Good Morning Everyone,

I am coming to you because I need a bit of advice regarding my girlfriend's 2004 R50. Currently the vehicle is not running. When I turn the key the engine turns over but there is 0 compression. Also the car is showing the EP and EML lights. The spark plugs were fouled pretty bad, and I cleaned those. I also checked the air filter, added fresh gas, coolant (was empty), removed the terminals from the battery, and reset every sensor that I could locate.

Back story: My girlfriend was driving home in the rain and her car began to overheat, which she did not notice until the car litterally died and she had to pull over. After this happened she could not start the car because there was no compression whatsoever. It was towed to a mechanic who after just putting the key in and trying to start the car said that the head gasket was blown. Since he did not actually get under the hood and is not a BMW or Mini certified mechanic I decided to at least take a look before she scraps the car for $2k or so.

There was no coolant in the reservior. I checked the oil, and it was full, fairly fresh, and not milky at all. I also turned the engine over while the spark plugs were out and no liquid was ejected. There are no clicking sounds or clanking coming from the head, and there does not appear to be any sort of leak.

Regardless the car will not even try to start beyong turning over. Any advice would help. I am willing to begin dismantling the engine and replacing the head gasket, but if anyone thinks that the problem may be something else or way more dire, I would appreciate the knowledge before I undertake an unwinable task.

 

Well, if you have checked it with a compression tester and really have zero compression, you will be taking this motor apart completely.

When you overheated, you could have done any or all of these things:
-Blown Head Gasket
-Warped/damaged Head
-Cracked piston rings
-Damaged valves/seats

There's no way to say it's just the HG until you take it apart.

 

How much coolant did you add? Enough for the reservoir only (they are known to leak) or enough for most of the radiator? Wondering if the car just needs a reset from BMW diag machine before it will try to turn over as a failsafe... Would've had way more damage if the car started up and let her drive it.

What codes is the OBDII giving you?

 

DevinW Those are my thoughts as well, unfortunately I did not have a compression tester at the house, and ordered one yesterday. By no compression I should have stated it appears to have no compression. When I try starting the car you can hear the engine turning but other than that there is only a steady quiet whisper coming from the head.

Ian Landesman: I added filled the reservior on friday, tried turning the car on several times and checked the levels again on sunday. They were unchanged. The mechanic that she brought it to did not plug up an OBDII. Most of the mechanics around her place do not even want to touch the car because they do not have experience with the Mini.

I have read on these forums about the failsafes associated with Mini's and was hoping that might be the case as well, I just dont want to spend the money on the mechanic and the tow if the repairs are most likely going to run into the thousands. Is it common to require a reset from BMW?

 

+1
No matter what the issue...even if you got VERY lucky....
You will have a $2000+ bill...(new head gasket and getting it rebuilt due to warpage and a water pump....plus FIXING A COOLANT LEAK...).possibly more like 5,000$, and still have a CVT cooper...
Time to junk it IMO...spending that much on an older CVT cooper is risky....so risky...I would run...not walk to Craig's list, and list it with a good tranny....another cooper owner might buy it for parts.
Very $$$ lesson.....

 

Oh come on. You have to at least find out what the codes are. A non-specific scanner tool is less than $50 and you can find one to give you BMW codes for a little more. You are talking about tearing apart the engine before even doing basic diag???

 

Talking yes. Actually tearing it down? No. Most of the scanners that I saw online were $100+, but I was looking for something more specific. I will order one and see what it pulls up.

 

When a car is "driven till it will not go" while overheating, and it will not start after cooling...it is junk-it time....
A genaric scanner will give a few codes....
I bet all related to the car stopping as a result of the lack of coolant and overheating...so not much info to be gained....actually more of a wild goose chase...lots of crap will get tossed as the car was trying to stay running...
I might clear it...run a compression test...and then decide....but if the car will not run even for a few moments once cool (even no coolant) it is a very bad sign...if it rumbled to life...Tried to sputter...might try....but zero compression across multiple cylinders (shown by easy crank and no start) means a warped head and or block....at the very least...still run a compression test...why not...
The risky thing here is the tranny....hope the op and owners KNOWS of the settled class action lawsuit over them with MINI....that is a $4500+ risk......
And no such thing as a dealer re-set....
Car would default to "limp mode" where rpm and power is limited if inputs from sensors are so far off the computer says "I cannot go on"...letting the car pull over....once the power is recycled....aka key turned on/off, computer is reset...car will try to start and run normally...if fault occurs... Go back to limp mode...you can pull a code...then can do it again...etc...

 

It sounds like zero diag has happened other than, 'It doesn't start.' There is a lot left undone. Most likely the car is shot if it was run with little to no coolant, but calling the junker before basic diag is just silly.

Are you going to do some basic diag and update us or call it a day now?

 

Tried replying, but it said that I needed modorator approval. I will see about getting ahold of a scanner wednesday before calling it a lost cause and update. Thabks for all of the great advice.

 

True....
But going on the OP saying zero compression....so a mechanical repair is needed.
Apparently he is getting a compression tester to verify this....but if this info holds true...
I hate to see r50 getting junked....gen1 1 cars are great...but if $$ matters...many will be junked due to the math...

 

Exactly. The OP tested compression. If it's gone, there is no point in scanning OBD codes. There is major mechanical failure.

 

First my background. My car ran without coolant as well, and i had to completely replace the engine. It was a 4000 dollar job on my 09 r56 but that was just all the parts. i replaced it myself.

After i had it all back together with the new motor it wouldnt start either. As my friend was helping me and he had a obdII scanner he was able to reset a bunch of things and then it fired right up. It really is hard to say with these little cars how much damage was done. If you have the tools though dont be afraid of a little labor. It is very rewarding in the end

 

I hear you guys, but he clearly said he did NOT test compression and is assuming no compression because of lack of start. Or am I reading it wrong?

It doesn't sound like he ran the car with zero coolant, maybe a leaking reservoir tanks and a failsafe limp mode?

I'm only guessing but I'm crossing my fingers for the guy. You two are TOTALLY right if he tests compression and it REALLY is zero. But he needs to do basic diag first.

 

One thought....
So many mini CVT cars are junked....
You might want to price out a used r50 motor.....if you are sure the tranny is worth it...
At least you will know how much $$ you will be spending before you try to get it running...
I hope you are just out a head gasket....but once you dig in....you never know. Only the girlfriend knows how well the car was previously running....and how long she ran it till it stopped...might be worth a talk....might save you half a day tearing down a junk block....

 

Ian Landesman, for sure I think we are on the same page.

I read this:
"When I turn the key the engine turns over but there is 0 compression."

And assumed it had been tested with a compression tester, but perhaps that is not the case. Perhaps the OP can let us know if he actually tested it..