so i have a 2004 mini cooper r50 ever since it got cold every morning i go out to start my car. when i'm going to start it its fine. once it kicks over its fine. then as i start to drive it, it seems like it's bogged down and the traction control turns of. i have tried to turn it off with the toggle switch while driving but it wont go off. i have to restart the car. after that first drive of the day though even if i let it sit for 6 hours it will start up and have no problems at all. if anybody can please help me with this i will be greatly appreciative. al i have all new spark plugs wires and it is kept up on maintenance as if i have ocd.

christian

 

You need to give us more info...which lights are lit would be a good start...maybe a bit clarity in your statement about the issue...
From what you said it could be SEVERAL things....
So to narrow it down...what lights are lit on the dash?!
What are you saying about starting?! IS it slow/hard to start? It is fall...and your battery could be weak/old. IF you get rumbling starts, when it takes 2 seconds to get going, or stalls, then runs fine, it is common when the gas stations do their seasonal fuel changeover... Spring+Fall....some folks have it go away with some fuel cleaner like BG44K, or just wait (after a few weeks of all the stations having changed, the computer adjusts, and all will be fine)...others have found you need to look at the ignition coil...sometimes corrosion grows on one of the connectors..and cleaning it helps. Of course you are running 91 Octane fuel or better right, as REQUIRED?
The Traction control....are you getting 3 lights or just 1.
If you get the check engine light...it is the car going into a "safe" mode, where it runs less rpm and power...it will do this till it is turned off. On re-start, it will try to run normally...but if there is a fault with a sensor...it will flip back to this safe mode, until it is shut off, and re-started again...this will continue till fixed. This is an engine problem, and THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD BE ON.
IF the traction control light is on...and 2 others (sometimes called a tri-fecta)...the brake+tire preaseure light, then there is usually a fault in the Traction control system...a bad wheel speed sensor is common....but things like steering angle sensors could be bad, depending on WHICH traction control system you have installed....

 

well today i went and started the car waiting till the injector sound stopped. it started fine. i put it into reverse seems a little bogged down. i pull back in and then my check engine light comes on and so does the traction control light. no others. i get my scanner out the code is cylinder 4 misfire. since it is my only car and i had very important things to get done with not much driving i still took the car and it was driving fine. traction control light turned off when i turned the car off and it didnt come back on so far today. this is the second time that this has happened the same exact way. once the engine gets warmed up though it seems fine. the first time the check engine light stayed off maybe 2 days but i was still having the problem with the traction control. also this just started to happen of course and as soon as i hit 84000 miles and when it got cold dropping to about 40 i live in northeast ohio. i have all new plugs and wires. at 2500 with the current oil. any other info i can provide for you guys to help ill be very thankful for any input.

 

Get a compression check...this will give you an idea if the misfire is the result of a mechanical fault...very likely.
The fact the traction control light goes on should be secondary...the car Boggs down cause one cylindar is not firing....
In many cases, this is due to bad gas...or gas with less than the required octane...
Low octane fuel can cause permanent dammage to the inside of the motor or valves. Check the ignation coil tips for corrosion...
Other than that, you should bring your car into a shop asap...driving with a miss is not safe, and can cause more dammage.

 

ever since i have had it i have put 93 ocatine in it and today i bought a lucas full fuel system cleaner and seeing if that help at all i also am going to check the spark plugs they shouldn't be bad i replaced Bosch ones with ngk 2 months ago

 

sunoco gas also

 

+1
Check the plugs....good for the gas...
Check the plug wires connections...much beyond that, you kinda need a pro.

 

update- my mini is fixed went through a lot of trouble with the dealership not being able to tell me whats wrong but it turned out to be the fuel injector and the tip seal on it was damaged. now my baby is running like new

 

Wow, absolutely 1:1 same problem, cyl 4 misfire, then traction control light, goes on and off with check engine light coming on and off. Thanks for info, will check the injector asap.