So on my 2010 R56 S with 115,000 miles, yesterday the Yellow Reduced power check engine light came on. I immediately took it to one service shop that said they are not getting a code. So this morning I took it to another that used the same basic tester with the same result and then broke out a more complicated one. Verdict, there are no codes reading from my computer, yet the Yellow check engine light is still on.

No reduced power or anything I have noticed driving.

Any clues?

Is there a re set option like removing battery cable?

Thanks!

 

You need to find better shops. If they aren't a BMW/MINI specialist, the dealer may be your best bet. These cars will throw codes that the generic code readers cannot find. You need a BMW-specific reader for those.

 

That would be great if I didn't live in Rural Mississippi where the nearest BMW or Mini shop is several hours away.

 

Is your car stock or modified? First look for a loose boost or intake hose leaking pressure. Next look to see your PCV hoses are also connected. Then take a look to see the electrical connections are clean and tight on the Blow off valve on the solenoid on the cold side of the Turbo. Most common causes are a lose hose, going bad Blow off valve. If a traditional scanner isn't finding it then your probably looking at a boost problem. The car has found an issue with this and put the car in reduced boost mode and you are running in NON TURBO MODE. Find a local MINIAC who is willing to unmarry his or her ALTA- ACCESSPORT tuner and youll be able to read the problem. Also any garage with a LAUNCH diagnostic Computer will be able to read the codes and diagnose your issue. First make sure you don't have a loose hose.

 

Check all your hoses and then the BOV

 

Look for loose hoses. Also, any shop with A LAUNCH scanner sold by NAPA can scan this.

 

Maybe something like the Carly App will pull the code. Otherwise, if you want a pretty beefy MINI specific tool you could go with AutoEnginuity HERE. I know you said you're in an area where there are no MINI indy shops near you, but try this site HERE and see if it might pull up some you didn't know about. If you're able to get a code, be sure to post it up for us. Good luck!

 

Stock. I recently had the Leaking turbo line issue fixed, So I will look for hoses.
Thanks!

 

Thanks for the site. Nearest one is still about an hour, but that is closer than others.

 

Half power light can be caused by multiple different failures/problems, as stated, you need to find someone with a quality scan tool that read manufacture codes. Generic code readers don't provide you with the proper information to correctly diagnose the problem.

If the car isn't stumbling at idle or hard to keep running that would rule out a vacuum/boost leak, the car uses a mass air flow sensor and is extremely precise with airflow monitoring.

There are no charge pipes that need to be removed to fix the leaking oil feed line to the turbo.

How does the car run currently?

 

No noticeable difference in the car performance. I almost find it hard to believe it is running in "Non Turbo" mode.

 

You'll need to find a quality scan tool, but that would rule out vacuum leaks if the car is idling and running fine.

 

So I have a K&N filter installed, and I realized that it probably has not been cleaned and re oiled since I purchased the car. (I can promise the dealership did not touch it when it was in for all the updates they required). So Just off hand I decided to remove it last weekend, vacuumed the air intake box really well, re oiled the filter, and reinstalled. The reduced engine power light was still on for the next drive. But the following day, it went off. Any chance a dirty air filter could have caused this error?

 

A oiled filter is not a good idea as it can clog up the MAF sensor and cause problems. The MAF sensor has three metal plates that heat up to 356 degrees and they need to be spotless, oil can stick to these plates and attract dust like a magnet. Dry type filters are the norm, I don't understand why manufactures continue to use oiled filters. A standard tester just doesn't always work with these German cars.

I just replaced my MAF sensor and the metal plates were blackened and I was using the stock dry filters, cleaning the MAF sensor proved to make things worse. Don't buy from the dealer, buy the same part hundreds cheaper here.

 

I think you found the problem, and that you should eliminate the K&N. My opinion is that they let more particulates through and cause faster engine wear. The stock air filters are more effective at doing their job - filtering.

 

It's probably a good idea to get the code read first to be certain it's not something else and at least clean your MAF sensor (engine cold) only if it's visibly dirty. I've seen lots of members throw parts at their cars in the hopes of avoiding the dealer or specialty shops only after spending hundreds or thousands of dollars.

 

Like this?
thanks

 

When I bought the vehicle they had the k&N filter installed. Not the kind you replace the factory air filter box with, just the lay in kind. (Just a k&n filter vs the paper one).

I have used these for over 20 years in all types of vehicles with no issue. Do you really think this could be affecting the Cooper?