Update: I posted at the 1000 mile mark and said the light came on, well I'm now at the 3300 mile mark and have not seen the light since my earlier post, and no sputtering to report either.

 

hope it stays that way for you

 

Ditto.

Unless it's really obvious sputtering, I'd say my car's actually doing quite well now!

 

Just had my Mini in for the engine light problem, no sputtering though. Last week the engine light came on (solid yellow, OBC and center speedo lights both came on) and had car towed to nearest dealer (Mini of Towson) thru roadside assistance. Picked up earlier this week and told it was a software fault/known problem and that a software update should be available at the end of June at which time I would receive a letter and have to bring the Mini in for an update. Was instructed by the service manager to ignore the light if it comes on again, unless it's a flashing yellow, and wait for the software update. Not sure about that advice but hopefully the problem won't reappear. He did say it was unusual that the problem surfaced at a higher mileage (1996 miles) since it most often surfaces around 300-400 miles.

Mark

 

I had the CEL popping up three times. Several attempts to have the car fixed. Sorry - I just cannot accept the "wait and we'll take care sometimes". As mentioned in the post above - I need (for whatever reason) a 24/7 working car, in good standing.

And I exchanged the car (with the more-than-decent support from the dealership) with... another MINI. Different engine, different transmission.

Happier customer now.

Now - again... I'm fine with waiting for few months for a fix for the "secret compartment rattle". Or for other gizmos or fixes that are non-essential for the normal operation of the car. A wobbly door? I can deal with that. A rattle in the dashboard? So be it. I'd wait for a fix.

But for an engine problem to take 3-4 or who knows how many months to be fixed? And have a doubt that the engine might malfunction at any time? Fuggetabout it. yes, yes, everyone tells you that the car is ok... Well, it is not. Minor or major, it is an engine problem.

Anyway - I found MINI HQ approach to this (and/or competence) to be... lacking to say the least. If there were not a decent support from the dealership and this forum of content users, I would have certainly looked elsewhere. For now - I'm on my second R56 and a happy driver.

So far.

MMM

 

What did you get as a replacement?

 

It is pictured here...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=103726

(same color - same packages - same extras - moved from the old car more or less - just different engine and different transmission).

MMM

 

UPDATE: 1996 miles, just filled up gas, CEL is back on, after almost a month and a half of nothingness.

However nothing FEELS different, so I don't think I'll take it into the dealership just yet.

 

I was yesterday at service, and they told me: Mini will not relise software until July.

 

If my cars on the boat, does that mean I have the samed flawed software. But is a MCS Auto.

 

Nigel's CEL came on for the first time yesterday. He has barely 1,000 miles on him. I called service this morning and was told that a software fix was coming at the end of the month so to call back. I asked if there was going to be a mass recall on this and was told that they didn't know yet.

Nigel came to me on April 30, and I never thought I could have so much fun driving a little car. I truly look forward to running errands now so Nigel and I can go motoring!

Nigel: 2007 MC/Auto-Chili Red w/White Stripes and black leather

 

My CEL had come on at approx. 900 miles and went out a few days later. It came on again today at 2085 miles. I'm taking a wait and see approach. I plan to bring my car in for an interim oil change and tire rotation at around 3000 miles so if the light is still on, I'll have the service dept. deal with it. Hopefully by then the supposed software fix will have arrived.

 

Greetings,

Hit enter too soon. Oops

 

Greetings all,

My CEL came on Sat 9 Jun, 1950 miles, "S", premium, week 8 build.

Mine died twice that day and the engine was surging while at idle.

Took it in Monday, told it was an airflow sensor they replaced it. Got the car back on Tuesday, I'm happy until the CEL comes on again later in the day. So he is back in the shop tonight, they are going to diagnose the problem.

Have a great service dept. Hope they get it figured out...

