So awesome!! Please keep us posted on the no start situation. Good luck!

 

Thanx man. I drove it home last night from the dealership, ran fine, no CEL.

This morning I start the car, no prob. Head out and ~5 minutes into the journey the CEL comes back on. BUT the car ran fine all the way to my jobsite. (63 miles) I also had to get gas, and put a bottle of injection cleaner in it. I will change the oil tomorrow evening.
Not fully trusting the fix, I brought my scanner with me. I have some handrails to erect here at the site. After that I will the search for the cause of the new CEL.

Also my wife wasn't feeling too warm and fuzzy about spending $100 on a manual. But after hearing what Lerich wanted to change out the fuel filter, she has agreed to let me get the Bentley manual for our Mini's.

 

In my experience, most of the shops over bid the fuel filter replacement quotes. They bill for the " hassle" factor of clients bringing in cars with full tanks of fuel, having to pump some out and worrying about the risk of dealing with open fuel, damaging the interior in the process or even of a fire. With near empty tanks - getting under the seats to replace the filter is not complicated. Proceed with care so as not to break any of the plastic and ensure that the upper and lower seals don't move on you when buttoning it all back up.
**Back to the no start and CEL - what was the temp difference between when you picked the car up and when the CEL came on today?What does the scan gauge show for battery voltage with the car off, and also with it running? Still seems to be like you have an electrical hiccup that is causing your temp sensors to run intermittent. AT the end of the day, with ECU driven and controlled engines - grounding connections, clean juice and a lot of headache solve more issues than only using CEL codes alone. Its as if some of these dealer techs will only fix the car based on the scanner alone VS using their common sense and wisdom towards optimizing.
With your new manual and some patience - you'll know more about your car than the dealer. Being your own advocate will be a relief!

 

OK, The new CEL was P0104 - and it was tied to the newly installed 02 sensor. I went into Live Data (with the car running) on my NT-510 and initially the "Oxygen-Sensor after cat rediness" said "Not Ready". While the "Oxygen-sensor before cat rediness" said "Ready" I saved that and went on to look at other things like voltage - while running, was ~14.83 varying, etc. After 5 or so minutes, I went back to the O2 Sensor Live Data and noticed that the "Oxygen-sensor after cat rediness" had changed to "Ready". So I went back and erased the code. The CEL went out. We'll see if it returns on my way home from work.

Also, I have ordered the Bentley Manual, and I got it from ESC Tuning. Even with sales tax, it was ~$5 cheaper than Amazon.

 

Great news that you can monitor voltage and reset readiness codes. The inability for the car to to that requires proper temp and the computers ability to adjust fuel trims. If the fuel pressure is good on the high and low pressure pumps, the spark is good with coils,plug And voltage- then you are back to a coolant temp sensor or thermostat to reevaluate.
Good work so far !

 

The car is running well right now. If the coolant temp sensor was having issues, would it throw a code? How about a faulty thermostat?

One fault I can't clear is the "Not initialized" TPMS. I mean I can clear it, but it comes right back. The scanner says "RDC Ariel" is at fault

 

have you visual looked at the wheels to make sure that all of them have sensors installed?

 

There were 2 threads on this. Posted below for your consideration.

"option #1

In the wheel wells there is a small black box ( RDC Trigger transmitter ). The wheel sensor sends a signal to the RDC trigger transmitter to the RDC control unit.
Most likely during the collision the trigger transmitter was damged or left un-plugged.
So check the front left wheel well behind the liner and look for a small black box and see if it is there or if it is damaged and un plugged.

option #2-

On my 2008 Clubman S, I found the RDC antenna under a panel at the right rear of the body, near the front right corner of the gas tank.

If you follow the plastic rocker panel cover on the right side of the car back to the rear wheel, under the body, it overlaps another black plastic panel that covers the antenna and what may be the carbon canister. It's about a foot long and 6 inches wide, I guess. This piece covers the underbody area near the front of the right rear wheel well. It's held in place by three plastic panel plugs with phillips-head insert screws, a plastic nut, and a rear-facing metal panel screw. Two of the panel plugs overlap into holes at the rear of the rocker panel cover. The other plug is in a crevice in the center of the panel.

