On my commute to work this morning, I was in some stop-and-go traffic on the highway. So I am leaving space between the car in front of me, and letting the clutch out when I have enough room to coast at around 5 mph. I shift into first gear, and all of the sudden the engine just stops, but only for around half a second. I look down immediately at the tach, and the service engine soon light is on, then the engine kicks back in as if nothing happened. The light went off as soon as the engine came alive. This has never happened before, and it didn't happen on the way home.

It's a 2006 MC with around 7000 miles on it.

Any help?

 

I'm guessing in some form or another you stalled it. When you stall the MINI completely the service engine light and eml both come on and stay on until you restart it. So it sounds like your car caught itself mid stall and restarted...sound at all right?

 

Yeah, I guess that's possible. I haven't stalled it since the first day I got it, but in the morning I am only half awake. The guy I was carpooling with was giving me hell because he thought I stalled it, but I was insistent that it wasn't me.......so keep it a secret, hah.

 

Mine did that once...

I was kind of paranoid for a while, thinking : wire harness, engine, who knows ???

I do think I "1/2" stalled it..
On the phone, crossing RR tracks, looking for an address

 

Haha. It happens to the best of us. At least you only halfway did it...I died at a stop light today and not only heard it inside the cabin but also from the 5 cars behind me.

 

Yup seems like you stalled it then did what was in effect a "push start" but tricked the ECU in the process

If you do it right you can coast at 5 at idle in 1st, great for traffic, but when you drop to 4 you'd better use that clutch, no worries.

 

The thing that gets me about cruising around at 5 mph is that just touching the accelerator causes a quick jerk. It is very finicky around the stall point. I'm still getting used to it, after 10+ years of driving automatics.

Mama said there'd be quirks like this!

 

Just got to develop a softer foot; somthing I know that has helped people learn smoothness driving any transmission is to try rolling your footon and off the pedals as opposed to pressing the pedals. All it needs is a soft gental gradual application of pressure.

 

Good tip!

 

Mine totally stalled after when was about putting into neutral after hitting the brakes travelling around 10-15 km/hr. ( see engine stalling threads )