This may have already been covered, but I haven't found the thread in my searches soooo .........

The "Service Engine Soon" light came on yesterday, so, my first thought went to the "gas cap", that it may have been loose. (We also have a Land Rover, with which we had been warned that a "not properly tightened" gas cap and a start of the car can produce such a response.) Well, don't 'ya know, it was loose.

I figure some kid was fooling around, as it was parked in a very busy location. I restarted it, but the light is still on.

My question - How can I reset the light ? Is there a trick ? Or is it a "dealer-only" thang ?

I'll be visiting the dealer tomorrow morning if I can't reset it. Also, if I can reset it, and the light comes on again, it may be a real problem, which I'll have checked oiut.

Thanks !

 

how many miles does the car have?

does it not need service, and the light is coming on?

 

That's right !

Just turned 3,000 miles.

 

I remember reading (or being told) that starting the car with the petrol cap not tightened enough will cause the check engine light to come on, and that it cannot be turned off without a visit to the dealer.
Sorry.

 

You are right.

A brief update :
Went to the dealer where they reset the light.
They said it's a dealer-only fix, unfortunately.
Bad luck for folks a long distance from their dealer.

Now, everything is back working like a charm.

I will be checking the cap each time, prior to starting the car, when it's parked in a lot where there is "traffic". A pain in the ***, but another trip back to the dealer would be an even bigger one.

By the way, the dealer (Prestige MINI, Mahwah, NJ) was very friendly and cheerful about it. No charge.

:smile:

 

my service engine soon light, stayed on this morning after starting the car :evil:
and my gas cap is on just fine???????????
any guesses??
i guess it's a trip to the dealer for me today, after work

 

When my service engine soon light came on it was a fried thermostat. It was replaced under warranty.

 

>>When my service engine soon light came on it was a fried thermostat. It was replaced under warranty.

did over heating come with the appearence of the service engine light???
or did it just pop on?? if so how did they determine it was a fried thermostat?

i just turned the car on and the light stayed on....it was fine last night

 

oxygen sensor.....gone bad......maybe it sould join the MRC

now i have to look at the angry yellow light for a week or so


_________________

 

Mine went on about three days after picking it up from the dealer. wnr off again a day later and came back on again (and consequencely went off again) made an appointment w/ dealer and he now has it for two days. Seems a vlve or somewhat thingy in the supercharger cracked, thereby causing a rough idle and the engine light. Special order part. Now hoping to pick it up tomorrow afternoon so's I could have it for my Looooong w/e of partying

The dealer was very good about it as it had them baffled for a while til a visiting tech looked at it. Even gave me a rental (tho I have three other cars to choose from). This reeks tho', only 400 miles on the odometer

 

My Svc Engine Soon light came on a few days ago. Had about 3500 miles on the clock.

Brought it to dealer who said computer detected that engine temp was running too low which usually means thermostat is stuck open.

Just got msg from dealer that car is ready for me to pick up.

When I get car back tomorrow I'll post the exact cause and fix.

 

I just turned over 17,000 miles last night, and at that time all was well...

I pulled out of the driveway this morning and both the "Engine Service" and "EML" lights came on....pulled over to turn about and head home, but first shut the engine down to restart and see if the lights went out. The engine turned over, started and then immediately stalled... ...tried again and kept it going, but...the engine was definitely not right, like it was starving for fuel.

Luckily I was about 400 yards from my driveway....which is 75 miles from my dealer...looks like a long flatbed trip and no MINI for the holiday weekend.

BTW...this is my first problem in 17,000 glorious miles...

 

>>When I get car back tomorrow I'll post the exact cause and fix.


A new thermostat seems to have fixed the problem.

Here is technician’s report:

COOLANT THERMOSTAT DEFECTIVE READ DME FAULT MEMORY FOUND FAULT CODE P0128 FOR COOLANT TERMERATURE R/I AIR BOX CHECKED CONNECTION / FOUND OK R/I DME ANI INSTALLED BREAK OUT BOX / CHECKED WIRES TO SENSOR FOUND OK / RAN TEST PLAN FOR FAULT RESULT WAS TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT
REPLACED THERMOSTAT.

 

Here's how my problem ended. Brought car in on Tuesday, AM. Dealer gave me a rental. Found out in the PM that a part on the supercharger's phlenum (sp?) was cracked. Its a sm~~~ metal piece that is bonded to a plastic piece and the plastic piece cracked and de-bonded. Special order part. Went back on Thurs. in the PM to pick up car as they promised it would be done. Car wasn't ready by 5 PM but (get this) the mechanic stayed until 7:15 to finish the car & test drive it so I could have it for the w/e. Extremely nice to have a dealership work in this way. Told them I would write something nice to the manager about the way I was being treated.

Car is AWSOME again!!!!!! :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

Having so much fun, I gotta wotch myself out there

 

I just came back from having my Mini serviced for the "Service Engine Soon" light that came on for two days and then turned itself off. Turns out it was the transmission control module electrical connector and the connector in the engine compartment that needed to be cleaned and coated with some type of dielectric grease to the contacts (Stabilant 22). Service advisor said a few Mini's have had the same problem. Hope this helps!

 

>>oxygen sensor.....gone bad......maybe it sould join the MRC
>>
>>now i have to look at the angry yellow light for a week or so
>>

i was leaving to go get the oxygen sensor replaced yesterday,
and guess what light went out on the way to the dealer
but i went anyway and had then replace the oxygen sensor

 

i hoped in the car last night and the "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" light came on again!
aaaaaaggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

Having a hard time following the interwoven stories here...but it sounds like one possible factor (once the thermostats and oxygen sensors are replaced, and gas caps are good and tight) is a loose connection at either the thermostat or O2 sensor. This is highly evocative of the airbag light problem where initially MINI recommended Stabilant (to improve the conductivity of the connectors) but ultimately it was found that no amount of goop would stick together connectors that simply could not be allowed to wiggle. That is, the tolerance of the airbag system computer (i.e., the whole car's computer) wouldn't allow for the minute amount of variance in resistance caused by normal give and take in the underseat connectors. Thus, they needed to be secured in such a way that absolutely no movement occured.

Maybe the same thing is an issue with the temperature and O2 sensor connectors...at least in some cars and on some connectors?

No, it's not a British car...but is sure seems to have British electrics.

 

yea,
i'm thinking it's an intermittent wire problem,
since the light went off on the way to the dealer to get the oxygen sensor replaced
and now it's back on and i now have a new oxygen sensor

 

it's on, it's off, it's on, it's off
i'm thinking British electrics it's got to be a loose connection somewhere?
car runs fine, it's even got the service guys baffled