Check Engine Light & DSC Light
 

Have a 2004 MCS, bone stock and just out of warranty. The Check engine light has come on as well as the DSC light. Took it to the dealer and they said the code was a cam shaft position sensor. They re-set the code but it has come back on. The car is difficult starting due to the cam position sensor.

The dealer said that they were not convinced that the sensor was bad, and are reluctant to replace it as its on my dime, and they don't want to jerk me around, but they have not seen this problem with any other mini yet.

The car runs fine other than the hard starting and the lights.

Any help/insights would be much appreciated as I'm tired of looking at the lights.

TJ

My DSC came on and they found nothing wrong with it. Said it could be caused by a jolt from rough pavement???? I do not know, but will wait and see. No running problems though.

Pull the codes at a local auto store, Advance, Pepboys ect.
Somebody will have some input.
TJ, did you report your trouble before end of warranty? If so they should fix it.

I just went to the dealer and I had the same problem after installing a header. It's your post o2 sensor. My post o2 sensor wires were chewed through, which caused my SES light to come on, and my DSC. The DSC runs off of the same line as the cam shaft sensor.....so that is how the car is starting (slower) and that's why your DSC light is on. Also, it probably blew the 15amp fuse in the engine bay. Pull off the cover by the ECU and check....it's like the fourth one back. I might it's blown.

I would take it back and have them look at the o2 sensor and make sure it is still good.

Hope that helps.
-Cody

Didn't have a problem till it was already out of warranty.

Are the O2 sensors linked to the cam sensor? I would have thought I would have also had a O2 sensor code if a wire on the O2 sensor was gone.

Sometimes the check engine light goes out but usually comes back on shortly there after. Would this be the case if I have the same O2 wire problem that you had?

Also I just checked the fuse and it is not blown.

Dealer did not give me a code, but the description that they wrote on my work order is "loss of signal from camshaft position sensor"

TJ

i have replaced 3 cam sensors since the begining of the year. so they do go bad. is that your problem? i'm not sure, but why dont the dealer pulls the part out of another car for a quick check?

You're not going to like this story...
 

I had the same problem.

Lucky for me I told them about it and they looked at it a week before warranty expired. They said it was fixed, nope.

They just started putting on parts until it went away, until they got to my computer then told me it would be $2k. I threw a fit and they replaced it under warranty. Be careful about $4k worth of parts and no idea how much labor they would have charged.

Good luck as I'm not having much luck right now with the dealer. Just had $2k worth of work done on my othere MINI and now it's back at the shop (2hrs away) with a dry PS pump and a nice leak:mad:

06 MC, my SES light came on after about 25K, and took it in and they replaced one O2 sensor, and it stayed off for about 5K miles, then it came back on again. I thought maybe it was the other O2 sensor (there is usually one on each side of the catalytic converter), and took it back in, and the dealership said the O2 sensors were both fine, and they ran a full systems check, and couldn't find anything, so we tried rebooting the computer.......basically unhooking the battery, then rehooking it back up again, and resetting all the defaults.

The dealership is aware of this problem, because their standard response is that if it is running fine, the light being on basically means nothing, and it can be ignored. "Emissions control systems" is usually thrown in there, for some reason, which I guess would include the O2 sensors, but their response over the phone when I call them is so quick that you know that they've had this problem many times, despite what they may claim to the contrary.

I understand that one thing which causes this to happen may be a software problem which is somewhat common with BMW products. From asking around on other forums, rumor has it that a dealership in Omaha has the software repair, but I do not know anything more than that.

You might also suggest if you take it in that they check with BMW to see if there are any software problems that can cause this to occur, and maybe refer them to the Omaha dealership.

http://www.markelomaha.com/service/
Tel: 402-393-9700

Hey Cody,
the exact same thing just happened to mine.
I put the header on earlier this summer with a high-flow cat. The SES light came on like a day later due to the new cat. After a reset it's been fine until yesterday when both the DSC and SES lights came on.
Were you able to repair the wiring you said was chewed up or did you have to replace the O2 sensor? Any trouble codes after your fix?
BTW, I'm way out of warantee at 87K+ so there doesn't seem to be much point in getting the dealer involved.....

The other day I was up at the track in Virginia and it got below freezing that night. when i started the car the DSC and SES or EML light came on. I can't rememeber which. after it warmed up it went off so i scanned it and got the cam positon sensor error. since then the DSC light has come on when i pull out of the driveway but i can reset it after the engine warms up.

uh oh. same thing happened again today but i couldn't get it to go away. after a few miles down the road the SES light flashed a few times then it souded like my car was running on 3 cylinders. noticable loss of power but not limp mode. when i got to my exit after a few miles the lights were still on but i had regained power. The SES light is still on but seems fine. i've ordered a cam positon sensor that will not show up until tuesday. Hope my Sunday and Monday track days work out.

