I've been noticing recently that my idle is strange.

There's the normal, relatively quiet idle to which I have become accustomed, but lately it has been alternating with a rattling, resonant idle. So I'll have normal idle for perhaps a minute, followed by rumbly idle for several seconds and then back to normal idle to repeat the cycle.

I had V.36 flashed about 2 months/2k miles ago, with disappointing results, and I don't recall this phenomenon prior to that. I'm due to go back to the dealer for some more sniggling little issues anyway, but I wondered if anyone had any thoughts...

I believe I have the same problem as you...it happens only somtimes for me tho..
this started happening after the v36.1 was installed....
the v36.1 brought nothing but problem for me....
just took it to the dealer 2 days ago...they said they can't find anything wrong with it...
my other problem after the upgrade is tat when the car slows down to 30 km/h..it will make a obvious jerk.....anyone else have this problem!?

yeah, i have the same thing with my mc cvt. I had v.36 flashed 2 times...but didn't help. I notice mine while waiting at the light....and have even had the idle drop so low that my car stalled (3 times). most of the other times, it sounds like I have something similar to what you folks are experiencing. My dealership (MINI of Hawaii....which some of you may have heard about) couldn't duplicate the problem, so it was never fixed.

Yeah, actually, I've got a deceleration lurch too...

And this afternoon I stalled the car while backing out of a parking space BUT there's no reason it should have stalled. Occasionally we're all given to random acts of stupidity when we let the clutch fly without appropriate gas, but this wasn't one of those times. It surprised me. Other than that (and it could have been me, I just don't think it was) I haven't had any stalling or even near stalling. Just an idle reminiscent of my '86 Omni--really, that's the best way to describe it. It's the idle of an old, funky car.

I wonder if maybe my clutch is going, too... but that's a whole 'nuther thread.

Hhhmm,
maybe you've got the same problem that I have on my 03 MCS (I still run on V32 ECU):
I've posted on this before, but I have both a vibration and resonance in my car, at various rpms:
at idle or around 1000 - 1050 rpm. This is the 'warmup' rpm, so once the engine warms and idle rpms drop, it is quiet at idle.
Then I also have a very pronounced vibration and resonance at around 2100 rpm, and maybe around 3300 rpm.
It vibrates such that I can feel it through steering wheel, shifter, pedals, floor pan.

This noise first only appeared occasionally, but now has become 'near permanent'.
I've had the dealer look at it three times without any results, but I don't think they tried very hard: they looked at the trouble codes, and since they couldn't replicate it very well they said no problem.

Another curious thing is the AC howl that many have reported around 3600 rpm.
I don't think that one has been resolved, it has just disappeared over the winter.

Now, as the seasons are changing, I have the impression that I get either the AC howl, or the vibration and resonance, but not both.

Anotehr observation is that when the resonance and vibration became near permanent features during the winter months, my gas mileage dropped precipitously, by about 20%.

I am gearing up for another dealer visit, and if once again they cannot fix the problem, I will get a new MCS and dump this one. It's a fun car but has had just waaayyyy too many problems for a new car.

I'll keep y'all posted.

M.

I have the same problem, but mostly on cold idle, at a stop lite the mini will shake. I do have this problem after the V36. I didn't notice it right away after the software upgrade, but been noticing it for the past 1 to 2 month.

When the mini shake or rattle the rev is stable, no problem there, i also have a boost and vac gauge that show no sign of movment, oil temp seem to be normal also.

I have talked to the dealer, at the time i brought it in the mini didn't do it, so really hard for them to figure out what happening, also he noted that reflash the software shouldn't change much,

I when in the 2nd time, i talked to another service advicer who drive a mini cooper, she have the same thing also usually happen on cold idle,

Just wanted to add also, i do sometime get it with a warm engine.

Check your air filter. They are only good for around 10-15k miles, mine was JET BLACK when I replaced it at 20k. Idle went back to normal.

UBer

I had the same experience when I put on the Alta CAI at 25K miles- the factory panel filter was really black. I wonder where all the blackness comes from. I've replaced lots of other car's air filters and while they were definitely dirty, they didn't have that black sooty look to them.



>>Check your air filter. They are only good for around 10-15k miles, mine was JET BLACK when I replaced it at 20k. Idle went back to normal.
>>
>>UBer
>>

This just happened to me the other day after some pretty hard driving in traffic with the AC on. I stopped at a gas stations and it started sounding funny and my rpms were way low. Step on the gas and it spitted and sputtered and then finaly reved and then it did it again. I thought it was going to stall but it never did. After driving about 100 more miles home at speeds of 70 to 85 mph I stopped again and same thing. I hit the gas and same thing. This time if I hadn't hit the gas it would have died. I had just come home from the dealership. I have to go back to the dealer to get a second speaker replaced so I am going to ask them to check it out. They will probably not find anything. :eek:

Hmmm... air filter... been thinking about this, too, as I SWEAR I seem to have dropped a pony or two somewhere. But I figured there was no way the filter could be that dirty and assumed (silly me) that they must have changed it at some service or another.

