Read this if you really know about MINI ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Discussion
OK firstly I am in love with my MINI
HOWEVER...........................................I need some real help and advice!!
Bought is second hand 3 previous owners up to 80,000 miles 2003 reg 03 plate
Ok briefly willl list whats happened and hoping one of you out there will be able to tell me straight what could be up.
Within 10 hours of owning the car drove it a little way a roads to a country wedding. Engine light came on. Still there next day. Back to the dealer where I bought it (not bmw) who re set the light and told me nothing wrong.
Take the car on the motorway for the first time 50 miles up the m6 engine light back on and once off the motorway car sounded like it may die spluttering and had used quarter of a tank of petrol. Again back to the garage light reset told nothing wrong with it!! so the car stayed there for 2 weeks because I refused to accept this.
Went to Manchester again on the motorway perfect got off the motorway in traffic and again sounded like it would die engine light back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Went to the show at MEN came out engine mis firing sounded awful and a flat tyre but flat tyre light not on??!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAC out tyre sorted as run flats on. 2 new back tyres engine light off fine again
This happened again several times doesnt matter whether its A Roads Motorway whatever it will just happen every two weeks or so expecially if the car has been sitting on drive for a few days.
Therefore I had trading standards involved because I knew the dealer was getting his mechanic to reset the light then tell me there was nothing wrong. After letters back and forth I managed to get them to agree to run it by BMW main dealer to run a diagnostics, came back fine. BUT they did only run a quick check.
Yesterday My house to local shopping centre heavy traffic engine light on engine mis firing spluttering chugging.
Did my shopping proceeded to drive to the dealer where I bought it burst into tears because I am at my wits end with this car. I traded in 08 ford fiesta and I am now having this every other week. He offered 4k to take it back 2k less than I paid!!!
Dealer is suggesting its because I let the petrol run low!!!! And the petrol I use!!!! Wrong I am paying 1.30 for the high octane and top it up as soon as down to half tank.
Someone please help me with any advice or suggestion. Of course I am going to go back to my trading standards officer as soon as they re open Tuesday but he is not an expert on cars and if you follow their advice its a very long and time consuming process.
Also I read on one of the other threads that I should have the same engine as a mini cooper but it is restricted? Is it worth me investing in doing anything with this car to see if it improves?
HOWEVER...........................................I need some real help and advice!!
Bought is second hand 3 previous owners up to 80,000 miles 2003 reg 03 plate
Ok briefly willl list whats happened and hoping one of you out there will be able to tell me straight what could be up.
Within 10 hours of owning the car drove it a little way a roads to a country wedding. Engine light came on. Still there next day. Back to the dealer where I bought it (not bmw) who re set the light and told me nothing wrong.
Take the car on the motorway for the first time 50 miles up the m6 engine light back on and once off the motorway car sounded like it may die spluttering and had used quarter of a tank of petrol. Again back to the garage light reset told nothing wrong with it!! so the car stayed there for 2 weeks because I refused to accept this.
Went to Manchester again on the motorway perfect got off the motorway in traffic and again sounded like it would die engine light back on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Went to the show at MEN came out engine mis firing sounded awful and a flat tyre but flat tyre light not on??!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAC out tyre sorted as run flats on. 2 new back tyres engine light off fine again
This happened again several times doesnt matter whether its A Roads Motorway whatever it will just happen every two weeks or so expecially if the car has been sitting on drive for a few days.
Therefore I had trading standards involved because I knew the dealer was getting his mechanic to reset the light then tell me there was nothing wrong. After letters back and forth I managed to get them to agree to run it by BMW main dealer to run a diagnostics, came back fine. BUT they did only run a quick check.
Yesterday My house to local shopping centre heavy traffic engine light on engine mis firing spluttering chugging.
Did my shopping proceeded to drive to the dealer where I bought it burst into tears because I am at my wits end with this car. I traded in 08 ford fiesta and I am now having this every other week. He offered 4k to take it back 2k less than I paid!!!
Dealer is suggesting its because I let the petrol run low!!!! And the petrol I use!!!! Wrong I am paying 1.30 for the high octane and top it up as soon as down to half tank.
Someone please help me with any advice or suggestion. Of course I am going to go back to my trading standards officer as soon as they re open Tuesday but he is not an expert on cars and if you follow their advice its a very long and time consuming process.
Also I read on one of the other threads that I should have the same engine as a mini cooper but it is restricted? Is it worth me investing in doing anything with this car to see if it improves?
Hi,
Its quite difficult to tell without having the codes produced by your car, the codes the garage keep clearing. However it does sound like a faulty sensor and nothing mechanical. Probably an o2 sensor or maf/map.
The engine is identical to the cooper there is just a few more tweaks, essentially the engine is the same block as the S but with weaker components. keeping it in simple terms anyway.