Anyway, you'll need to remove that panel to access the antenna. You can catch a small glimpse of the antenna if you shine a light while lying on the ground facing the rear of the car at the bottom of the wheel well near the intersection of the rocker panel cover and the cover at the rear of it. I found it easiest to remove the entire cover to get a good grip on the antenna to pull it out of its holder, but you might be able to drop the front of the panel and sneak a hand in there. The antenna holder is attached to the front end of what looks like the emissions control carbon canister.

Replacing this cleared my CC-ID 149 code with TPM Malfunction error message. Good luck, and thanks to the previous posters for their insight."

 

Well, changed the oil last night, exactly the same routine as doing the Princess. Drove it around last night, no probs. Drove it to work this morning, not a hiccup. Went and dropped off a package at the local Post Office, and it now won't start. Has given the Catalyst Bank 1 below threshold code again.

So very FRUSTRATING!

 

Well since I was getting the same code as before, and the dealer only replaced the post cat 02 sensor, I got a wrench and some brake cleaner. Pulled the pre cat 02 sensor out of the turbo and sprayed it off good. Then spent some time drying it out. Reinstalled it and the car fired up, and the CEL went out. Hmmm...

 

when you have time, please don't forget to check the output pressures on the high and low pressure fuel pumps. The 02 sensors are monitors - the upstream parts must also be working 100%. Glad to hear you are making progress and learning about your car!

 

The happiness was short lived. I left work and I got about 100 yards and it shut down again. Unfortunately the CEL came back on and my Foxwell didn't see it. Called AAA and had it towed to Mini of Pittsburgh. They said they would run the $125 diagnostic deal and tell what was wrong. We shall see.

 

So what have you learned so far prior to tow? Now that you have been experimenting with various repairs - you are in a great position to understand the repair quote that they give you and ask smart questions about what they are finding. You will NOT have to pay ridiculous diag charges and get jacked around.
Based on what has been going on - you can have a healthy discussion about high and low fuel pressures ( the tech can easily check for that), you can ask about the temp sensors ) both the CTS and thermostat. And if by chance they come back with a fuel injector issue - you know by the other active threads on this board that ECS Tuning sells all 4 injectors for less than $300 for the set. Compared to the dealer price of $369 for each injector. You have a fresh battery already, so they can't point to that. You have checked the voltage already, and they might check the alt output within their initial diagnosis.
All in all you are heading in the right direction and it will be interesting to see the final solution. PLEASE check the dealers parts dept on line. They might offer club discounts to enthusiasts (15-20%). This will help if they need to replace parts. Work with the service manager ONLY so that nothing gets lost in translation. The patience and communication that you establish during this visit will pave the way for you for future repairs and proper diag.
Good luck. Keep the thread updated!

 

The dealer called me yesterday, and said it was something with the ignition. It was hard to understand him. I heard the words, easy to replace, but hard to diagnose. And the charge was either $18.50, or $118.50. Probably the latter. They had to order the replacement, and should get the car back on Monday.

They also offered a courtesy test to show what else is wrong with the car. I resisted at first, but caved. A couple hours later they called back, and he started a list. The first one was for the AC compressor - $1600, the cabin filter - $70, the missing antenna - $41 and an offer to do a $125 diag to figure the culprit concerning the TPM error.

I told him I plan to fix all those in time. He said, ok, see you on Monday.

Should I let them replace the antenna?

 

He may be referring to the ignition key dock next to the push button start. I have never heard of an ignition part for only 18 dollars. I can't wait to see what they come up!
The antenna mast screws on the roof. You can reuse the existing base and install a stubby short version or replace with longer stock one. The cabin filter literally goes in 5 mins or less. You access it under the glove box from the pass interior. The right side of the lower cover has a snap closure and the right and hinges down towards the floor. Hing remains attached on the left side as you follow the slide grooves and pull the filter out like a snake. The filter has an arrow on the side for airflow direction. It would be impossible for you to mess that install up!! And to think that the dealer charges $40 to do that- its criminal! Almost as worse as them charging $350 to replace the spark plugs - which can be done while holding your breath its so easy( as long as you have the right magnetic socket and extension).
Glad that you are heading in the right direction with your car. Stay patient and you will be rewarded~!

 

Actually they wanted $70 to change the cabin air filter. I know that I can get a stubby or 16" antenna for under $20.

 

all fixed?

