I just bought this 2003 Cooper S at the virtual online auction. My plan was to drive it opposted to driving my Dodge 1 ton Cummings diesel back & forth to work everyday. It had to be jumped off at the auction to get it on the trailer. Got it home and it wouldnt start to take it off of the trailer so I replaced the battery and it still would not start. All the lights worked, stereo, pannel lights, etc... I've got the clutch pushed in, I've got the transmission in neutral and nothing. So I hooked up the jumper cables to my truck and I dont know what I did but it started? I turned it off shortly afterwards cause my kid was crying about something and when I went back out to start it again it wouldnt start so I hooked it back up to the jumper cables & truck and you guessed it, it didnt start.

Am I not holding my tongue right or WHAT ? Where is the secret switch at ?

The check engine light is on all the time.. Thats one thing that will need immediate attention.

Can one of the board vetrans help me with some technical advise please ?

Unfortunately it didnt come with a manual and I dont know squat about these type of vehicles.

 

Sounds like your auction car has a few issues...I hope you looked into it before you bought it....
Get the codes read on the computer...tge yellow light is telling you there is a code/issue, potentially serious. This problem may/maynot be related to the starting issue.

 

Ps when say no start, it it cranking? Does it click? Does it drive run ok with the light on, or is it in "limp mode"? Limp mode has very little power, limited rpm's....
Any other info...miles, apparent mods or other observations?

 

No click, no nothing... The buzzer makes noise but the engine wont turn over or click or nothing. No Sir it wont crank....

At the auction the employees hooked up jumper cables to the frame and a connection (square box) under the hood, cable from the battery to the starter I assume. It started twice this way at the auction. I've got it to start once today that way, it wont start now...

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Terry

 

There is a battery disconnect squib (explosive charge) in the box that sits next to the battery..the purpose of it is to disconnect the unfused stater/battery cable in a crash..if it was cut, it would spark..there are actually 2 + battery cables in the mini, the one to the regulat fuse box, and the unfused one to the starter...since the current is so high, fusing the cable did not make economic sense...hense the charge that explodes with the airbag in a crash....
The charge/box can sometimes fail or simply corrode. I'd look there...
Do no not power on the car with the box opened up while fiddling with the insides....you could set an airbag light, or possiblly have the charge go off...BANG!!
BMW sold rebuild kits that fit the mini for this box...mini may now sell one..but before you spend the $$, check it out..look for corrosion....

 

If that is the issue, it should start anytime you jump it like they did at the auction I think....
Not sure why it would not if you did it the same way and it did not start...
Did you try a different key? Maybe the chip in the key for the antitheft I'd iffy...
Auction cars can be a mess, or a good deal...

 

The unfused box up under the hood next to the airbox is where it was jumped by the auction. I put the positive cable there & the negative lead on the frame and it started once this morning.... I dont know where the starter is but Im sure it's close nearby where that box is located. It appears there is no corrosion at the box near the airbox. Back where the battery is I noticed the other box, orange in color. I'll check there but it appears to be all functioning correctly ? I'll check and get back to ya' with the results...
Just getting it started would mean a whole lot to me right now!



The anti-theft device is built in this key but it's toast, falls apart in your hand, I replaced the battery and it didnt do anything...

I turned the key on and turned it off real quickly and the door locks "locked & unlocked" and the interior light turned on and then dimmed off.... ? Anyone got an explaination for that ?

 

I think when you jump it with the blocks under the hood, you bypass the orange box/sqib....
The key anti theft chip is not powered....the battery is for thevkeyless entry only...
When these cars were new, they came with 3 keys...
On yours 1plastic emergency key, one remote key with a battery, and one standard key, no keyless entry.
'05+ cars had the plastic key, and 2 remote keys, self charging by induction, no battery needed...
If you have the title, you can order keys, precut from the dealer...
You will need to "mate" the new key to the antithft system, and the keyless entry if applicable.
The chip in the key must be close enough to the sensor to work..it is just glued to the circurit board...
That and has the car started every time it was jumped by the underhood trick?

 

What's your battery voltage at rest/starting? I'd start with a new battery if it needs to be jumped every time. If it does start, the starter is not the issue, but feeding it is.

OEM on my '03 R53 died and I went with an Optima 34R. Spendy, but great batteries.

Yours might just have enough life in it so it will run the idiot and cabin lights, and I would have thought enough to make the starter click, but maybe not. How's the water level in the cells?

The cabin lights come on and then dim after ~15 seconds, that is normal.

 

Thank you ZippyNH...

(That and has the car started every time it was jumped by the underhood trick?)

