, around 3500 rpm. Cruising at any speed is smooth. It acts like bad timing advance.

I don't know all the codes the dealer read, but initially, using scan gauge, it showed multiple misfires and cyl. 1 misfire. At the dealer's it read multiple misfires and cyl. 1, then cyl. 4 misfire.
We've replaced the throttle body, coil, wires, plugs, moved around injectors, changed the fuel filter; done compression test, checked wiring harness. It's been at the MINI dealership a couple of times and the mystery still exists as to what is causing it.

Other possible causes suggested include dying ECU/DME, some kind of sensor, cracked valve, fuel pressure regulator.

I'm planning to replace sensors one by one to eliminate or cure the problem. Also looking for other ideas! Not planning to get rid of the car, so any help is appreciated.

-sub

 

Thanks to Joey I have finally fixed my 02 R50 M/T. So this has been two years in the making (the problem and solution). I moved from SoCal to the DC metro area and a few weeks after the move i threw a P2097, it never left. The code is throw from the burning of a different fuel or mixture "additive" that is not normal to the sensor. I bought a Cable from eBay with the GT1 SSS & INPA software included for around $56USD. Spent 8 hours figuring how to install all the crazy software and finally got it going yesterday. I noticed that Joey on here has a definition of how the dealer clears this code. Turn your ignition to the on position. In GT1 you run a short test, it will show the code. Highlight the code and progress to the options screen. Under engine options you select reset Adaptations and select #9 "reset all adaptations". your car should make a few clicks. After that end the sessions and at the end session option screen Quick Delete before you proceed. Leave your computer plugged in. Turn the ignition switch off. Disconnect the car battery touch the + & - battery terminals together with a steel wrench for at least one minute. Let the car rest for at least 30 mins. with the battery still disconnected. Reconnect the Battery, turn the ignition back to the on position and hit diagnosis on GT1 again. Clear the adaptation values again, Quick Delete again. That's it!!!!!!!!!!!! I can clear my own P2097 code whenever it decides to come back on. Joey from this forum was the one who helped me out on this all thanks to him for the assistance.

 

Ah! Thanks to Joey I've cleared my P2097 as well - local shop couldn't do it, replaced the sensor and never cleared...expensive lesson. It's off for now though, and it's been a challenge. Thank you Joey!

 

There is another thread in the forum which discusses that the warranty on the O2 sensors was extended to 100k miles for 04-06 MCS. I bought my 05 MCS at 96k, SES light came on at 98k, and the dealership agreed to replace the O2 sensors for free at 99k, so I would say it is true. Might also apply to MC, I'm not sure.

Personal note - first post. This forum saved me $300 before I signed up. I think I'll be here a lot. Just bought the Bentley Service Manual as the shop noted some gaskets, seals, and hoses that ought to be replaced, and I plan on doing them myself. If you have any newb suggestions for tooling, jobs that you find easy, jobs you found too hard, or anything else, please feel free to send me a message.

 

can someone point me in the direction with a link or something for the cable mentioned here? i have this code now and would like to try to clear it or determine what is the cause

 

so there is no way to clear the code aside from going to the dealership? i bought this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o00_s00_i00 and this app called torque

 

Hey guys, I work at a Euro shop in MN and we had a mini in with this code, I always reference NAM for tips and tricks on things that aren't clear cut. I reset adaptations and quick cleared codes, test drove the car and the code never came back. It's about three weeks later now and the code is back and so is the car... unfortunately! We are looking into the pre-cat O2 sensor right now, I'll let everyone know our findings!

 

Just wanted to share my experience with this problem.

I have an '04 MC. I got the dreaded P2097 error code at 118K miles and replaced the rear O2 sensor with a brand new NGK sensor that I got on E-Bay for $100. Still had the P2097 code. My mechanic (independent) said that I needed to replace both sensors with genuine MC parts and then take it to the dealer for them to clear the code (reset adaptation values) at $260 each for the O2 sensors and $92 to reset the code - no way! Noticed some chafing on the wires of the front O2 sensor so I replaced it with the old rear O2 sensor. I still couldn't clear the code with my OBD2 scan tool and the check engine light was still on. I even tried the 'disconnecting/shorting the battery cables' trick to no avail.

