Last week I drive about 200 miles for work - park the car for the day - come out to drive to the Hotel and the &^)* Service Engine Light comes on !
( The Canadian Version has little engine symbol above the EMS light )

Stopped at a friends place and used his Diag tool and the code is P2096 ?

I did the last maintenance reset myself based on a How to online - maybe it wasn't 100% correct and it's whining thinking i WAY past due ?

tried to Reset it with another friends tools - goes away Came right back !

- A week goes by -


Brought the car into the Dealer today -

They replaced the Post-CAT O2 sensor - EVEN though they COULDN'T PROVE It was Bad !
- ok -ok - if it fixes it Fine !
It doesn't fix *it*

It's a problem they have seen before where the code gets set *permanently* in the ECU and your #$&^;ed !
REPLACE THE ECU !!! $ 1700 ( plus tax/labour etc ...= 2K + )

They have had it happen to 5 other cars in our area and have brought it up with MINI/BMW and had no response back.
I want to run a survey of how many people have had their ECU replace because they couldn't reset a code ?

I stopped at paying 400$ to get the car back with the same error.

I'll try the ECU power reset - then Re-Flash it and see what that does ?
Then maybe go on a hunt for a Junk Yard ECU replacement ...

Maybe I should get an Elise ?

 

Well I went driving the other day and the service engine soon light came on.
So far the dealer told me they think it might be the O2 sensor, but they are not sure yet. So they did a reset and now are going to put some miles on it.
I have no idea what error code they got, but I'll let you know when I get another phone call from them.

 

This is a new one on me! Is your car under warranty? Also, I did see something sometime about being able to completely wipe the ECU and start from scratch... Sad part is I don't remember where I saw it...
If you do have to buy, check to see if they can code a used ECU for you. I've seen them go on eBay for only a coule hundred $. A lot, but a big savings for sure.....

This should NEVER happen, and really, this is a fault from the factory. Mini should eat this one. I don't know want you do in Canada, but you can't get a smog certificate here if you have an active code on the car. Do you have the equivalent of the NHTSA up there? If so, start escallating through your gov services....

Matt

 

bobafetts3 - When we tried to clear mine - i would not go with a 100$ Scan tool

We tried a few days latter with a Buddy's logger and it cleared but came right back,

Now that's a good angle Dr Obnxs - I don't know if there are any issues with outstanding code when you try to get you clean air check ?
( don't have to do those in Quebec yet )

But that is indeed a good direction to focus on !

It does sound pretty weird to me that the Code is set and you can't reverse or Clear it !!!

 

if the error is detected right away, and the fault isn't intermittant. But most of the codes will stay cleared until your start the car. The exceptions are those that look for shorts and the like in the sensors. If they're there, they come right back.

Matt

 

So it was able to be cleared for a couple of cycles -
When my buddy did it i started the car right after and it was fine - stopped the car started it again and it was back.

Same sequence at the dealers - They cleared it - I got it back when i picked up the car. So it couldn't be a dead short or hard error OR it would have come back right away every time.

The more i think about it replacing the ECU to clear a code it pretty bogus...

 

Sometimes the SES light comes on if the gas cap isn't on tight enough. I've had mine come on right after a gas stop, and then clear itself a few starts later.

 

be careful buying used ECU,

we have had an issue, and were told that only the dealer can reprogram the ECU.

And they refuse to do it on a used one

Our cost was $2000........to replace the ECU

 

There are couple of code types. Ones that latch, and ones that clear themselves. Things like a lean code or a misfire will self clear (at least the SES light turns off, it's still in memory) if you complete three complete "driving cycles". These are defined as starting from cold, and getting to full operating temps. If this happens three times in a row, many codes will go away.

Matt

 

is the same thing as code P2097. they will need to reset the adaptation values.

heres a link with more info:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ighlight=p2097


good luck!

 

need a factory tool reset. Maybe those guys who cleared the code unsuccessfully would give it a try for free, seing as it would solve 5 Mini owners problems......

Matt

 

So i heard it from a friend of a friend of mine that if you ( the ECU ) start clean ( no codes ) 3 ( 5 ) times the code will be cleared .... Well I guess it's been at LEAST 5 starts since the Dealer changed the O2 sensor and tonight i take er out for a spin .... and NO CODE !!!!! <img>

But well see if it lasts - in the morning ...

 

get a scan tool. Really, if you are going to own a modern car, it's the first tool you should get, because everyone already owns a pressure guage!

But it's not 5, it's three Driving Cycles. And not all codes clear with it. A driving cycle is defined as the car starting cold, and reaching operating temp. If the car is hot, or starts cold and doesn't get hot enough, it doesn't count as a drive.

But many of the codes stay stored. Anyway, all this stuff is explained in the code scanner manuals.

Since a scanner will work on ANY car since 98 or so, it's the best $100 you will ever spend for working on your car.

Matt

 

Hello Matt,

I had picked up a scanner/code reader - but it didn't have any specific support for codes above the 1xxx range ( proprietary codes ) no Air bags reset etc.. so i returned it.
I'll probably end up getting something better to i can log data etc...

It's been fine all day - 500km trip ( 300 Miles ) several start/stops...
I never just start /stop the car - if i pull it out of the Garage to wash it Either i push it out OR it goes for a decent 20 - 30 minute spin

 

don't do airbags. Not part of the spec. And while it doesn't do the text for the upper numbers, Bentley has a bunch of the codes in the back of the manual. Also, some here can look up the codes for you. There's an AutoEnginuity unit that has BMW specific extensions. But it's not cheap. ~$500 I think. There are a couple NAM members who got it, so ask around.

Matt

ps, I'm one of the lucky few that has BiM-COM beta, so I'm happy as a clam. But you can't get that (no one can now) so it's AutoEnginuity or one of the high priced units for all the BMW/Mini stuff. Sad, but true.

 

DEye and Bobaffets3--what year(s) are your cars?

 

Mine's a 2002 - so you have a few years of trouble free motoring yet.. <img>

 

Another trip - drive 2 hours stop for coffee... come back out after 10 miuntes - New Code... I haven't read it yet... car runs fine %&*&^(^ iT !
I'll check it, but i'm not as woried about it this time.