SO I.. am going to need help with this... let me start by telling you what happend!

Thats right....

She bought this 03 MCS
- advertised as a JCW!!
-Has JCW airbox
-Has JCW exhaust tips,
-NO JCW PLATE on the intercooler
-NO JCW on the ECU cover


it did somthing wierd on the first start up..

started ... EML - Check Engine Light - low tire pressure light is on (in limp home mode) fore like 2 minutes... we shut it off..

started again.. it was fine. 3 days later.. we do Flapper mod...

MINI didnt like that... = Limp home mode.

here are the codes..

P1122 Pedal Position 1 Low Input
P0222 Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "B" Circuit Low
P0122 Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch "A" Circuit Low

cleared codes.

I DE-MODDED the air box (put it back to stock)

the mini ran fine for a week...

thinking that it would not be related to the Flapper modification i attempt the flapper mod a second time...

worked for 45 mins...

the car is in limp home mode now .. i dont know what the code is..this time but now its in limp home mode all the time..

what the hell can i do?

 

Flapper mod will not do that (as long as the vacume line connected to the flapper is terminated/plugged.
As far as it baring a JCW...there a several seperate kits...one suspension, one engine, one exaust, brakes, and different interior bit...many cars got one or more, few got them all...the airbox did not become standard on JCW cars with the engine kit...till 2005...so that was added.
Sounds like your problms are all related to the pedal postion...sounds like it is time to get it looked at.
Welcome to NAM...sorry you found us for a crappy reason, but fun times are ahead!!

 

sounds like your connection to the throttle body is loose. I'd check that it's snug and that nothing is pulling on it when the engine torques. What's the flapper mod anyways? I'll have to search it.

 

Bingo. Give it the ol' jiggle test. Once you have fixed the electrical fault, the codes (and limp mode) will not clear themselves, so you'll need to do it after finding your fault.

 

so when i clear the codes its fine.... then when the passenger door closes.... limp home mode comes on withthe same codes... along with the crank positioning sensor... wtf... only when i close the passenger door...

 

Quite a few MINI owners have reported wierd electrical issues when the battery is going south. You might check and make sure you have a good battery. Just a thought.

Good Luck,
Mike

 

check to make sure the throttle body connector is good and tight. Then check the vacuum line that went the the JCW airbox. Make sure you have it plugged up or remove and and put the vacuum line back on the bypass valve like it didn't have the JCW airbox.

 

R53 goes in to limp home mode (GOT towed to the shop)

So first this car thows up codes that had to do with pedel position and throttle body and cam positioning sensor.

cleared codes and the car was driving normal test drove for 2 hours and was driving normal.

drove fine for a week

limp home mode strikes again. (turned the car off and turned it back on and the check engine light was still on but.. driving normal)

trouble code was cam positioning sensor

The mechanic noticed a coil that had corrosion on it.. said this may set off the limp home mode due to the Y firing of the coils or somthing like that. Or may be the ecu but it was running fine again "lets see how this does" cleaned it and did a full tune up. plugs, wires, air filter and oil change, just for piece of mind since it we bought a used car.

cleared the code.

week later

Limp home mode strikes again. twice in 6th gear and once at a light..
Turned it off and turned it back on.. check engine light was still on but driving normal.
Same code about the cam positioning sensor..

-CPS was replaced "hope this does it.. the ECU is doing what it is supposed to be doing when something like that fails...



!!!!!!! LIMP HOME MODE STRIKES AGAIN on the freeway check engine light is on... Turn the car off and turned it back on driving fine.. Happends a second time same thing turn the car off turned it back on driving fine... At a light the car with in to limp home mode as i go to take off... TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON IT WAS DRIVING FINE. thankfully we were right by the house..

WTF???

has anyone had an issue like this... could it be the ECU...

 

so he had an ecu from a wrecking yard that matched up with the vin number.. installing the ECU, then it needed to be programmed. upon programing the ESW (somthing to do with the emobilizer) it kept cutting out or loosing comunication half way though the upload process, scince that didnt work we stuck the original ECU back in and it ran rine for several hours.. no Check engine lights no limp home mode until later that night... went in to limp home mode after having the car one for about an hour. but then it was permanantly in limp home mode.. turning the key of and turning it back on didnt seem to help anymore. Now we have to wait because my mechanic has been working on this car for a week instead of the cars he needs to get ready for a car show.. we will bring it back to him for some hard core diagnostics tuesday after next tuesday. Any information would be great...

Ive called BMW MINI in Mountain view CA - and they said they had a simular mini come in for almost the same reasons. there fix had somthing to do with the catalytic converter.

Dinan -Mountain view CA - Said oh yeah we come get mini that do that all the time.. i asked what the fix for it was for the minis with strange limp home mode issues and multiple codes and he said that he couldnt really give me an answer and that the best thing to do is bring it in so they can diagnose it...

Im so frustraited i want to drive my mini's with no problems... when it is running its so much fun. i hope i over come this problem...

 

Hopefully you can understand this or make something of it. It is the threshold list for the OBD strategy. If the PCM sees these values go outside the threshold then you get a light and limited power.

 

I am beginning to think that you're engine harness may need to be replaced, you can't swap ECUs due to the EWS, the VINs won't match and the car won't run.

I don't see how a converter could be your issue.

 

So Finally i have an answer.... Ends up this car is not a JCW.. so whoever owned the car before us was trying to convert to JCW. The JCW air box was installed and the wire from the Flapper Solenoid to the ECU was causing the and tripping the limp home mode...Pulling the fuse from where the solenoid drew its power, triggered the same random codes.... ever scince that system was eliminated... i have had no further problems with Limp home mode or check engine lights!!!! thanks guys for all your help!