Couple weeks ago I had the EML light come on and it would go off with a restart of the car and it would do this every so often. Well, 4 days ago the EML came back on and then so did the SES light. The code found was P1498. I searched on forums and everywhere said to first check the intercooler boots. So I checked those and upon taking off the intercooler, I saw I had a bad fuel injector and also one of the boots was folded over and it appeared to not be sealed well as there was a fuel smell in the boot and it was shiny. This makes me believe the fuel had gotten into the boot and an obvious leak. I plan to replace the injector soon, so I put it all back together (properly) and take it for a drive with it seemingly running better. No lights came on for the 5-10 minute trip I took (usually the EML would have come in by then). So the next morning (today) I go to work and the EML came back on along with the SES. Same code was showing. Ugh!

Could the bad injector be the cause of the code?

Here are some photos I took of the parts in question.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

By bad injector, I just mean it seems to be leaking.

 

Update: I have replaced the fuel injector o-rings and no more fuel leak. However, that EML and SES light are still coming on.
Should I just replace that SC Intake pipe? Everyone says that's what seems to cause this light to come on if it's not the intercooler boots.

 

Check the vacuum/boost line from intake manifold nipple on passenger side running to fuel pressure regulator.

Jeremy

 

Thanks, I checked that and it seems to be in good working order. I am going to order the intake for the supercharger and then take the car apart to see if that's the leak. If so, I'll replace it... If not I'll return it.

 

Riddle me this... I have the same trouble code however I have a W10 Engine Mini Cooper without a Supercharger and without a turbocharger. So now what could be causing the problem???

 

I think what the code really means is unmetered air (a leak) after the MAF sensor. A common cause of this code on R53s is a cracked supercharger inlet duct (it was in my case), which by definition is not after the compressor!

 

Update... the R50 Mini Cooper P1498 Code was resolved by locating a vacuum leak on the intake manifold. The PCV line leading into the manifold was cracked at the elbow connector.

 

This is an old thread but I thought I would register this other possible solution. I had the same issue/error code. I replaced hoses, replaced seals, replaced both mass air flow sensors, etc. Nothing worked. Finally I read on another forum, regarding a totally different kind of car, that the code could be generated on an engine with a supercharger if it had a failing harmonic balancer. Sure enough, I took out the fender well on my R53 and the harmonic balancer was coming apart. It was still in one piece, but when the belt was off I could move it back and forth easily by hand. Also, it was the first part I had replaced that looked like it was actually failing, so that seemed encouraging. So what I figure was happening was that there was enough slop in the balancer so that when you stepped on the gas, it would distort a little bit, lagging the crankshaft for a moment until it "caught up" and snapped back. Apparently those little moments of lag are enough for the two mass air sensors, comparing the pressure upstream to the expected pressure downstream at the output of the supercharger, to think there is low pressure upstream. Hence it thinks the lower-than-expected upstream pressure is a vacuum leak/"unmetered air." That's just my theory. At any rate, the check engine light has stayed off since I replaced the balancer. I guess it's too late to return the intercooler boots and the bypass valve that I was going to try next!

 

Hi, I recently got the same code on my 2005 R50 Mini cooper. P1498 code. Do you have any pictures of what was cracked, and where it is located? Thanks in advance.