If the light comes on there is something wrong and clearing the fault to tell you there is nothing wrong sounds like a get out thing just to get rid of you. My advice is to get the car read by another garage or you could always buy a reader yourself so should a fault arise you would know what it is without paying someone.
My initial thoughts are its not serious but needs to be sorted if nothing more than to fix the problem. Even with the light out the problem should be reporting an issue so you should be able to get it read now. I am not sure where you are located but I am in Birmingham and would be happy to look over the car for you as I know them inside out.
I would maybe consider taking the car to almost and garage and ask very nicely if they could plug the car in and see if there are any fault codes and to tell you what they are. With codes we can help to find the problem.
90% sure its a sensor ~ 5% a blocked / dirty injector 5% something else though without a code or seeing it, the above is just a guess.
Other thoughts - spark plugs, leads, fuel pump
the run flat light may just need to be reset hence it didn't come on, reference the manual for that. or just hold the button until the amber light appears in the centre gauge
Minis are fine to let run to the bottom, the tanks are plastic and the fuels are much cleaner than years ago, also all the fuel is filtered so that's NOT the cause. you only need to use 95 ron in your car only a tuned S or JCW needs the higher 97 ron petrol
Its quite difficult to tell without having the codes produced by your car, the codes the garage keep clearing. However it does sound like a faulty sensor and nothing mechanical. Probably an o2 sensor or maf/map.
The engine is identical to the cooper there is just a few more tweaks, essentially the engine is the same block as the S but with weaker components. keeping it in simple terms anyway.
If the light comes on there is something wrong and clearing the fault to tell you there is nothing wrong sounds like a get out thing just to get rid of you. My advice is to get the car read by another garage or you could always buy a reader yourself so should a fault arise you would know what it is without paying someone.
My initial thoughts are its not serious but needs to be sorted if nothing more than to fix the problem. Even with the light out the problem should be reporting an issue so you should be able to get it read now. I am not sure where you are located but I am in Birmingham and would be happy to look over the car for you as I know them inside out.
I would maybe consider taking the car to almost and garage and ask very nicely if they could plug the car in and see if there are any fault codes and to tell you what they are. With codes we can help to find the problem.
90% sure its a sensor ~ 5% a blocked / dirty injector 5% something else though without a code or seeing it, the above is just a guess.
Other thoughts - spark plugs, leads, fuel pump
the run flat light may just need to be reset hence it didn't come on, reference the manual for that. or just hold the button until the amber light appears in the centre gauge
Minis are fine to let run to the bottom, the tanks are plastic and the fuels are much cleaner than years ago, also all the fuel is filtered so that's NOT the cause. you only need to use 95 ron in your car only a tuned S or JCW needs the higher 97 ron petrol
Edited by RKDE on Monday 3rd May 09:53
RKDE thank you so much for your post!
I am in Stoke, ok everything you said made perfect sense thanks for not baffling me with science!
I have been driving for over 10 years and I can honestly say I have had old cars new cars 1.2 - 3 litre and never have I had a car that can be running so inconsistently?!
The lights gone back out today and car is running sound again. I could understand the sensors being faulty but with the car running as rouigh as hell every other week I am inclined to think there is something lurking but like you say perhaps not too serious!
Are you familiar with this limp home mode someone suggested thats why when it runs rough and light comes on it burns through fuel really quickly?
Is it worth spending the money upgrading the engine for the extra speed and acceleration?
I am in Stoke, ok everything you said made perfect sense thanks for not baffling me with science!
I have been driving for over 10 years and I can honestly say I have had old cars new cars 1.2 - 3 litre and never have I had a car that can be running so inconsistently?!
The lights gone back out today and car is running sound again. I could understand the sensors being faulty but with the car running as rouigh as hell every other week I am inclined to think there is something lurking but like you say perhaps not too serious!
Are you familiar with this limp home mode someone suggested thats why when it runs rough and light comes on it burns through fuel really quickly?
Is it worth spending the money upgrading the engine for the extra speed and acceleration?
Sounds like a faulty sensor, probably Air Flow (MAF) or Oxygen (Lambda) causing the car to run very rich.
I would find an independant Mini specialist near you, will likely identify the problem in minutes and solve for very little money
One thing I am shocked by is my Cooper S Convertible is the first 'BMW' product I have ever owned and the build quality is truely awful! My Land Rover Discovery 3 feels like its a solid piece of engineering next to it, even my TVR Griffith felt better screwed together! with much better materials.
But the Mini is huge fun and is my runaround
I would find an independant Mini specialist near you, will likely identify the problem in minutes and solve for very little money
One thing I am shocked by is my Cooper S Convertible is the first 'BMW' product I have ever owned and the build quality is truely awful! My Land Rover Discovery 3 feels like its a solid piece of engineering next to it, even my TVR Griffith felt better screwed together! with much better materials.
But the Mini is huge fun and is my runaround
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