Hello everyone. So this is my first real topic post here, but I've been a member since June. Let me give a little background on my car. She is an 08 r56 with 72k. I bought her with around 64k from a mini dealership in Vegas. Clean bill of health and all maintenance up to date. I bought a 3rd party extended warranty for piece of mind and I'm glad I did. Thermostat started leaking coolant a couple months ago and was fixed under extended warranty. Everything before and after that was great. Until a week ago... when the cold start issues started popping up. It was not really a gradual thing. Just one day she started to struggle on start up. I got a CEL upon one of these starts. Took her in to get it diagnosed. I mentioned that I felt it was the HPFP. $130 bucks later was told it was carbon build up and that it would cost me $1200... Not sure if they even checked the pump. That was my fault for not asking. I passed on the carbon cleaning. Came home and ran two sea foam treatments through her. Lot o smoke! but didn't help. So I was planning one weekened at getting in there to clean the valves myself. Well I left my car at home for 4 days when I went on vacation. As soon as I got home I started her up. I had my camera at the ready and this is what happened. In the second video you will see the CEL (half highlighted engine icon) pop up with the dreaded "Engine! reduced power" on the Nav screen. BTW can anyone tell me what the other CEL on my startup is? My research showed it's possibly a headlight warning but I'm not sure. Anyway on to the video. Appreciate any help!

FYI the popping noise you hear at every start is an issue I'm having with the aftermarket amp that was installed. That's another issue I'll have to deal with some day!

Initial cold start:
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1330502266.mp4
Second video:
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1330502190.mp4

This is definitely the worst it has been at getting her started. It is pretty cold out tonight around 45 degrees. One thing to note is that once she's finally running and warmed up she will start right up again without issue. Is that a symptom of carbon buildup or hpfp? I imagine carbon buildup would make it rough at all times. But then again I'm not a mechanic. When I turned her off then back on the CEL light disappeared. I feel this is getting worse daily. Thanks in advance for any feedback. Calling dealer in the morning. She sure is pretty though...

 

A few things come to mind.

1. Spark plugs
2. HPFP
3. extreme carbon build up.

But at any rate after doing a seafoam treatment i would certainly pull the plugs and check them they can easily get gunked up.

And what we really need it to have you read the codes on the OBDII to really help you. They will tell us relatively close (down to a few components) what items have caused the Check engine light and the !

 

well mine is in the shop for something similiar to that not sure what it is yet, haven't been updated on their findings yet. I will post up my results when I get it back

 

first new spark plugs then check the coil packs. then buy oil catch can. good luck!

 

Thanks for the replies. Going to fire her up here in a minute. I'll be sure to check the plugs. I guess I'll have to get a scanner to pull the codes. I called autozone and they told me in California they can only tell me what the codes mean, they can't actually pull them...

 

bsh make oil vapor catch cans, stops carbon build up. amco trans shops will read your codes for free.

 

Taking her in Monday. They are going to pull the codes for free. How nice of them! Checking spark plugs tomorrow. Will report back

 

Left the car overnight so they could start her cold. They came to the conclusion it was the hpfp! Getting it replaced no charge. They also heard the death rattle and are replacing the timing chain. So far so good

 

3 days later she's back. HPFP replaced, Timing chain tensioner and upper timing chain guide replaced, Leaking oil pan fixed.

$193.72 in parts (HPFP not including as that was covered under extended warranty)
$1021.16 in labor!

$100 deductible covered it all. This extended warranty has been the best purchase ever.

Warranty cost about 2400. I has almost paid for itself when you factor in the broken thermostat I suffered a few months ago that cost close to $700.

No more cold starts, no more stalling, no more leaking!