Hey all,

New member here. Bought my mini in June of last year(2013) and have been on this site from time to time just to see how others like their mini, questions that have been asked, and so forth. So now comes my dilemma...

Have not had a single issue with my car, until about a week ago. I have been driving to work which is about 10 miles away. Go from speeds of 40 to 50 to 65 and hit about 6 stop lights. Normally I come to a few and I hear it wanting to stall out but it always stays alive. However, past week it has been dying constantly. Luckily its right when I get to work. I will pull in and park it and the car just dies(in drive). Starts right back up to put it in park and then shuts off. So last night I went to McDonald's after work and made it to the drive thru, and came to the first window and it died, then started back up to get to next window and died. Had to leave it off for about 3 minutes in order to be able to put it in drive and make it hope.

Any suggestions or trouble shooting I can do to help my mini? No codes have ever been thrown, no lights have ever came on, except for low tire at one point.

Thanks.

 

sounds like hpfp?!?!? if its a S

 

Sounds like.^^^^

 

Sorry, forgot to mention it is not an "s". Does that determine if it would be the fuel pump or not?! Is that under warranty?!

 

All cars need a steady stream of fuel flow to run properly, sounds like you're engine is starving for fuel.

 

I had a very frustrating issue recently with my Clubman S that would on occasion, on starting would run so poorly that it would almost stall out. I would turn it off and turn it back on and it would run perfectly fine after that, until one day when it wouldn't run right at all.

If the car runs fine at high speeds but not near idle I would check your VANOS solenoid. If it gets stuck, it can cause the VANOS to activate at idle speeds and cause it to run extremely poor. That's what happened with mine. I never had any check engine lights, and no codes were stored until the last time I had the issue when I got OBDII P0200 (over retarded timing).

Also it appears that the VANOS solenoid changed design - the new one just installed in my clubman has screening on it while the malfunctioning unit seemed to be wide open. The part is only $150 or so but TBH I don't remember what the labor is like to change it.

That all being said, it took a BMW/MINI specialist shop and a lot of diagnostic labor to find the issue because the necessary codes to indicate the issue weren't being thrown initially and it was several days before the shop could actually replicate the issue. (In the process of trying to start the car the last day I had it, I think I caused it to jump timing... but my chain was checked and it's in spec.)

 

You car is a 2013 so it should still be under warranty. I would have the dealership look at it. It could be a number of things.

-Sean

 

I bought it in 2013(but I wish it was) lol. Its an 08(r56). I have a limited lifetime warranty through the dealership I bought it from. I just need to call a 800 number and I can take it to a mini dealership. Just strange how all of a sudden its starting to do it. I understand you need gas flow, but why run perfectly and then stall out after 10 minutes or so? Another thing is, when I get on the main road, you can hear the engine make a different noise than it use to. Like a deep, louder acceleration noise.

 

After 10 minutes the metal components expand when at operating temperature, this is called heat cycling. The pump might be fine when still cold but things change as they warm up. The dying HPFP is known to tick when cold but not when warmed up just before dying. My old 1980 Datsun 200 SX would run better when cold and loose power onced warmed up, as the piston rings (expand) got up to operating temp I'd start losing compression. I had a lawn mower that would only run for 5 minutes then stall out, it lost compression as it heated up.

 

That does make sense. I let the car just idle for 20 minutes today, revved it up and it never died. Granted I never put it in drive but I just wanted to see what would happen. I will try to take the mini in tomorrow and see what happens. I just want it fixed bc 8 months strong now nothing has happened with it and now this and I can barely make it to work :(

 

Revving the engine in neutral and actually putting a load on the engine are two very different things my friend. When something doesn't make any sense to you it's at that point you find someone who does make sense of it.

 

Of course. I can only do so much research and only do so much on my end before I need to get someone else involved. I have read a lot of forums, YouTube, and everything and seems like it may be a common problem but also could be a lot of things and that sucks. I love this little mini and told myself if I ever could afford one I would get one and that's exactly what I did

 

Update 4/20/14. Driving home from work and now I can be crusing at about 5-7 mph and it will completely die. Also, I got it started back up again and pulled into the gas station and just sat inside the car while it was powered off and kept hearing a knocking sound come from the back drivers side door. Kind of sounded like it was around where the gas tank is. Not a continuous knock but off and on for a few minutes. Any suggestions?! Thanks.

 

Time to have a dealer or shop that you trust to diagnose your issues, surprised you haven't already done so.

 

I will on Monday. I have been working so much I haven't had time to even get it looked at until this Monday. So was just looking for suggestions until then. I get very anxious and my mind wonders and don't want to overcomplicate things but hopefully its minor or to where my warranty kicks in.

 

We can sit here and guess all night/weekend what it could be, it's not going to change a thing until it's diagnosed. I know that having to wait is stressful, my MCS had the front bumper completely repaint thanks to that huge tire I ran over at 70mph, since I hit that tire my transmission is screeching, but when I took it to be diagnosed it decided to not screech just when you need it to. I am not getting it back until it acts up, could be there for weeks before acting up again. I share your agony!