 

Sorta of.. they changed out the ignition relay. It was the reason it would die, either from a cold start, or en-route.
And the CEL was not on when I left the dealership, but the roads in downtown Pittsburgh are less than smooth. So a couple minutes into the drive, I hit a piece of crappy road, and the CEL came back on. It drove all the way home fine though. I will re scan it later tonight.

Interestingly, I had to stop and get gas, and when I did, I noticed that my temp tag was gone I goofed, and didn't look at the back of the vehicle before I left the dealership. I know they washed it, but I would think they would mention it if it fell off during the wash. Otherwise, it could've fallen off anywhere between leaving work and traveling 60 miles at 80+ mph. Oh well, my wife will take it to the BMV in the morning and get a new tag. That means I get to drive the Princess to work tomorrow. It is going to be in the 80's, so dropping the top will be mandatory!

 

So new battery, new ignition switch relay and new 02 - all so far.

Nothing else turned up on their scan? Did they offer to update the software for you during the scan? That would have been a great time for them to check both high and low pressure fuel pump when the car is cold and also after its warmed up.

I will have to reread this thread from the beginning to remind myself - what were your findings with the spark plugs, ignition coils etc etc?

 

Also a new Arcol resistor. The guy at the dealership was in awe of that fix. At first he didn't grasp what it was, but after an explanation, he was all giddy..

They did scan the low and high pressure fuel pumps, and found no problems. I doubt they updated anything, as there is no mention of it. As far as the plugs, ignition coils, etc. I don't know.
I just re scanned it. The CEL was again caused by the new 02 sensor after the cat. Interesting it came on again after a decent bump. Perhaps the connector isn't installed correctly. I will look into that tomorrow evening. I cleared the CEL and hopefully it will stay off while my wife drives it tomorrow. Don't need that tension..

The plug wires look good. I plan to pull the plugs and inspect the next oil change round, before winter kicks in.

All in all, glad to have Pete running consistently. He still needs some love, but the back to life "fix" was the $18.72 ignition relay. He said that even their BMW issued scanner setup didn't find the faulty relay. They had to "eliminate" stuff until they found the culprit.
The total bill was ~$172.00, can't complain too much.

 

at this point get yourself some NGK spark plugs and a thin extended socket. If you're keeping the car- it's a cheap step forward.

 

 

Indeed, looks like a good thing to do. Thx!

 

The info below is from Mini Mania and suggests to me that perhaps the 02 fault can be interpreted as a secondary issue. What do you make of the info below? It may point you back towards carbon build up, fuel trim, injector output? The good news is that all of these discussions are well documented on this board. Certainly some considerations before you put another 02 sensor in. You kept the original one. when you pull the spark plugs, some of story will be shown. Whether they are oil soaked,carbon bakes or creamy grey. Take a picture of them before you discard them, and make note of which cylinder you are removing from. Quite possible not all the plugs will read the same way......good luck


************************************************** **************
An O2 sensor (lambda sensor) has an expected life span of about 30,000 to 50,000 miles. Sensors may fail prematurely if clogged with carbon, or contaminated by lead from leaded gas or silicone from an antifreeze leak or from silicone sealer.
O2 sensors become sluggish as they age. Eventually the signal does not change at all. When this happens, the EML and/or check engine light may come on, and the engine may experience drivability problems or damage caused by an overly rich fuel condition. High fuel consumption, high CO and HC emissions, poor idle, and/or hesitation during acceleration are typical complaints.
If the average voltage from the O2 sensor is running high (more than 0.50V), it indicates a rich condition, possibly due to a bad MAP, sensor or leaky injector. If the average voltage reading is running low (less than 0.45V), the mixture is running lean possibly due to a vacuum leak or because the sensor itself is bad. If the O2sensor continually reads high (rich), it will cause the engine computer to lean out the fuel mixture in an attempt to compensate for the rich reading. This can cause lean misfire, hesitation, stumbling, poor idle, high hydrocarbon emissions (from misfiring) and engine damage.
If the O2 sensor continually reads low (lean), it will cause the engine computer to enrichen the fuel mixture. Injector pulse width will be increased causing fuel consumption and carbon monoxide emissions to go up. Especially in a performance tuned vehicle, a constantly rich fuel mixture can cause the catalytic converter to overheat and it may be melted.

 

That is an interesting read. I do know that even with the CEL for the 02 sensor lit, the car runs fantastic. And we have the other MCS to compare it to, too. It looks like I will be working rather late the next 2 days, so might not get to the plugs til the weekend.