It started twice at the auction and only once after I got it home by jumping it off under the hood. After I got it home last night I went to O'Reilly's and got a battery they recommended
and installed the new battery.. I tried jumping it again Saturday at the box under the hood and it didnt turn over.. I checked the fuses under the hood and in the kick pannel on the drivers side and all the fuses are good. I am stumped!

Anyone have any ideals ?

 

Any chance the clutch switch is bad or the wiring has come loose?

Eric

 

Check your under hood fuses and relays, pay attention to anything that looks like an engine symbol with a lightning bolt.

 

I looked at all the fuses under the hood, payed special attention to the 3 that looked like an engine with a lightning bolt and they appeared all fine. They are enclosed with 4 prongs sticking out.
The square box looking thing beside the air filter is where the auction employees were able to jump the car off from.

 

Here is a picture of the box close up.

 

Here's a photo of the fuse box under the hood. Everything appears good ? I am missing a 50 amp fuse for I think it was the heated seats, it was heated something..

 

swap the relays around, you cant tell if one is bad by looking. Use one of the ones for the fan.

 

Check the ground cable on the passenger side of the engine compartment. I once had a bad one and my car would start with the bonnet open and not when it was closed. Just a thought.

 

Thank you all for helping me troubleshoot my problem. This has been a nightmare! While I am a little discouraged my sprirt says get it running and fix her up. Im going to post some images showing the missing parts in the engine compartment. Why would somebody take the fender wells off ? Why do away with the airbox ? Make it breath better ?

 

Why would somebody remove the fender wells ? Why would remove the airbox ? And the housing cover there on top in front ?

 

I don't think it is wise to remove the fender wells since any debris, dirt mud rocks, snow, trash can be caught up and tossed towards your engine and air filter.

They don't weigh much and can be bought at the parts dept and replaced easily.

The airbox is normally closed to protect the filter from water and dirt and the route of air is from the front grille through a snorkel. Yours may be modified since the snorkel portion appears to be disconnected from the small hole on the front grill area with hood open. Sometimes the aftermarket gauze filter cannot fit in the stock airbox so the box is removed but then much of the hot air from the engine is mixed with fresh air so it becomes more like a hot air intake.

From the picture you are also missing the intercooler cover which is black plastic and routes fresh air from the bonnet opening onto the intercooler fins.

Hope you can get it running.

I'd check over the rest of the MINI for hacks and aftermarket parts including the exhaust, suspension, wheels, brakes, and interior electronics.

If there are upgrades to the audio system sometimes there can be changes to the electrical wiring that might be shorted or intermittently bad as to cut all electric power. Worth checking for that and troubleshooting it.

 

Looks like that car has been through the ringer...it looks as if it was modded/riced...
Check a junkyard for the fenders.
The air filter is an aftermarket, with the factory panel/box removed...usually ok, but dangerous with no fender liners...
Hate to say it..but looks like someone was dumping it...hope youbgot it really cheap...
One word of wisdom on the starting...
Someone had messed with the key...you said it fell appart..maybe they were troubleshooting the same issue....
Did you verify the old battery was bad? You swapped it out, but it is still not starting...is the battery getting drained? Or is it fully charged?
Some basic trouble shooting...to see if the car has a drain, or just a non-crank issue...non crank could even be windings in the starter...is it getting energy to crank? If not then maybe the antitheft...if so, then the starter...
Trying to fix a car from forum info is like do it yourself dentistry...long, painful, and ill advised IMO....online stuff can help, but you need some basic starting/ending points, to rule some issues out..fuses, etc, good start...
But before you go too far, look closely at the car....is it worth it...get it running, makesure the bigstuff like clutch, motor, cv joints, tranny are ok...make sure it seems like the frame is stright....
The scope of this cars issues might be more than it is worth...but it might be a great deal...looking under the hood...it's not looking good....some of thecmost basic stuff is just missing...

 

I have a friend who opened his own service shop for imports, I was planning to drop it off there and see if he could get it running and tell me what all it needed. If it needs alot of repairs I'll send it back to the auction. I bought it thru a broker so I've got a week or two before I can transfer the title into my name and get back to the auction.

 

Try grounding to the engine with the jumpers. A bad ground has been mentioned, but since different ground positions can be chosen, that is a variable. If it starts with the block grounded by the jumper cables, then you have to find the old, or make a new big ground.

Intake don't worry about, wheel wells, probably had big tires rubbing, also no big deal. You still can get lucky. Just keep checking for voltage to see where it is missing and check the grounds too.

 

When this happened to me, it was because my key had "gone bad". The chip in the had somehow broken and would no longer start the car. Had to take it to a place that the computers to diagnose Coopers. Had to order a new key and have that key realigned with EWS system in the car. After it was all said and done I was out $500.