This same thing just happened to me today, except I haven't done anything to my car in a while, other than drive it. How much do the cam sensors and o2 sensors cost?

i'm still not sure what the cause of the problem is but at cam sensor is $88.00 the O2 sensor you can at any autoparts store but don't know how much i'd guess $50. I still think it's just a pinched wire somewhere.

The O2 sensor 11-78-0-872-674 lists for $195, yes an NGK sensor can be substituted but the OEM connector needs to be utilized.

bluesmini, you have an early model, check the harmonic balancer.

I had it replaced a few months ago with the updated version since my car engine was already apart. Have you heard of that causeing this? details please. i wouldn't have looked there.

When the rubber separates from the harmonic balancer’s hub, the belt slips, slowing down the supercharger, or interrupting boost, or stopping the SC all together. The code generated in that situation is for throttle position but your symptom of sounding like it is on three cylinders, showing lights, and down on power (or limp mode) is indicative of a bad balancer; in my case it made noise before progressing to a point of effecting performance.

If you would like to try replacing the camshaft sensor, send me a pm.

DSC + SES
 

Same thing Happen to me over the weekend. DSC + SES lights came up and same sympton as Bluemini (noticable Lose of Power) got off the freeway turn off the engine and restarted. SES Light stayed on but the car felt better. Took it to the dealer and I just got a call from them Saying bad CAM SENSOR. over the phone my S/A said something like $210.00 to fix :sad: sux...

unplug your unichip and it will be fine. Not to bash them but that's all it took for mine to clear up. On my car it only happens when it's cold out.

Interesting thread! As I'm having similar problems right now. The original symptoms started with the check-engine light coming on. Followed a day later by the DSC light coming on.

The Check-Engine light would stay on, but the DSC light would come and go as it pleased. Eventually DSC light came on and stayed on. Took my 06 MCS Works to the dealer... they did some tests and found that there were errors from the DSC and one of the cylinders (a single miss-fire they said... couldn't reproduce it).

They ended up replacing the DSC module and the problem went away for a few weeks: now its back. The little beast is at the dealer right now. I hope they fix it this time! Maybe they'll need to replace the computer? All I know is that I'm getting damn tired of driving up the peninsula (San Jose to Mountain View CA) and fighting traffic to get a sh***y loaner from Enterprise for a day just to have the problem come back.

Anyway, I'll let y'all know what happens. Maybe I can help shed some light on this annoying problem.

Regards,

nethack

Same problem with my 2003 MCS @ 105,000km. First the SES light, then the DSC whenever it feels like it (more frequently just recently) the code is showing up as either PO301 or PO340 depending on the mood of the system. I'm going to take a look at the wiring from the cam position sensor and see if there's a problem, then replace the cam sensor and see if that sorts the problem.

I'll keep looking at this thread with interest.

Paul

does everyone having this problem have a unichip?

Regarding my issue with the DSC light and the Check-Engine coming on: apparently when you have a miss-fire in one or more of your cylinders both the DSC and the Check-Engine light will come. The DSC light will eventually go out, but the Check-Engine light will stay lit. Also, if you continue to have miss-fires the DSC light will come back on for a period of time and then go out again.

Turns out I had a burned plug on cylinder one. Increased resistance from the burned plug caused a the wire to the plug to become compromised (at least this is what Mini of Mountain View is telling me). Plug and wire were replaced and one of there mechanics is getting to use ~couple free gallons of gas driving my baby for ~50 miles.

I have a Mazda 3 to drive in the interim, but it aint a Mazdaspeed 3, and it certainly aint no Mini!

I should "know" soon whether the problem is fixed or not... stay tuned.

Not me .... the only mods that I have that are engine related are Nology hot wires, Iridium plugs and a CAI.

Paul

Camshaft Position Sensor replaced ... no codes after a long test drive.

NOTE: The right hand engine mount needs to be removed for access on a 2003 MCS

Did a long (300km) and sometimes spirited run this weekend and all lights remained off despite driving on tarmac, sand and dirt road.

Here's an update: after the DSC module replacement, after cylinder one plug and wire replacement... the problem still exists Mini of Mountain View has had the car for a week and its still not fixed.:sly:

At least I have a 328i to drive now.:cool: