I have an '04 MINI Cooper. No issues with the car except that when it is in the 30s F, (it hasn't been any colder yet), the car is a bit sluggish when I start out. No problem with idle, but when I hit the gas, it sputters some for about 20 seconds. It has 34K miles. Could it be a cold start problem?

Thanks,
David

 

The owner's manual states "not to let the car warm up in the morning", but rather to drive away....slowly. Are you doing this, or just racing off? If so, that's bad. Let the car idle for at least 2 minutes, then slowly drive the car away. In a few minutes the car will be to operating temps and you should be good.

 

I haven't been waiting 2 minutes for the car to warm up, but I have been easy on acceleration until the car gets to normal operating temp. I guess I need to read a little! Thanks for the quick reply!

 

I have a friend who had the same problem and the dealer told her to use regular gas . When she did (and still does) , problem solved... Try to ask MINI USA about it....km

 

I don't think I've ever owned a car that hasn't been sluggish on a cold morning. Engine is cold, fluids are thicker, I think it's just a normal thing. I can tell you that I'm definitely sluggish on a cold morning when I wake up. I idle in a hot shower for at least 10 minutes before I hit the gas and speed on to the rest of my day.

 

I have been using mid-grade, but have still had the problem. Is it really ok to use 87?

 

My manual says to use nothing less than 91 octane so I use premium.

I have noticed problems with my '05 being sluggish in the AM this winter too (I'm in the South so it's not that cold). It goes away pretty quickly but it is a biatch because my driveway is on an incline & I sometimes have to pull into traffic so I need a bit of gas.

 

I live in KY, but have been travelling to Michigan with my job lately. It's up there that I have noticed the sluggishness after it has been sitting a while.

 

It's been in the teens around here lately and my Mini seems to be taking it like a champ. The dealer in San Francisco did a software update to the engine controller before I shipped the car to Alaska. They said it should take care of any cold start and driveability problems that was supposedly a problem w/ the older software.

As per the manual, I drive away, not subjecting the car to any sudden bursts of acceleration. Doesn't seem to take long to warm up despite the weather, and so far - no cold weather issues.

Not so sure about running anything less than premium though. I don't think I'll try it unless I start having driveability issues...

 

Over the last 2 years I've read the same thing about cold-start problems. The solution seems to be switch to lower octane. Follow the manual. Do not go below 91. That said, I use 91 (not 93), available at Sunoco. Otherwise you can mix your own with half a tank each of 89 and 93. It's an easy test: the first tank of 91 should do it (once the 91 makes it thru the fuel lines to the engine, not right after fillup).

 

I'm going to go ahead and switch back to 91 octane since the 89 didn't seem to be doing the trick. Hopefully I can get to the dealership sometime soon. It just sucks that I have to drive 2+ hours each way to get to a MINI dealer.

 

My '04 MC has always had the "bog" on cooler mornings when shifting from 1st to 2nd.
The car starts great and idles fine, but that initial shift to 2nd has the same effect when cold, feels like the car will stall. It never has stalled, but it's kind of annoying when the stumble occurs. After the first stop sign near my house (maybe 3 blocks) the next 1st to 2nd shift it happens again but not so forceful. After that everything is fine.
Just had the Inspection 1 completed this week and no difference. (27,000 miles)
Consider it a "feature".

 

I drink starbucks, that gets me past my 2 minute idle ( wait, I don't have my MINI yet ) I need more coffee!