When I started my car this morning in my garage and waited for my brother to come out, I noticed a really bad smell coming from my car. I wasn't sure if it was coming from the engine or exhaust. It smelled like those 20 year old cars that have a bad exhaust. However, when I came back and let it idle for a bit in my garage, the smell wasn't there. Seems like it happens only on a cold start. Anyone had a similar experience?

 

It's normal. MINI's run really rich and at cold start they run even richer. What you're smelling is unburnt fuel...try not to inhale to much
Mike

 

I think most people who start their cars in the garage and let them idle are trying to commit suicide by carbon monoxide inhalation

 

Especially if you washed your MINI the day before and moved it into the garage before it had a chance to warm. The cylinders have a tenancy to "overload" with fuel and the unburnt fuel will be forced out of the exhaust when you fire it up the next day. Normal.

Stinks, but normal.

 

Isn't part of the Recall is to change the ECU parameters for cold start and idling for emissions reasons?

 

MY 05 has the latest factory software so I guess there wasn't that big of a cange
Mike