Hi guys,

So this is my fist post, and I would love any help that you can give me.

I have an '02 mini s and I am pulling my hair out right now. It had no pickup at all and my mechanic said that the supercharger went out, so I cried inside and replaced it. Driving home that day my idle was completely erratic. it felt like it was surging, but there was no pattern to the rpms bouncing around. The power steering is going out intermittently as well - sometimes when I turn the wheel just sticks...

Its throwing codes for:
P1242 - secondary upstream manifold air pressure too high in deceleration
P0507 - idle air control system rpm higher than expected

they cleared the codes, and it drove perfectly home. The second drive cycle the codes are back and the steering is worse..

my mechanic of course has no clue...

any ideas or similar problems??

 

I would guess an air leak at one of the boots on the intercooler causing the codes. Should be an easy fix

The intermittent steering issues are a warning that the steering pump is on its way out.

Nik

 

+1
Any mechanic should be willing and happy to check for an intake leak or loose boot after a sc swap...basic lookover, them more indepth as needed....lots of things pulled off and unplugged when swapping a sc...so maybe a leak, or a plug that is loose.
PS
common failure mode, but COULD be related to the surging in one way i can think of....if the alternator cuts out....the ps pump will cut out...and stay off till it senses voltage being generated...so a badly slipping belt, or a complete stall could make it do this, but often it is just the pump dying.

 

Thinking the same thing : the PS pump sometimes likes to turn on and off on its way out. But could be also due to the engine cutting out with voltage drop.

I would check the boot. Most likely when the re-installed the SC something was not sealed up.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/11610020836KT/ES2588236/


It will be the two black boots in the picture. Hopefully he replaced most of the gaskets on the install of the new SC ?

They look like this.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/17517639960/ES2543383/



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/17517639959/ES2618867/


Hope that helps you out. Once you get the one fixed , then you can determine if the PS pump is at fault also.

 

You replaced the supercharger simply because your car had 'no pickup?' What exactly was wrong with the supercharger?

 

Well it wasn't throwing any codes, but it was obvious that there was no power going to it just by driving it; there was a huge difference between the past 2 months and the past year and a half. I work at a shop so I had them inspect it, and they agreed. The idle had also been acting up intermittently for the past year as well. It would almost die out on me when I was in neutral.

My boss is adamant that the boots are perfect...

The power steering is what's really bugging me because the wheel isn't returning and locking up almost. But I had zero problems like this before the sc was replaced.

 

If I remember correctly there is one small bolt on the intake tube on the IC side of the throttle body that can easily break the tube when removing parts during an SC replacement. Unfortunately it is difficult to check..........

Nik

 

Some reading

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0507-code.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...l-at-idle.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-in-here.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...s-at-idle.html

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ight-help.html

 

I had erratic rpms at idel and got the P0507 (as well as P0506 and P1498) codes. I ended up having to replace a cracked supercharger inlet duct and the green gasket identified above. After that, no codes, not SES or EML. When I replaced the inlet duct, I noticed a fairly large crack in the plastic duct (obviously loosing loosing vaccum at the inlet. I would asume that a misfitted intercooler boot would look be the same. As well, there are at least 2 hoses (with the red lock caps), the throttle body, and bypass valve that could also be a source for leaks if not properly fitted. I would have assumed that your mechanic would have checked those, so maybe one may have backed out.

 

So I made them do a smoke test, and found the leak was the MAP sensor by the throttle body. The tubing was snapped right off of the sensor... I replaced that and no more check engine light and it seems like my idle has been solid so far

Unfortunately the PS is almost nonexistent still. So I guess the next thing to look at is the pump. It's sure annoying that it all went at once..

 

That's good to hear is was something small as that air leak near the Map.

Make sure to check your PS fan and it is spinning freely. If you have the original fan it will not have the grille. The new fan comes with the grille and has the built in resistor , which the older fans I believe did not.

New one looks like this:

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/32416857718/ES2558179/



If you need the parts for the PS Pump and Fan they are here:

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2002-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/Steering/Pump/

Fluid also.
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2002-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/Steering/Fluid/

Thanks

 

Thanks for the part numbers I do have the original fan, and it hasn't worked since this past summer so that's on my ever growing list too.

I'm having them check the u joints in the lower steering column right now before I order the pump. I just don't want to believe that it would die out now in 15 degree weather and not over the summer in 110...

I also hear the pump whining while its on the lift and I turn the wheel, and its notchy.. It's really loose in some parts and then it hits a hard spot. I have my fingers crossed that its that and not the pump.. the SC bill took a lot out of me already

 

You are welcome: glad I could help.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ring-play.html

People have had problems in the past with steering play & binding of the U joints. I hope its the easy fix and not the harder.

If you find the lower steering column knuckle not to bind, then the next step is the PS pump. I had mt PS pump go in the summer and it went from one day working to a couple hour on and off, next day it was all off.

Here is the lower steering column: The bottom U joints seem to be the problem sometimes.

http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/32306763722/ES52569/





Good luck and I hope things work out.

Let me know if you need anything else.

 

Thank you everyone for the advice and help

I just replaced the lower steering column shaft and it turns perfectly now! I'm beyond ecstatic that I didn't have to pay for the pump, $111 + tax is waaaay better than $700 and change.

I guess 90,000 miles is just the magic number where things like to break... A guy just came into my shop 5 minutes ago with an '04 MCS at 90,000 miles and his supercharger quit too

 

Great new,

Let me know if you need anything in the future and happy motoring.

 

MiniMeg: Again you describe a supercharger as having 'quit.' What exactly do you mean? Its one thing if the PTO has lost its oil and the gears self-destruct, but other than that superchargers don't wear out and 'quit.' Please explain.