Ok, so this started friday, went to start the mini and it just clicks...

Did this about 6 times pushing the button then started, had some racket coming from under the hood, all the guages and lights were dead, and all the MILs were on.. then drove 5 feet, guages started working but the lights stayed on.. then shut off, restarted (which it did the first time) and all seems well..

Did this again twice saturday, Twice Sunday, then on monday after calling dealership to get scheduled for service i thought it left me stranded in the parking lot.. Tried about a million times (pressing button and removing key then retry) to get the thing to start, called roadside, they are on line with me to get it towed and it magically starts.. did it again tuesday morning before i took it to the dealer.. Then when i got there, and tried to get it to do it again it started fine.. About 12 times in a row.. Im so angry i could explode.. This is a bad deal, could leave us stranded somewhere and that also is a bad deal..

I am not all that pleased with my MINI it has been in the shop 5 times for what my fiance calls "little stuff" but that little stuff costs me a day of work every time it goes down..

My 07 GMC has NEVER been to the dealer.. and never left me anywhere.. and i beat the hell out of it.

Has anyone else had a similar issue?

 

Just called the dealer and they havent been able to replicate the no start issue.. They say the BCM or JEC module or whatever has some stored faults none of which say anything about a no start, but they are going to replace the module and see where that goes..

Seems like they are grasping at straws..

 

47 views and nobody has an opinion or experience like this?

 

This is the first NON S that has had this issue I have seen on here. Most of the no-start condition problems here is from the high pressure fuel pump failure on the turbo engine. ONCE I had my car stall three times in a row while idling and backing. But that was two years ago now (and I am at 43k miles now).

You may have a ton of different issues, but first and foremost bad battery, bad clutch interlock switch (the one at the end of the clutch pedal travel), bad starter, bad DME like the dealer is trying, bad ignition coils, bad fuel pump, bad plugs, clogged air filter, something wrong in the valve train...

 

And around here you can not always expect an answer in less than 24 hours. It may be a day or more before someone with a similar problems comes back to the forum. I.E. I am usually only on the forums here Monday thru Friday so if someone asks on Saturday and I am the only one with experience on their question they won't see anything form me until Monday at least.

But as strobeyprobey stated, with a intermittent start problem there are so many things it could be.

I would check things in the following order.

1. Battery voltage and crank current
2. Clutch switch
3. voltage to starter solenoid

and then go on to other parts from there.

 

The dealer still has the car, and has yet to be able to replicate the problem..
They are actually going to send the car home with their service writer for the weekend and see if it does it for him while driving it.

I load checked the battery, that was my first thought as well, bad batteries make some odd things happen to computers, that however did not seem to be the issue.

I took it to the dealer after that because there is no need for me to stand on my head and try to fix this if they will do it for free.. They replaced the module thinking that the older fault codes may be a sign of it going bad...

Also the car never started then stalled, it only did this after it had already started and done the no guage thing..

Also there is a strange noise coming from beneath the bonnet when it does finally start, this noise continues until the guages start then it too goes away...

Not happy with the MINI

 

I wouldn't be happy either. At least they are trying to replicate the issue instead of just returning the car to you immediately.

 

That is true.. I suggested that they keep the car and send it home with someone..

Told them that if they were to return it to me knowing that it still has a no start condition and it were to leave me stranded somewhere in the middle of the night we would have "a major problem on our hands, and not only with the car"

I have to agree that they are at least trying...

 

Well they have had the car since tuesday of last week, still no fix, they cannot make it happen again.. They told me to come get it and if it did it again they would try to fix it...

I asked them to make sure all the attempts and such were noted on the paperwork so that if it does this again i can get it fixed properly, i also asked that if it were to happen once the car goes out of warranty would it be covered, and they said they are prepared to fix it reguardless...

 

Good luck, it sounds like you have a decent dealership even if they can't replicate the issue for you. I had a very similar scenario with a different intermittent issue: car will not shift into 1st gear from neutral without a ton of pressure. I had it in three times, twice overnight, and could not replicate. Took it in a last time the day before warranty ran out and brought the tech along for a ride to see if it would replicate, but it wouldn't. One stiff-ish shift and he suggested changing the transmission fluid.

It's still not resolved but they guaranteed me that since it's documented they will take care of me if something goes really wrong. It seems that dealerships are hit or miss.. there are great ones and really awful ones.