Hey guys!

Just bought a 2007 Mini Cooper S, 78k miles, stock everything (as far as I can tell). Valve cover was leaking when I bought it, so I had it replaced along with new spark plugs.

I've put around 2000 miles on it without issue, until last week. Was about to make a left-hand turn at a busy intersection and needed some extra pep to make the turn in time, so I gave her about 3/4 throttle through the turn. She responded with...a sudden loss of power and a yellow half-filled engine light (identical to this):

Fortunately I was able to get out of the way in time and made it home ok. When I started her back up the next day, the light remained. I took it to autozone, and they used an Actron Autoscanner Plus, but it showed zero current codes and no codes in the historical log.

I'm not seeing any leaking fluids around the thermostat or oil residue anywhere.

What can I do to continue troubleshooting this?

Would an OBDII Cable with a data logger shed some light here?

Thanks!
-Aaron

 

that means the car is in limp mode and power is limited I'm surprised there are no codes but yes some way to read data would be great. is oil level ok? coolant? are all your intercooler hoses connected as well as vacuum and intake? many causes for this problem unfortunately

 

You have a code, a regular scanner can't read BMW/Mini specific codes. You'll need to either purchase a scanner that can pull 'em, or take it to a Mini shop/dealer that can read them..

 

I would try an independent shop as well some will just scan it for free

 

Yeah, definitely limp mode. I'm surprised at the lack of codes as well. I wonder if there are certain codes that won't show up on certain readers?

Oil level was right in the middle of the markers on the dipstick. Coolant level was near the Low, but not below it. I didnt notice any disconnected hoses, but I'll take a closer look.

If it were under warranty, this would be a no-brainer. :( It was such a fun car for those 2000 trouble-free miles.

 

I was worried about that. This is my first Mini (BMW), but I had read there were certain fault codes that could not be read by normal readers. I'll put a call in to the local mini mechanic.

 

Recently I had some diagnosis work done to my Mini, when all was said and done I get onto the freeway and i lost 80% power and my heart stopped! The mechanic at the dealer forgot to tighten the boost tube next the the air box, I thought my timing chain locked up. Make sure your boost tubes are nice and snug, sometimes it's something simple.

Congrats on your 2007 MINI Cooper S.

 

ya definitely start with the easy stuff first save your self the trouble. Than find someone with a better scanner because AutoZone uses just a generic scanner

 

Bad, bad news guys. It was a turbo fault code apparently. Took it to a reputable shop here. PCV system was leaking bad, so they repaired that. Tore apart the turbo, and it is toast. Also, the other shop that I had replace the valve cover before I bought it apparently did a horrible job and just used silicone caulking material(????) to seal it back up. Caused misfiring on cyl 3; coil pack needs to be replaced.

My first Mini journey is not turning out well.

 

Sorry to hear it. Who did the horrible job? Always good to know who to avoid. Private party purchase or dealer?

 

It was technically a private party, but the guy owned a motorcycle dealership, so he was able to sell it through his dealership.

International Auto Works in Fletcher, NC did the 'work' on it. It's sad, because they have good reviews on Google. I thought it looked a little suspect. Even I could see silicone oozing out around the cover and fresh oil pooling around it. But, this is my first Mini, so I thought...maybe that's how they're done? Now I kinda miss my Subaru's.

The car is now at Import Auto Performance in Arden, NC; they specialize in Mini's, and have great reviews.

 

Hey I have the exact same car (07 mini cooper s) that is doing the exact same thing as you described yours is, if you see this can you respond and let me know how you fixed it, thanks

 

I apologize for bringing up this old thread. I had a similar issue with my vehicle recently; I didn’t know what to do at first but when I hit up the internet, I came across an in-depth article that may be worth reading. Search for "BMW Check Engine Light Half vs Full Meaning on YOUCANIC" and you will see an article that goes over common causes and possible fixes. You can read about it yourself. I hope this information can assist someone else with a similar issue.