1st Gen R52 Cooper Convertible Intermittent DSC light, sometimes no power!

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by TOPLESSMINI, Dec 5, 2015.

  1. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

    Sep 1, 2015
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    My 05 Cooper S Cabrio started showing a blinking DSC light randomly and sometimes it's like I have no throttle. It goes mostly away when I'm on the highway (may happen but rare) however on side streets it will happen a lot. Happens on dry, nice days no snow or rain. On a straight line, in a curve, etc...

    It even happened as I was merging in on the highway but went away once the car got up to speed.

    I googled the problem and it seems there is a sensor that can cause this issue but when that happens other lights come on. In my case it's just the DSC light that starts blinking in series of 3 blinks at a time.

    Where is the sensor located on this car? Anyone know can I test it to see if it's gone bad? Any info would be appreciated.

    Cheers,

    Moe
     
  2. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    The wheel speed sensor is behind the hub on each wheel. It is held in place with an allen screw. I am not sure why but most of the time it is the front left one that goes bad. Have you checked to see if it is showing any codes?
     
  3. gjxj

    gjxj Member

    Jun 16, 2015
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    have you tried turning it off?
     
  4. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    Not sure if its related but I cleared code: 0700 AISIN TCU OBD Relevanter Fehler

    No idea what that code means but it didn't seem related.

    I need to do more digging... Had some work done on the front end a few weeks back so I wonder if the guys might have nicked a wire or something. Weird thing it's intermittent and it mostly happens at low speeds.

    Haven't turned the DSC off but I'll try it.

    I will look at the front left sensor when I have a minute.
     
  5. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Look at all of them. I have heard some people have had luck with taking them out and clean them. I was not so lucky.
     
  6. mrntd

    mrntd Well-Known Member
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    They are magnetic sensors so I know if wiping them off will do much. But if they are too far away from the wheel hub part it could make a bad read. So better alignment and tightened mounting after the cleaning helped.

    Look for broken wires also.
     
  7. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    Well I pulled a bunch of codes and it looks like the Front Right Wheel Speed Sensor is bad. Not sure if these are all related but here's the list:

    5E15 Control Module Internal
    5DA1 Wheel Speed Sensor Front Right
    5E5C Initialize Run Flat
    also see 5E16 CAN and 5E1F.

    I'm googling these to see if there is anything else but I think I'll start with the front right speed sensor. Perhaps I can remove it and inspect. Hoping I don't have to replace it.

    Car is driveable and the DSC light doesn't start to come on until I've driven for about 10 minutes. Then it's blink... blink... blink... and the car starts misbehaving (throttle dips, eventually no power but it's intermittent).

    Not sure about the other codes though.
     
  8. myles2go

    myles2go Active Member

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    You had front end work done? Look at the wires for the sensor and trace them up to the connector. Mine didn't get secured properly and the wires came in contact with the crank pulley enough to rub the insulation off and cause an intermittent short.
     
  9. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Clear the codes and see what comes back. But I would just replace the sensor. We even have a great sponsor for that, http://www.eminiparts.com
     
  10. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    ABS Sensor ordered... moving on to the next problem

    I am waiting for the new ABS Sensor to arrive now and I'm just about to order a new set of engine mounts for the car. I'm going to stick with OEM parts. I see the mount on the passenger side is easy to get to however the one on the driver's side is going to be a bit more work. Are there any other mounts I should be looking at? I want to get rid of the intermittent knocking noise and I can tell the mount that's filled with a fluid is not doing its job anymore. Wondering if that could have weakened anything else...

    List of winter projects just keeps getting longer...
     
  11. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    You will replace that OEM mount on the passenger side again and again...they fail.
     
  12. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Don't waste your money on OEM mounts. By the vibra-technics mounts.

    Vibra-Technics MINI Cooper S R53 - Right Hand Engine Mount – Greene Performance
     
  13. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread. I have all my parts on order now so I'm looking forward to getting the car back on the road soon.
     
  14. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    New OEM engine mount and new ABS sensor installed

    The new OEM mount went in easily and it fixed my knocking issue. Car also drives quieter which I guess is the point of that type of mount. Makes a big difference. I understand it's not as good as going with a solid type mount but the car will do very little mileage and I couldn't justify paying 4 times the price. I also replaced my ABS sensor on the passenger side and cleared the codes.

    It's like a whole new MINI.

    Now I need to figure out how to replace the lower engine mount. I picked one up with my other parts as I figured I might as well replace both upper and lower mounts. It wasn't that much more to get both. I can't seem to find any instructions or tutorials on replacing the lower mount.

    Anyone have any tips?

    Cheers,

    Maurice
     
  15. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    It's so easy you won't need a write up / instructions.

    Jack up the car and take a look and you will see the 2 bolts you need to remove. Once it's loose you will figure it out. It's easier than changing a tire. :)
     
  16. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    ^Truth.

    Don't over-think it. No need to support the engine, or anything. Just remove those two big 16mm bolts, slip out old mount, slip in new mount, and replace bolts.
     
  17. TOPLESSMINI

    TOPLESSMINI Member

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    Thanks for the advice guys!

    I'm just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit. It's so cold right now that my small electric heater won't keep up.

    In the meanwhile I just ordered a new power steering fluid reservoir and both lines. I have fluid leaking from the reservoir and I can't tell if it's a crack in the tank or bad lines. I read a many posts about this and figured I may as well replace then whole shebang and get it over with. That will be my last project for now (knock on wood!). I'll do the lower engine support at the same time while I'm under there.
     

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