Jon

 

Hello Everyone:
I ordered my mini cooper 2007 manual in april 07 with everything i wanted, i picked it up exactly two weeks ago. Today at around 700 miles my check engine light came on. I have a full tank with premium, checked my gas cap, everything is fine. I also hear a little sputtering when i first turn it on for about a few seconds and then it goes away.
I'm very upset as i love my mini, i am making an appointment to take it in tomorrow and see what the dealer has to say, luckily i'm only about 1/2 hour away from the dealer.
After reading all the postings on this site, i will keep you posted on the new story or info the dealer will give me tomorrow.
I am very sad that my first posting on this site is about a problem with my mini.
thanks for reading
have a good night!

 

Picked up my new MCS with manual tranny on Saturday. After 82 miles the CEL came on. No sputtering. Still ran smoothly. Took it to the dealer two days ago and they ran a diagnostic check that came up with a "Low pump pressure" code.

They discussed the code with the folks at MINI and they ask the dealer techs to check all the connections and hoses on the turbo for leaks. No leaks were found. MINI did not have any other idea of what the problem may be. Dealer said that new software was due out in July.

Tonight on the way home from the dealer, the CEL came on again.

 

Minibike,

That sound it makes when the light comes on is something I hear in my sleep now... it's such a bummer too.

My light's been doing the same thing. In the past week, it's gone on and off three times already!

But the MINI guy at the BMW dealership insists that there isn't anything wrong but if it happens once more, I have to insist they look at it to make sure this isn't just a false alarm!

 

...at least in my case. There was a barely perceptible change in engine sound few miles before the CEl was popping up. The engine would not run so smooth suddenly (mainly at lower RPMs - or when stopping at a red light) than there is a sputter sound or something and the CEL comes on.

Regardless... Well - mine happened on February 22 (3 days after the launch of R56 and the delivery of the first MINI). I was told the same story - well - not really - because first they didn't know what was it and started with the same "gas cap/o2 sensor/whatever - and ultimately ended up with "software issue". And promised a solution "at the end of March". Then - "3 months from now". Then "the end of June". Now - as I heard - "the end of July".

Well - that makes it 6 potential months to fix a problem (that - again - is not a rattle or a misfit panel - but an engine problem).

I found this to be unacceptable. The issue exists, affects a certain number of cars (probably a small percentage of mainly MC/A - but others too) and - at least - the buyer that orders that car has to be notified before the purchase. That is what a bona fide dealer should do (if such thing exists... ).

You probably ordered the car in March/April whatever. Sit down and thing about: would you have ordered it if you knew there could be a potential issue with the engine?

Anyhow - I am tired of rambling (and I bet others are tired to hear my rambling). After few reasonable attempts to have it fixed (I drove my own car for 900 miles and MINI loaners for 4,800 miles...) with the more-than-decent-help from my dealer and with zero-help from MINI USA, I traded my R56 MC/A with CEL issues to a new MCS/M that - so far - proved to be whatever everyone on this forum says it should be: a blast to drive.

So - your tolerance for CEL might vary. Mine...ended a while ago.

MMM

 

Well here is my story......I took delivery of Scarlett last night, my '07 MCSa. She only had 2 miles on her and my MA had her filled with a new tank of gas. All was well and we headed home then over to a family members house to show and tell. At approx. 16 miles, DING DING.....on comes my CEL and it stays on. We drove home and now Scarlett has all of 24 miles on her. I phoned and left voice mails last night and my MA phoned first thing this morning. He seemed surprised that my CEL had come on so soon and told me he would phone service then phone me back. After waiting for a couple of hours, I phoned him back and was told that the service manager said this is a known problem they are having with some of the automatics. I was reassured that she would be ok to motor in through the weekend but scheduled to bring her in on Monday morning. I'm sorry but I can not in good conscience motor in a car that is telling me something is wrong with it. Sure it might be a known problem some are having but how do they KNOW that is the problem MY car is having. So here I sit, with a brand new MCSa with all of 24miles on her not having any fun!

 

...but how to find out - that is rather simple.

