2008 MCS Conv.
32K miles

About 2 weeks ago "Service Engine Soon Light" (SESL) came on. I noticed it during an out of town trip about 80 miles from home. We stopped for lunch and after lunch the SESL was off.

Last Friday, the light came on and it has been on. I called Hendrick Mini in Charlotte on Saturday. I was asked if the light was yellow or red. The person that I was talking to did not seem like a normal service rep, but more of a scheduler type (it was late in the day on Saturday) about 20 minutes before service shop closed.

I started the car and told her the light was yellow and not red; although, I am not sure if it could be red. She said that since it was not red, it was not an emergency and that she would schedule me for 2 weeks out. I told her that I was going to be out of town and that I would prefer an appt sooner. She booked one for this week on Wed.

I drove the car to work today fine.

I got in the car to come home and the engine turned over, but it is not running right. The best I can come up with is a clogged fuel injector or bad gas. The engine runs but barely. I would say it is sputtering. Pressing down on the gas pedal does nothing, it still just sputters. It really was not driveabe so I took one of the company cars home.

I am planning to call Mini road side tomorrow and get the car in.

first question is:

1. will the SESL really turn red if there is a serious problem. Even with the problem that it is having right now, the light is still yellow.

2. I am kind of surprised at the fact that the car ran just fine this morning and other than sitting in the lot all day long, it is like a different car. Anybody got some ideas? If you need more info let me know.

The tank level is a little below 3/4 full. From what I recall, it was pretty empty last time I filled it up. As a matter of fact, it was so empty that I remember looking at the range on the computer and it read "0" right before I filled up.

Let me know what you think?

 

sounds like a High Pressure Fuel Pump. I had the same type of indications when mine was going bad, then one day it just basically stopped performing while on the highway. It would not run over 2000 RPM and it took me about 30 minutes to go the 4 miles to home.

Roadside assistance picked it up the next day. They gave me a hard time about driving it to the dealer myself as i was less than 100 mile from the dealer but in the end after explaining to 3 people there that there was no way the car was going to make it on its own they agreed to take it.

 

If you look in the owners manual you will see the color information and what it means.

 

Regardless of the colored warning, if the code is there, and the car is a safety problem in driving it, the dealership should make arrangements to pick up the car immediately. The two week appointment is a crock!

 

The OP said he was calling today to get them to pick it up. His appointment would likely get bumped up as the car is no longer drivable.