My 04 S does it.

What does MINIdivision mean when they say they are going to help? Those seem like empty words to me. Has anyone actually gotten any help? What help could they give, emotional? I would not want the job. Make promises, offer condolences and punch out for the day. Digging ditches is more fun.

But maybe I missed it. If so, I'd be happy to listen.

The coughy behavior is not so bad that I would visit a dealer. Frankly, there is almost nothing that bad.

 

I finally called the dealer and mentioned it to my service advisor. She was aware of the problem and put me on the list for V.39 when it comes out. Not sure when that'll be, though?

 

I just posted over on the Hot Air Intake thread, an inexpensive modification which does away with the stock air fliter and box. I notice that the choppy idle syndrome is gone. So I think that the high underhood temperatures, and the restrictive air inlet system may well be at fault. If you are interested this approach, check out performance mods: drivetrain, Operation Hot Air Intake.

 

i have the same problem as well. it got worst with the new version on my car. my mini is a 02 S. i dont know why it does it.


chris

 

So i was just sitting in our driveway with the car idleing after a 30 minute drive. I had my foot on the brake pedal, and decided to turn on the headlights. Almost immediately the idle surging problem started. It was very similar to how a car behaves when you jump start it and the battery is too low.

I took my foot off the brake pedal - no change. Turned off the lights, and the choppy idle problem slowly corrected itself. Not like turning off a switch, but more like turning down a dial.

Is this possibly due to a charging system problem? A low battery or bad alternator?

FYI - all accessories were off (A/C, radio, etc.). I don't have a pulley or any engine mods and I have zenons. The car had been idling for about 5 minutes before I turned on the lights and the problem occurred. I couldn't reproduce the problem.

 

Our '02 S had the problem when we first got the car. It was then fixed with v36 (i believe) and it reapeared again with 37 or 38. One thing I do notice is that when I turn the A/C off, it fixes the problem. Seems to be different than yours.

 

My 03 Cooper does this occasionally at stop lights, usually with the AC on. It happened with V.38 and V.36, so I don't think it's related. In fact, you can see the revs begin to drop and the car feels as though the engine is going to quit. But a quick blip of the throttle fixes it. I don't know. Doesn't seem like much of an issue to me. Seems to happen more with the AC on.

 

FWIW, I was troubleshooting an instance of the auto climate control not turning on when it happened. The whole A/C system had been off for over half an hour.

Climate control thread - https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...916#post404916

 

My 800 miles new 05 MCS does this more often than not, dead cold AM start, starts well, then sputters to 500rpm, tap the gas, it's gone. I partially attribute it to high (10%+) Ethanol mixture in winter fuels--Shell, 66, Conoco, BP, it doesn't matter. I also have read that BMWs suffer from this malady. I know my 'carbed Toyota PU hates the Ethanol blends.

Yet I do like the faulty throttle body theory, mechanics-wise. Jimbo

 

has anyone manage to find ANY relevant pattern in a mess of people who have this syndrome

mine does it... with weather getting cooler it seems to worsen it a bit... it always happens to me when im standing still when the car's ALMOST up to temperature... hm....

strange enough.. i never got it when i had v32 w/ the car... appeard first when i got v37.1, and never have disappeared again

 

I never had this happen with my original software (V36). It started happening when my software was "upgraded" to V38 to fix some other problems. It was "upgraded" again to V38.1 in an attempt to solve the choppy idle problem. Interestingly, V38.1 appeared to work for a while but the same choppy idle problem has now returned -- the wonder of adaptive software!

I still think the engineers have too many variables and not enough equations...

 

I have a May 03 MCS that has this problem. It didn't appear until after the car was 1 year old. V36 didn't seem to cause it since it did't happen until months after getting V36. Only happens when first started in the morning. Sounds like it's running on 3 cylinders. Goes away after warmed up. Now have a few days on V38. Haven't seen it appear again yet but it doesn't happen very often so time will tell. My car also isn't a daily driver.

 

I had the rough idle occasionally with V36, and I have it still with V38...though the roughness has been muted a bit since the software update.

I can come up with zero pattern to this, aside from the fact that the car has been running for some time usually. Hot, cold, AC, no AC, lights, no lights...no pattern. Since I can cure it with a throttle blip, I'm not worrying about it. Gives it character, methinks. ;-)

 

you will worry when some street racer punk thinks you are trying to drag him! believe me... i once blip my throttle a couple of times on a stop light when idle was dropping to like 500-700.... people in the other cars were looking at me funny!

i am seeing, however, that people with later software seems to suffer more from the problem

 

What a mess! This is why my car has never been to a dealer and has never been flashed, idles fine, and doesn't stumble. If they would open up the source code the aftermarket would fix it. I will never buy another car that doesn't have an aftermarket programmer/control device available.

 

After I put an Alta air box and Magnaflow on my 04 MCS it seems like the rough idle is more frequent. Almost every time when the car is started cold it runs rough for a few seconds.

We had a 1992 318is that ran rough on cold start when it got over 100k miles on it.

Mike

 

whats v.36 v.38 v.40 ect -- are the ecu versions or what - i have a 04 mcs with dinan chip so what is that - and i still have that idle problem somtimes ya

 

Now that I have V38 it's happening alot mostly when warmed up and at a stop light...

 

Exactly they are updated versions of the ECU flash from the factory. I don't know squat about the Dinan upgrade, my guess is it is a remap based on a factory ECU version #?. Similar to the JCW software. The idea or word "Chip" I believe is a leftover from years ago when a reprogrammed eprom or "chip" was added to replace or supplement the existing computer hardware.

My 03 MCS didn't have the rough Idle until v36. I have since sold it (like it a dummy) and can only say that I have felt the rough idle problem in other makes of autos.

I am extremely out of touch with this issue, although I don't think having the Dinan or any other upgraded ECU map and continuing to have the rough idle is a huge suprise. If it is solely a ECU issue, it is likely embedded into the core or base of the code and would be uneffected by the tweaks being performed by vendors in the search of a few extra ponies.

 

Mine did it once in the first year and a half, usually using amoco or bp (same) gas on original software (12/03 build). Got v38 & put $5 of phillips 66 in & got it daily until that gas was gone. Put in a tank of shell v-power next & problem stopped. Filled with BP super after that & so far so good. I think it's fuel additives..

 

It may well be possible that it is a problem with some odd system BMW developed to save fuel at idle by turning off (a) cylinder(s) that i heard rumors about...Glitch?...bad shutoff sequence?...combination of running on 2/3 cylinders and damn heavy flywheel? no one seems to have a lighter flywheel on this thread...


-Paul

 

I was under the hood with the car idling when "the chops" set in. The pcv valve was clicking/buzzing like crazy - like someone was shaking it at 200 mph. Apparently the vacuum to it was cycling at a rapid rate. (And yes, the hose was recently replaced under warranty.) Of course, it smoothed out & stopped clicking shortly thereafter.
Weird, eh? I wonder what controls the vacuum source..

 

It's hard to tell what is the cause or the result. I'm thinking your first assesment of Fuel may be the issue with mine. I am noticing a pattern between fillups. Last fill was with BP 93 and I haven't had a problem with this tank.

 

it happened to me like 7 times on my way to school today. it has become increasingly more common. i just put 10 buck worth of BP 93, (at 2.37 ), and i dont think it matters. i just got a recall notice for some sensor stuff and im gonna ask my dealer whats the deal while im there.
Marco

 

Much to my surprise, the extreme rough idle issue I had is gone with v39. (knock on wood) I have had v39 for about a week now.

The yo-yo seems to be buffered. It is still there, just not as herky-jerky.