It is the Code 2188 (engine runs too clean). A simple analyzer (I bought an Actron CP9125 from Amazon for this). Now - any thing (and I mean ANYTHING that your dealer will do - voodoo dances, tribal invocations, holy water whatever) will reset the CEL for a few (tens/hundreds) of miles. I could reset the light (w the analyzer - for a variable amount of miles. But... it will pop up until mINI USA (or GB or Germany) will make their minds. And release their software.

Now - and that would sound iconoclastic - you still can reject your car... Knowing what I know now (after 3 1/2 months of dealing with this issue and 1 month waiting for the replacement car...) if I would be you - I wound certainly reject it...

MMM

 

Hey minimaximini, IYO if my car is sailing close to the the Gulf of California and built approx. 2 weeks ago, is the software the same as the cars that are having the problem. Is there a fix at the VDC which it will arrive in approx. 3-4 days. Any thoughts or suggestions. I talked to my MA a few weeks ago and she said they were not having these issues at her dealership so far. Thanks

 

I found out that disconnecting the battery ( I was doing a unrelated mod) will get rid of the CEL light. No other programming is lost except 'time'.

 

The software - as I was told - will be issued in July (first they said March, then May, then June, now July). Ask your MA what will happen if there will be a CEL issue. That is what I would do. And... not having the issue... that doesn't change the facts. My dealer has it on 3 or 4 cars. Now - thinking - they probably sold like - hmmm... 100 MINIs?

Yep - for the statistics' sake - let's make the following calculations (using the MINI Sales figures for R56...):

In Feb-May they probably sold slightly less than 3500 MCs, and slightly more than 3500 MCS. My dealer is probably one of the... hmmm... 80 MINI Dealers in US? Yep - probably so. (there is a dealership numbers figure somewhere). I am in Midwest where probably the MINI sales are average (not high - not low). So... Probably my dealer sold - let's say - 40 MCs and 40 MCS. Just for the sake of calculations.

Now - if he has 3-4 cars with the CEL issue (all MCs) - that makes it close to 10% of the MC sold. Ok - let's say the value is high. Probably 5% of the MINI Cooper Non-S Automatic experience the CEL issue. That seems a realistic number.

Now - and I am asking you as a client: is that too high of a chance or low enough to make your buy or reject your car? That - AmazonRacer - is only up to you. For me there were in fact 2 issues:

- that the issue exists and the dealers might not be upfront with you. YOu should discuss that with the MA at the purchase time - the what if issue.
- that the issue is delayed to be fixed by MINI USA or whoever else.

Look. In this thread there are about 10 people (I didn't count - probably more) that experience(d) it. I agree - not everyone that has it is in this forum. Most of them probably are not. Most of us just swallow the pill - it's nothing - ignore it - and go from there. If I would be you - I would just mention it to the MA and have a plan what to do if it happens.

My dealer was pretty good with dealing with the situation. Whenever it happened - I had one more thing installed - for free or for reduced price. Yes - I was trying to take some advantage of all this unpleasant thing - and don't blame me if I did. Do the same. You might be the unlucky one with the CEL - but then you should be "compensated" - or you might be lucky and not have it - and then it is a mute point.

Just try to be prepared. But if my CEL would have come in the first few miles as the gentleman above, I would have rejected the car - hands down.

(btw - so far I am driving my second R56 with no problems, having a blast. So the car - fundamentally - is great - the support behind is what s*cks.

MMM

 

As mentioned above. You just reset the sensor. You deal with the effect - not with the cause. The cause (whatever it is) remains - and the sensor will pop up back again, in few hundred miles.

It is what they anyhow do at the dealerships - when testing the car. And that is why it works when you pick up the car back - and that is why it reappears few days/weeks after.

MMM

 

I posted this in the problems section as I don't know if it is related.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=105142

I've had two occurences of rough idle, even to the point of cutting off, thirty minutes later fine. No other problems, no check engine light came on. See thread above for further details.