Funk THAT! If running lower octane is the cure, I'd 10 trillion times rather have a stuble at start and get the benefits of the higher octane than use lower octane fuel!

 

Cold start problem only in the summer. Not in the winter when you might expect it.

 

New bypass valve 2 weeks ago = problem that was getting worse, totally gone. '05 MCs w 49,100mi at time of change. 32 -34krpm stumble had returned and it went away too. Hmmmmm...

Tim

 

Just had a new software upgraded and so I thought stumbling is over however it did'nt,this lead me thinking of the competency of Mini Habitat. I will be calling them today and mostly likely I will be hearing fairy tales

 

My 04 was doing the stall routine (19k miles too) Dealer had a bunch of "it's normal" speeches. God I am getting tired of "it's normal" stuff from Mini and its dealers...

Fiirst I thought it was the change to winter gas but then I remembered running some Sea Foam through the induction....Mysteriously, it began starts on the 1st try every time and runs normally...Wonder it was the carbon buildup soaking up the gas when 1st starting.

Sure idles smoother now...By my BUTT meter...runs better too!

HINT: If you do this...do it RARELY and chg your oil right away....Just my 2 cents.

 

I had my 06 sent in the for 8days followed by list of warranty claims.
Upon collection, I noticed they have have not change the engine oil as requested and they starts to give answers without filtering upon questioning.
Secondly , the aircondition still have this 'sour' smell coming out from the vents upon starting and lastly engine still stalled on slow motion.
The question is what had they done when they had my vehicle for 8 days?? And it just came to my senses - was 8 days enough?

 

8 Days....Ya gotta be kidding...that is an outrage and from what you say...no oil chg, foul smell (probably the cabin filter) and the ole stalling...think it's time for a seriuos chat with the service manager or if possible another dealer (if need be...MINIUSA!)! 8 Days is OUTRAGEOUS, unless there was some part they needed to get!

 

Hi Mate , In regards to yr msg above - No I am kidding its real in our Mini Habitat.

Unfortunately on this beautiful island there is only one mini dealer to handle warranty matters.
The only good gesture from Service Manager for 'NO WORK DONE ' is a apology and and perhaps another empty promises. Well this gonna be the 3rd for aircon problem and 2nd for stalling. Next time if they cant resolve it I will go straight to BMW Asia with steam blowing out from my head.

 

Now that it's real cold outside, my car quit stalling again.

BTW, I have a recurrent AC problem myself. The AC leaks Freon, MINI fixes it, the AC leaks Freon. Last time they had the car they replaced one of the little tire valves that they fill the system with. It was showing indicator dye....so it was bad. My suspicion is that the main seal on the compressor is where most of it leaks out.

 

My turn!
Just yesterday, my 03 S started doing some funky stuff. It has had the cold start (faltering on startup in cold weather) for some time, but now on startup it shudders and dies. No time to blip the throttle, just gone. On second start, it shudders again and if you blip the throttle, it dies. Feels like a carburated car out of tune. When it dies I can hear what sounds like a compressor sound. Could the BPV be stuck? When I do get it running, it sounds like the SC is working even at low RPM.
I am in the middle of a tank of gas, so that's not it. We have been on winter formula gas for 7 or 8 weeks, so no change there. I put a Alta CAI on it about 10 days ago, but it has run fine since then (until yesterday).
Help?

 

mine did it again last week after sitting overnight after a six hour drive to SE VA. 45F start, and it coughed, sputtered, ran pig rich and died.

 

I have a 2004 MCS. I had the issue at start up until I visited Rasmussen in Portland Oregon (Nearest Mini dealer for me). They provided an ECU update. I had asked them what version it was expecting something like V93/94 or something like that based on the post I had read. The gal stated that line of firmware was an old line firmware and that they are on a new line of updates. She stated it was ver 23. My Mini now starts with no problems what so ever. I run 92 octane.

-Cheers

 

This happened to me this morning, and now I have a service engine light lit. Car is an '05 MCS and is garage kept. Outside temp was 33° F.

 

Strange way for Mini to recognize the yo-yo problem:

http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/2007/01/mini-2.html

:D

Seriously though, I hope this has been corrected by now for you folks.

 

Oh, that's just sick! (in the bad way).

 

I had this problem in the fall but it hasn't done this in a couple of months now. My observation was that it only happened when the ambient temperature was a lot hotter when I shut the car off, compared to when I started the car. I think the ECU stored the last idle setting at night when it was warm and in the morning when it was a lot colder it thought it could use the same fuel/air mixture and it stumbled. I haven't had the stumble now that it's cold all day long now.

 

i have an automatic 2006 MCSc and since i bought it with 5,000 miles in sept it had shut off on me while in traffic twice.. both on colder days.. i thought maybe the idle time was short or something.. i dont know- kind of weird

 

as a technician this has got to be the worst complaint from a customer because some are fix with the latest software and some are not. there is no consistency to the fix being done with the latest software.

i will try to keep you guys updated!

 

Might it be a difference between the '04s and '05s?

 

I had this problem, and at first I blamed it on my CAI messing up the ECU. However, when I brought my car in for it's 30k mi. service in December, I told the service rep about it. (I think her name was Nicole.. @ Otto's MINI in West Chester, PA) She said that there was a software fix that was recently posted to the service centers for this problem. They upgraded my software and ever since, I haven't had the rough cold starts or rough idling at all.

I'm not exactly sure what part of the software they upgrade, but If you have the GIAC flash, you may lose it and have to get it redone.

 

We live in NH. It has been VERY Cold here for the last few weeks. Our 2003 MC has Started every AM with no Hesitation at all. This has been the case since we got it. We do live in a Condo with a Covered Parking Area that is not entirely closed on the Sides,so the car is exposed to the Cold Wind & to some Snow/Rain. Not sure if this makes a difference. We have had no software updates .

 

they problem is the ethanol content in the fuel mini dealers are now able to test and verify the concern with the gas ans give u an acuate reading of what is the alcohol content in your fuel which is about 90% of the cold start problems as of current.. also they do now have a new fuel additave that protects your fuel senders and has the octane boost so that u can run the lower octane with the less ethanol content and still get the detergent values of 91= grade gas

 

Welllll.... I think I just got bit by this "flu." I went out at 3am to run to the store for a quick errand (yes, I keep weird hours) when my 2006 MCS "started funny." I got as far as a block until it stalled. And would not start again. It hesitated, sent the whole car shuddering, and that was that. It took until 4:30 am to get a tow truck and to get my Mini into a spot on the street, although I do want to commend BMW roadside assistance for their brilliant suggestion of towing my Mini to the nearest dealer and waiting with it for four hours alone until they open. (I also have to commend them on the way their call center folk stick to the script no matter how much you try to reason with them, really BMW, you have trained your performing monkeys well.)

The tow-truck man said this was a problem with Minis and "water." It wasn't raining at the time but had earlier in the night. He said it'd start fine in the morning once it'd had a chance to dry out. Meanwhile I hope my pleading note on my windshield spares me a ticket as this is street sweeping day, and I hope indeed the engine on my Mini does start in the morning. Things like this shouldn't happen to a vehicle with under 700 miles on it.

...

(not happy right now)

 

I had an appt at MINI in Minneapolis and they had to replace the crankcase sensor which was making it conk out, especially after rain or thru a carwash. I understand it to be one of 3 timing sensors the MINI uses to keep the time...just thought I'd give you guys a heads up!

 

3 sensors???? cank cam what else