I continued to drive the car for about another 2 weeks while deciding what I was going to do next. And, then, one day - no more check engine light! I checked the codes with the OBD scanner and there were still two P2097 codes stored... but this time I was able to clear them with the scanner. It's now been several weeks and still no check engine light. I assume that, after fixing the real problem (replacing the bad front O2 sensor), the computer had to have time to re-learn the adaptation values. Once that happened, the check engine light cleared itself(?).

So, bottom line, instead of forking over more than $600 to the dealer, I was able to correct this problem for about $100. Hope this helps.

 

The purpose of the post cat sensor is to monitor the catalytic converter, not the pre-cat O2 sensor. I understand this is unrelated to the code clearing issue, but the OP's original mechanic was misinformed (or trying to sell O2 sensors).

 

I found that the kit with the GT1 (DIS) & INPA software from ebay that comes with the ODB plug (with a usb plug on one end) will fix the problem. I ordered it from the guy in Romania. He has a pretty good turial included that can be followed if you have computer experience. It requires installing VMware and setting up a virtual machine. I used INPA to reset my adaptations and my car is finally without the service engine light. This was $45 (approx) well spent. The software also does a lot of other things. This is a great investment for anyone who wants to test their own car and save some money in service fees.

 

I bought the GT1 tool to try to rid myself of this 2096 code, followed instructions,after reset the tool instructs you to turn the key to position 2, which starts the mini, and the code is clear until you restart the mini the code returns.I than multiple times followed joey1320 instructions and code stays won't clear, help, thanks

also if and when it clears , can I get it inspected right away or do I have to wait for the computer to recycle, thanks to all

 

I used the INPA software to delete my adaptations. My light has not reappeared. I have driven 6, 000 miles since then. If you have the INPA software, you might give it a try. Good luck.

 

Yes i have that software also came with setup from romania
Could you walk me through the inpa process, thanks

 

you must wait for the readiness monitor to read OK.
To put it simply, a "drivecyle", usually a couple hundred miles of normal driving, with a couple of COMPLETE warm ups AND COOL-DOWNS... must be done with the light out for the computer to be sure everything is OK, then it says it is ready to be tested. THEN you can get the car tested. IF you go to soon, it will read "NOT-READY", and you FAIL.

Most basic ODB2 readers have a monitor reediness feature that cab tell you when the IM monitors are ready.
There are a few lists of what actions must be competed to reset the drive cycle...it could be done in a couple hours..maybe. But just normal trips will do it with a couple longer full temp drives.
The first half of this thread is a train wreck...I would consider it to be much wrong info...

 

ok,let me try typing this reply a THIRD TIME.

Can someone please help me. I've got a p2097 code on a 2003 MINI cooper (R50). I bought the BMcables from them on ebay. I've installed VMware, windows 7, and now their software on my macbook air. I can't for the life of me sort out which of the software options I'm supposed to use or what portion of a program to reset the adaptations... I've looked in inpa, gt1, SSS and everything else I can think of. I've been working on this (including the software installs) for over 7 hours now. What was supposed to be easy and a cheap way to save a trip to the MINI dealer isn't.

Can someone please walk me through this and help me out?

Thanks!
Ben

 

OK, got it. Cable has to be on COM1. Used inpa. Can't sort out resetting the oil and service lights but I got the CEL off and it's stayed off for 3 restarts so that's promising.

 

Ok- got the software and cable. So far I've only been able to use the DIS program to see code, but I didn't see any options for "reset the adaptation values". I tried the "quick delete" then disconnected battery for 30 min, "quick delete" again, but code still there.

Sounds like maybe the INPA program would work better, but it's showing the battery/ignition as "off". Can anyone walk me through the INPA connection process or offer some advice. Thanks!!!

Also- DIS has a feature to "diagnose" the code, I did that for the O2 sensors, clicked through the screens, revved the engine as it measured the sensor data, both checked out ok- but I thought this was a pretty cool feature for testing them...