Hi all, really hoping your experience and knowledge can help me! I started to have issues starting my 2007 r56 Mini Cooper S about 2-3 years ago. Brought it to the Mini dealer, and it was diagnosed with HPFP failure. I bought a used HPFP on ebay from a 2009 Mini, and it worked fine for another 9 months, but then I started having starting problems again. I would have to start it 3 to 5 times in the morning before it would idle smoothly without stalling. One day I had to start it 20 times to get it running, so I stored the car for 18 months thinking I would need another expensive HPFP. This week I finally bought a new OEM HPFP from ECS tuning and installed it, charged up the dead battery, but now it is cranking over and over but not starting. It doesn't even ignite to a rough idle or stall. I don't see a check engine light, and the Autophix 5900 I am using is not reading any relevant fault codes. Once I did see an exclamation mark symbol. I know I was stupid for leaving the car stored so long, but didn't need the vehicle working from home. Does anyone have suggestions for what I should check? did I flood the engine, is the battery too weak, are the spark plugs bad or should I drain out the old 18-month old gas? Hoping not to have to tow it to the dealer and face an impossibly high repair bill.

 

Step 1 -- check for spark at the number one plug. Remove the HT lead and ground it against metal (stick a screwdriver inside it and touch the shock tower), turn it over and see if you're generating electricity. Step 2 (if Step 1 is OK) -- check for pressure at the fuel rail. There's a Schrader valve at the end (similar to a bicycle tube) -- remove the cap and hold a rag there while cranking. That will tell you whether or not fuel is being delivered to the injectors.

 

Cooper48, thank you for responding! Sorry to sound like a complete noob, but that's how I would describe myself. Could you tell me which cylinder is number 1, and which area I will find the Schrader valve? I took a look around but could not locate it. Here is a picture of my engine bay.

 

Okay, I Googled and found that cylinder 1 is the far left. Could you tell me what you mean by the HT lead, which hole is it? I have an old voltmeter, would that help instead of touching a screwdriver? Sorry I don't really know how to use the voltmeter. I assume I set it to DC 50v? What could I do with the red and black leads?

Also, I Googled and found that the turbocharged mini Cooper S does not have a Schrader valve fuel test port... I have an Autophix 5900 scanner for BMW and mini, will that tell me fuel pressure?

 

HT lead = high tension lead (spark plug wire). I drive an R53 so it's different than your engine. You have individual coil packs (one per cylinder), rather than a single coil like my 2004. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with your newer engine though the fuel/spark functions are not dissimilar. I'm sure there are R56 owner/mechanics on the forum that can provide the information you need. Wait for some R56 owners to weigh in.

Also, this thread may help you: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...not-start.html

 

Quite frankly & with respect, I'd suggest you find a local mobile mechanic or MINI independent garage or even AAA to get it running or we could be here all night!
Your code reader may be a big help to them. My guess is just bad gas, modern low-grade fuels don't last for more than a few months. Don't waste $$ on 'stabilizers', just use the best gas you can get, it's ethanol-free. A generous dose of injector cleaner is probably wise.
Once it's running, it needs re-commissioning, a couple of decent runs, check the tires, change the filter & oil & fill with top-grade gas.
..... & then use it!

 

MVPeters, thanks for your suggestions. I asked one mechanic I knew if he would come diagnose at my home but haven't gotten a reply yet, might need to look harder for a good mobile mechanic. It might be bad gas, unfortunately my gas tank's almost full, I will have to Google how to drain out the gas and put in newer good gas. But it could easily be something else, it wasn't starting already before I stored it. I just want to rule out anything I can check myself before resorting to towing it to an indepemdent garage, I live pretty far away from the ones I know.

 

Installing MINI fuel pumps can be tricky, so it's possible that's where the issue is. But where will you put 8-10 gallons of gas at home? Think of all the $$$ you've saved over 18 months - it's worth some professional help, in my opinion. Where are you located?

 

Funny enough, I happen to have two empty 5-gallon gas Jerry cans in my garage. This is actually the second time I've replaced the HPFP following the instructions on Pelican parts website and watching a few YouTube videos. It doesn't seem that complicated, after unplugging a few electrical clips and taking off the air hoses, it is just disconnecting two fuel lines and 3 torx screws. (then again, it's not starting, so I could have messed up something). The in-tank low pressure fuel pump seems trickier, and I wouldn't want to deal with the fumes. But I was really hoping to feel that sense of accomplishment from solving the problem and fixing it myself! I was so proud of myself for successfully taking apart my car door and replacing a window regulator. It's hard to describe the disappointment I felt when the car wouldn't start after I dropped almost $650 US on the new HPFP and installed it. I am located in North Surrey, BC, Canada.

 

Hooray! Just wanted to document this in case anyone else is having similar issues. It was the battery. Even though the battery was pretty new, a 2-year old OEM battery purchased from Mini, it didn't like being dead for long periods and charging it did not revive it enough. I swapped out the battery for a new Costco Kirkland one (cheaper but much higher CCA rating), and it started up on the second try. It idled roughly at first, but got better after a few seconds. So it turns out that 18-month "bad" gas may not run great, but it won't prevent your car from starting. I wish I knew this earlier, because I tried to siphon the gas from the tank with a thin hose, but it got blocked by the anti-siphon device, and I must have damaged the anti-siphon device because now when I fill up gas, the pump stops at every 2 litres or so, and I have to re-squeeze the trigger. This is annoying and potentially dangerous, as I have to keep track of how empty the tank was so that I don't overfill. Does anyone know what the anti-siphon device looks like, and how I might be able to get it back to normal? I imagine it's not going to be an easy thing to replace.