2nd Gen R56 Cooper S New to forum and P1497 code...

Discussion in '2nd Generation: 2007+ R55 through R61' started by ccain, Jan 6, 2013.

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  1. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Hey gang,

    I'm Chris. I'm new here and as most people do, I found this forum while serching for a soulution to my issue.

    I have an '08 R56 and the car has been performing beautifully until the other day. I got a check engine light and noticed a whislting coming from the valve cover and the car was stumbling.

    Well, $300 later I have no whistling and the car seems to be running fine. BUT, I'm still getting the P1497 code and can't get it to clear with my OBDII reader. Are there any other components I need to look at or check. I'll tell you, I went ahead and replaced the o-ring on the PCV hose that connects to the valve cover.

    Everything looks fine and is connected correctly. I can't imagine a scenerio where the valve cover would go and take other components with it. Where should I go now guys? I'm really stressing over this.

    Thanks in advance.

    Oh, and from what I've read, this is a much better MINI forum than any of them I've seen to date. Most of you aren't so quick to answer with the typical "take it to a certified MINI dealership" nonsense that is so common on other forums. I hate to break it to you guys but you're stuck with me. :D
     
  2. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Welcome, thanks for joining Motoring Alliance, the FUN and Friendly MINI Community.

    P1497 - Downstream Throttle Air Leak - ECU Codes Chart - 2nd Generation MINI - Library

    You don't mention what you spent the $300 on to stop the whistle. Knowing what you did there can help us point to other issues that may be causing the CEL.
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Welcome to M/A.

    Sorry I don't have your answer, but if you wait a bit someone will know what to do.
     
  4. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    #4 ccain, Jan 6, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2013
    Sorry Nathan. Sometimes I forget that others are unaware of the ramblings bouncing around in my head. :D

    And Nathan, I can't thank you enough for compiling all that info. This was the site that answered my question of the code meaning. It's VERY clear that a LOT of work went into that library! Thank you again!!!

    Anyway, I had to buy a new cylinder head cover. Oh, and just for reference sake, if you have a need to replace the valve cover don't search "MINI Valve Cover". You'll waste hours and hours searching and finding nothing. It seems like these quirky little cars need exact "Queen's English" nomenclature to find anything on-line for sale.

    So after several hours and by sheer luck, I found a link that listed the part and part number I needed listed as "Cylinder Head Cover".

    And even though I'm the son of an ex-pat, I find that my American upbringing is to stubborn to get past. I've got to get reacquainted with terms like "boot", "bonnet" and "gator". Hahaha. Heck, depending what side of the ocean the website you're looking at is on, if you look up replacement hood's you get listings for convertible tops. :D
     
  5. KittyMini

    KittyMini Club Coordinator

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    Welcome. The is a great site.

    BTW- what does "gator" mean other than the reptile?
     
  6. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Thanks for the welcome, and thanks to all of the rest of you as well!

    a "gator" is the shifter boot. :D
     
  7. KittyMini

    KittyMini Club Coordinator

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    Thanks! :cornut:

    I forget a lot when I'm talking to non-MINI folks and say boot or bonnet. They look at me like WTF? :lol:
     
  8. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Welcome to MA
     
  9. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

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    Check all the worm clamps that are downstream of the compressor outlet of the turbo all the way to the throttle body. These are the metal clamps that hold all the hoses. Don't forget the hose clamp that is near the front radiator shroud and is very hard to get to. I have found that they loosen a little bit every year and need to be browsed over to prevent leaks like this.
     
  10. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Thanks so much for the welcome guys!

