Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: R53 engine runs very Rough in cold weather

Got a space heater you can put in the garage?

 

It is going to sit till I can't stand it any longer and have to drive it. Mostl engine wear is on start up and shut down, same for all engines. Don't forget that poor starter either.

 

Fortunately, the weather is supposed to break tomorrow and we'll be in the 40s by Fri., Sat., and Sun. ...maybe even Mon., too, before the next round starts.

 

The R50/53 would do all sorts of weird things when the battery voltage was low. How old is the battery?

In the extreme heat of Texas, I had planned to replace my battery whenever it got to over 4 years old. I never got the chance... it always failed before getting to that point.

 

Thankfully, the R50 started right up after some juice from the BRRrrrrrrrrZ.

Hopefully you get it started today Brad and it's nothing major!

 

One thought....
Have not seen this on a car in years....
Does happen on piston airplanes...
You can get moisture on a plug that freezes after a partial/failed start...
Fix is to warm it up...or take the plugs out and clean them...
Hate to bring this up...cause you can blow a motor up if you do it wrong....
But in extreme cold, a quick spray of starting fluid (highly explosive) can get the car running...if you do this...follow the directions closely...and it does have some risk...but it does work for some...best thing is let the car sit a day till the warmer weather comes.

 

I'm not a fan of starting fluid, but I have always kept a can in the garage. It does work.

 

^^^^ This and I also hook up the Battery-Charger-Maintainer to my Optima Red Top just to keep it fresh when it gets really cold. It has an AGM setting.

Amazon.com: NOCO Genius G7200 12V/24V 7.2 Amp Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer: Automotive

 

My charger has a AGM setting. Check out the link I posted.

 

Sounds like the ethanol froze up along with whatever water it absorbed.

 

There some more there being unsaid. I have some hard headed boys too.

 

Ok, typical Mini thread! Everyone moans and groans about a problem and at the end , no one has a solution to the problem! Has anyone figured this out yet? If so, what is the solution to it? I wish people would stop posting threads and never come up with a solution! I have wasted so much time looking on these threads! Its like hey, my s drive belt broke, yeah mine too, mee three and four, then stop! No answer to how you fixed it! Instead you could say oh yeah, you need the special mini pry tool to lift your belt tensioner so you can put your new belt back on! You also need that tool to remove the belt so you can replace your alternator! And wow check out this you tube video on how to fix it! So for real, has anyone figured out why minis are having a problem running in cold weather? Ive heard water frozen on the throttle sensor all the way to cleaning coils and changing your pcv. Weather here in Virginia went from 70 last week and the car ran great, to freezing then warmed up to 40 and now it doesn't want to drive in 40 degree weather?