So yesterday I was driving around, no obvious problems, no sputtering, no idle issues. Fuel gauge light had just come on at 1/8 tank, readout said 60 miles. Car just died, no warning, just died and wouldn't turn over.

Put a couple gallons of gas in her and she started right up, but as the MINI is our long distance car it has me a little worried. Is this a bigger problem?

Has anyone else ever had this happen to them? any known issues with Gas gauges being off?

Thanks.

 

It sounds like you just ran out of gas. From what I've read, the MINI gas gage isn't real accurate.

Dave

 

Update.....

Car now has a hard start, takes at least two trys to start.

Drove around for a bit today and the check engine light came on. P0171 "bank 1 to lean" and P0172 "bank 1 to rich" or visa versa. Car stumbles now all the time, no accelertation. The car doesn't die, it just won't let me go anywhere in a hurry. If I turn the engine off and then back on it fixes it for about 5 min. The only thing I've done recently is dump in a bottle of "Seafoam" to clean on the fuel system and then filled up. But I can't imagine it causing this problem.

any suggestions please.

 

You haven't said what year and model your MINI is. That'd help a lot with diagnosing your problem. Put it in your signature, then you don't have to remember to add it to your posts each time.

Dave

 

Sorry, 2006 MCS 6SPD

17% Pulley (installed about a month ago)
CAI

 

Sometimes the gauges need to be reset. But Sometimes one or both need to be replaced. If one fails it will set a code in the Instrument Cluster memory

 

Any ideas where I should start my seach?
I've checked for vaccum leaks around the fuel rail, can't find anything.
The Fuel pump seams to be getting louder, but that could be my imagination.
I've removed the intercooler and as far as I can tell its never been removed prior. But there was a lot of oil in the intercooler and intake track. But I've come to expect that with forced induction cars.

 

The fuel pump will be loud when operating with no fuel going through. the tank may have been empty when you heard the pump running. You can remove the pump and see how much fuel is in the baffle. And then check how much is actually in the tank as well. If there is no fuel in the baffle but fuel in the tank then theres a pump problem.
If you run the pump with no fuel in it you can damage it. The pump relys on fuel to keep it cool.
You would need a major vacuum leak to actually have the car stall.
Its pretty common for there to be a fair bit of oil in the intercooler/intake system.
My wild guess maybe the level senders in the tank