Hi - new to the world of Minis here. Doing some work on a coworker's '05 Cooper S (R53) Automatic with ~95k miles.

I just replaced a leaky CPS o-ring and oil pan gasket (also did strut mounts, plates, and struts), and the battery died while I was doing the work (left the key in with radio on for too long...). I jumped the car, and it threw a P0500. Cleared the MIL, and it never came back. I filled the car up with gas, and 2 minutes of driving later it threw a P0976 and P0700. Both of those are transmission codes, the first pinpointing Solenoid B Circuit Low. Neither code existed before doing any of this work. And, the car drives fine - no slipping or other trans issues. The light seems to pop on during the 3-4 shift, after having driven the car for several minutes, stopping for 5-10, and restarting/driving it.

My question - is this related to the battery dying? It seems like low voltage might be annoying a few sensors/solenoids. I suspect it still has the original battery. The alternator is putting out ~14.2 volts at idle.

I read a very large number of posts on transmission failures - but no-one mentioned this P0976 code (Google can't even find any Mini-specific discussion of it).

All help is greatly appreciated!

-Michael

 

P0976 doesn't show up in the Bentley Manual either. A normal battery should read a voltage slightly above 12 volts with the car sitting still, and no electrical devices on. (Don't worry about the door lights, they hardly make a dent). A typical reading would be in the 12.6-volt range when the battery is fully charged. If the reading is 12 volts or less, then the battery needs charging or needs to be replaced with a new one. When the car is running, the alternator should be outputting anywhere from about 12.5 volts to about 14.5 volts. If you don't see any significant change in the voltage after you start up the car, then your alternator could be faulty. If the voltage is high at the battery (around 17 volts or higher), then the alternator's regulator is most likely faulty and needs to be replaced. With that all being said, the battery is perhaps the most important electrical component on the car, and due to its design and nature, is perhaps one of the most troublesome. If it's still on the original battery, you could start with replacing it, but not sure if it'll resolve your issue. We have a DIY that goes over all of this and replacement if needed.

 

Thanks for the response! The battery read 12.75V after shutting the car down at ~5:00 PM last night. I checked it this morning (~7:00 AM) and it was at 12.3V. Still not bad. I put it on a battery charger for the day, on a desulphate cycle, to see if it cleans up and performs better. Hopefully the MIL codes are just battery related.

 

You're welcome and just be sure to not overcharge the battery. I have seen people with a reading of 12.3 and resulting in a bad battery before so if it is the original it might be a good step to replace it. Let us know what happens.

 

Just wanted to give an update - I replaced the battery a month or so ago. The code continues coming back, even after clearing with the scanner. No drive-ability issues, but the code is there (P0976). Any other advice?

 

Since the transmission is not Mini specific I'd think that other discussions of shift solenoid errors would be my starting point for troubleshooting. GL

 

i replaced the K2 solenoid. I had the same problem and the solenoid was at 2.027 ohms. should be between 4-10 ohms. clear the transmission code first or you wont be able to clear the check engine light.

here is a link for checking tranny codes.

http://www.moranbahweather.com/toyot.../m_05_1052.pdf

just click the "05-1107 in blue" that will take you to your page.

 

http://www.moranbahweather.com/toyot.../m_di_0070.pdf

A better link with details about repair. The N89 solenoid is about 50$ and 75$ in tranny fluid. Same tranny but under toyota service guide. i just fixed my son's mini last night. Drove around for a few hours today and error did not come back. Check engine light and "EP" was coming on right after start-up after i clear the code.

 

Thanks I really appreciate the help! The links in that document don't work for me - maybe you could post a link to the 05-1107 document? Or I can PM you my email address to get the PDF.

I have read that link, but it didn't really have much information on where the N89 solenoid is located (aside from "remove oil pan and there it is"). Also, where did you buy the solenoid?

Thanks again
Michael

 

Hi Michael,

http://www.sonnax.com/articles/360-a...n-fwd-6-speeds

scroll down the page. it is the first valve body pictured. it will be the last soleniod on the passenger side.

 

You can buy the solenoid from sonnax. Technically, you only need to replace the N89 #2. about 50$ and 4-5 quarts of tanny fluid. I ran amsoil this time over the redline this time. After the new linear solenoids and the N89 shift solenoid were installed, the valve body needed adjustments. the transmission had flares worst than before. Had to drop the pan again and I followed the instructions I supplied in the earlier response. I still need a little fine tuning on k3 about 3/4 turn, due to the delay in park to R/D, next tranny fluid change. We are a family of BMWs and Mini Coopers and now the Mini shifts as smooth as the BMers. I was shocked at how smooth it was.

 

here is a link for one
http://www.makcotransmissionparts.com/A15430.html