Will check this tomorrow--thanks :smile:

Hey OmToast,

I have exactly the same problem. Just had v. 36 installed and I've noticed a strange rattling sound sometimes at idle to. I lay into the gas a little and let off and then it's fine. Wierd.

-jake

Does it seem as if the car is going to stall out, but then pulls its rpms up to normal? If this is the case I have the same problem. No solution yet. Put on a K&N CAI and during the install process I noticed that the air filter is pretty dirty (only 11k mi). taking my MCS into the dlr for the first service. I will ask about it. I guess I should check to make sure that I have the most updated software right? Should I be asking that... or would that make me look like an idiot? Any thoughts?

Mine had almost a looping kinda idle. It felt like it was going stall but didn't. It never happened all winter, but suddenly there it was. Later the same day I changed out my Denso's for the stock plugs and installed a Shark upgrade. Hasn't happened in the week since.
I suspect my surging idle was likely caused by the ECU not having fully readjusted to the milder temps and some lightly spirited driving. The Denso's looked kinda on the lean side, but shouldn't have been a factor. The loading of the Shark likely allowed the ECU to start over with fresh data based on the current temps. Getting the car to roll out was suddenly more difficult at times pre upgrade. Now it's as good as it ever was again.

>>Yeah, actually, I've got a deceleration lurch too...
>>
>>And this afternoon I stalled the car while backing out of a parking space BUT there's no reason it should have stalled. Occasionally we're all given to random acts of stupidity when we let the clutch fly without appropriate gas, but this wasn't one of those times. It surprised me. Other than that (and it could have been me, I just don't think it was) I haven't had any stalling or even near stalling. Just an idle reminiscent of my '86 Omni--really, that's the best way to describe it. It's the idle of an old, funky car.
>>
>>I wonder if maybe my clutch is going, too... but that's a whole 'nuther thread.


I've notice the deceleration lucrch @ around 30 km/h.....it's pretty obvious and happens all the time....the service manager took my mini out for a spin..but he said he didn't find any problem with it.....anyone have this problem??? anyone have a solution to the problem!?? thanks.

<<<anyone have this problem??? anyone have a solution to the problem!?? thanks.>>>

Sure, I have the solution: a complete overhaul of the MINI customer service division and dealer system. :razz:

Same problem here, occurs on an intermittant basis..

'04 MCS, v.36

>>I've notice the deceleration lucrch @ around 30 km/h.....it's pretty obvious and happens all the time....the service manager took my mini out for a spin..but he said he didn't find any problem with it.....anyone have this problem??? anyone have a solution to the problem!?? thanks.

I think most MINIs have this, so it might actually be "normal".
When you are coasting, (foot off the gas pedal but clutch engaged), no fuel is injected into the engine. But once you slow down enough, fuel has to be re-introduced to avoid stalling the engine. I believe that is why your car jerks. My car does that too.

>>Same problem here, occurs on an intermittant basis..
>>
>>'04 MCS, v.36
>>

I think this is a glitch in V36. Does anyone know if software update V38 is supposed to address this issue?

>>Same problem here, occurs on an intermittant basis..
>>
>>'04 MCS, v.36
>>

I think this is a glitch in V36. Does anyone know if software update V38 is supposed to address this issue?

^^ There's a v.38 now???

I've been bumbling along with a barely improved v.36... God, I wish they could just get it right--an impossibility, I know, given the car's computer-orientation.

some update,

i have clean and re oil my K&N yesterday, the car ran smoother. I have the filter in my mini for about 30,000KM 1st drive right after the clean filter, the idle seem normal. Was hoping this would have fix it. With all my luck, the strange idle is back. Going to talk to the dealer soon, will update everyone soon

anyone have update on this issue?

my dear try reprograming my ecul, still no luck,
the strange idle is coming more often now,

any help out there?

>>anyone have update on this issue?
>>
>>my dear try reprograming my ecul, still no luck,
>>the strange idle is coming more often now,
>>
>>any help out there?
>>

What version of the software did you get?


Also can you tell me more about your driving environment? Weather temps? Humidity?, etc.
What brand of gas do you use? have you tried switching gas brands and/or gas stations?

I have the same problem-- when coming to a stop the car does a lurching thing. I have also been having the rough idle problem and today it did it alot. I was just at the dealer and they installed version 37. The dealer can't seem to be able to fix any of the problems I'm having, they just say that they cant duplicate it or there is NO FIX. This is one of many problems im having with the car, and it is all getting pretty frustrating. I want to enjoy this car all the time, but right now the way this car is behaving and the dealer says they cant fix it, i cant, and that is sad to say about a NEW CAR.

Rob :mad:

Disappointing to hear that the air filter cleaning didn't work... I still haven't gotten around to buying a new set of torx screwdriversto check my filter (I'm such a delinquent car owner right now) but that is absolutely getting done TOMORROW. So I'll see if my experience is any different. I hold out little hope, however.