    I hate to admit this but... I think I'm just going to succumb and tow this thing off to the dealer tomorrow. I hate this because its almost like admitting defeat. But, at times like this, its better to just cut your losses and let the pros have at it. I fear that I'm finally at the age where I just can't let this stuff get to me. My ego finds it hard to digest that my Doctor and my Mechanic are both younger than me. :cryin:

    I've built quite a few cars in my garage over the years but this is the newest car I've had since the 1990's. Imagine my shock and horror when I had to go buy a "tool" to read error codes. WTF?! Before, if it couldn't be fixed with a wrench and elbow grease it was probably something I didn't have any business fooling with in the first place. :D

    Why does this car feel like a computer on wheels? :frown2: I blame Bill Gates! :arf:
     
  11. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Cool... I'll go check. If it isn't this, it's going to MINI tomorrow. I've run out of curse words. :biggrin5:
     
  12. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    #12 ccain, Jan 6, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2013
    OK gang... I just came in from tightening clamps... And, even though most of them were somewhat loose, there is no change. I still get the code. Off to MINI it goes.
     
  13. countryboyshane

    countryboyshane New Member

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    Yea I hear where you're coming from. My dad always says the same thing. When he wants more power on his drag car he puts on a bigger carb and tweaks that instead of screwing around with an ECU. It's a different world.
     
  14. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Well guys, again, thanks for the warm welcomes.

    This morning the MINI is off to the dealer. I'll let you guys know what happens. I guess it's a bit presumptuous to expect an M5 as a loaner car isn't it? :D
     
  15. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    I was only kidding about them loaning me a BMW...

    Heck, I thought they'd give me a MINI as a loaner...

    c998e63e93b1097ba0c0f9545750fe49.jpg

    I have to say, this is a huge plus over the Cold War LADA my old dealership used to hand out. :biggrin5:
     
  16. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    Well, I'm setting here waiting on MINI to call me with an update on my S. When I dropped it off, I told them some of the other concerns i.e. throttle lag and the no start I had a few days prior to the CEL coming on. They mentioned the fuel pump.

    It may interest you guys to know that I was told that MINI has increased the warranty of the high pressure fuel pump to 120,000 miles. So, if that needs to be replaced, it will be done under warranty. :cornut:

    Anyway, I was cleaning off my workbench and decided to dissect the old cylinder head (valve) cover. I don't know if anyone is interested or not but here's a look inside.

    8a6bacf11d0fc7cd431584272f743fcb.jpg

    The upper left corner of this sealed chamber is where the crack was.
    53dffb2f9bfad50eb6931c45a84b7cb1.jpg

    Boy, there sure is a decent amount of sludge in here.
    f4307dbef6974637454a624dcae28b6b.jpg fa230d843eb6ea0f5264011275424435.jpg 4cce057b76977c0c55389f5b14631cb3.jpg

    Sorry the pic is out of focus but, this diaphragm is stuck open due to the build of of carbon and sludge.
    d545e0f5818ce92f5cb660e0f98840fd.jpg

    If I had to venture a guess, a combination of a poor design, carbon build up and the malfunctioning diaphragm crated a high enough internal pressure to cause the failure. I noticed that the replacement valve cover has an externally mounted, sring loaded valve on the back. Maybe this is an attempt by MINI to solve this issue and prevent it from happening again. We'll see. :biggrin5:
     
  17. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Man that thing is nasty dirty. How many miles on your MINI?
     
  18. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    #18 ccain, Jan 8, 2013
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2013
    72,300ish miles.]


    We all know that the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system gets gummy on every car. Rather than designing a system that takes a $4.00 PCV valve like pretty much every other car on the road, the engineers decided to make it an integral part of the valve cover. So now, we have to spend over $300 for a wearable item that isn't covered under the Maintenance Warranty. Hmmm...
     
  19. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Have you had the walnut shell blasting done to the intake valves yet? Looking at that valve cover I'd think the valves might be quite dirty also.

    Maybe the bean counters won the battle with the engineer's.
     
  20. ccain

    ccain Active Member
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    No. Not that I'm aware of. I just purchased this car in December. I do know that the timing chain tensioner recall was performed in August as per the service history and all the routine maintenance on the car is documented to the letter.

    For what it's worth, when I had the valve cover off, the cam gallery looked fairly clean.

    Oh, and I think the bean counters need a calculator. :D
     

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