Well, I just got off the phone with Detroit tuned regarding my issues on Saturday. They said it could be anything from a bad spark plug to a bad cylinder. The plugs and wires were changed when this issue came up last year, and few miles have been but on sense. So, I fear it is something worse. They recommended pulling codes and checking cylinder presure. Problem is my Scan Gauge does not say anything is wrong and I do not have a pressure tester. Is there anyone hear that has the equipment and would be willing to help me test my car? I do not have enough for a rebuild, so I would hate to send the car to Chad to find out I cannot afford to fix it for a while. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Sean
How does the oil look? Have you checked it? How is the coolant? Look good & full? Have you checked? How do the plugs look? Fouled or good? Guess what I'm saying is check all of the easy stuff first. If all of that stuff is good I'd throw another set of wires on. I'd look closely at the crank damper. They are known to come apart at high mileage & I think your MINI is in that boat. Sorry, but I do not have a compression tester. Maybe someone will chime in who has one. Edit: I have a spare coil pack coming. You can borrow it & see if that is the issue.
Autozone will lend you a compression tester. You just need to leave a small deposit that will be refunded when you return it. I have the special MINI tool for the spark plug removal if needed.
Thanks guys! Chuck, is there any way to check the wires without replacing? For the plugs should I check with a spark tester? I thought I had checked the balancer, I will have to reread how to test that. Nathan, that's a great idea! I wonder if their free scan would be any better than the scan gauge. Also, should I have a friend ready to read the gauge when cranking or does it hold? Also, any idea what is different about the MINI spark plug tool? Thanks guys, I am less sadden by the issue now. I hate to have the car sit for too long while I save for a rebuild if it's not needed.
I'm sure there is a way to check wires Sean, but at $30 I just swap them out every few years. Not sure how your MINI was behaving. Run OK at low speed, but not at higher RPM? Fill us in.
I have a set of wires on the shelf if you want to swap them in and try them out. It's better to have someone around to do the compression test. I'll lend a hand. You can't be that far away from downtown. The MINI spark plug tool is tall enough to clear the tubes without extensions.
They are cheap enough, but these current wires have just over a 1000 miles on them. 30 dollars is a cheap fix, if it fixes it. I just noticed your offer of a coil pack, I may take you up on that. Well, sense your willing to help, I'll take it! You've been down this road many more times than I. And if your coming, I see no reason not to use the MINI spark tool. As for what the cars doing, it's up to old antics again. I'll try and recap. Coming off the dragon in 2011, the car started to loss power just before 3000 RPM. Once the RPM dropped down around 2200, the engine would decide I could have power again. It got so bad that I had to pull off and get a toe. The car would not reach 40 mph. The good forks at Knoxville MINI held a tech late on Saturday to give the car a once over. After a reset of the computer, a lubing of the bypass valve and a few test drives, they demed the care capable of getting us home. However, they did recommend I change the BPV. As soon as I got home, I called Chad and ordered one. While under the hood, the plugs were all changed with new ones(brand escapes me right now, but they were from Japan) and new wires. The car had no issues the few times I had to get it out. Fast forward to this Spring. The car had now been trouble free the few times it went out in the winter. For Aprils breakfast I took the car and then headed up to Delaware. At the end of my journy back to Canal, the car hesitated again trying to pull away from a stop at the top of the onramp. It happend again as I pulled away from the next light. Thinking back, it was a nice warm spring day. A quick as for help here, and it was mentioned to check my IC boots. Turns out one was loose. A few test drives on the local roads around my house, and all was well. So, last Saturday I drove the river run with confidence. That was until just a few miles out from out lunch stop, the hesitation returned. However, this time it did not get violent like it was outside of Knoxville, it just prevented me from powering out of the corners and enjoying the supercharger. And then, as we went up a small hill, the engine just shut down. I rolled off to the side of the road, where I turned the car off, and tried to start the engine back up. Success! I made it to lunch and decided to head back home on roads more traveled in the event I would need a toe. Lucky for us the car made it, with only a few more hicups along the way. I also noted that when the issue started happening is just as the tempature started to reach 90. I hope this helps. I am going to try and dig up my old thread from the dragon and see if it mentioned the code or condition the Tech said the computer reported. EDIT: Looking back at the old dragon post, the issue then was running lean. Might try and see if Advanced computers can read anymore than my scan gauge did, which is nothing.
Just an idea but are you buying / getting cheap or bad gas? Try running a full tank of Shell, Sunoco, or Chevron 93 octane for a week. You could also add a bottle of Chevron Techtron to your tank to clean everything out. You may have some old crap in your tank that has made its way upstream in the fuel system. Or it could be a fuel pump. Just ideas based on everything you have new. Also check your coil post #3 back left. Pull the wire and check for corrosion on the terminal. I would check all 4 post and cover them with a little dielectric gel that you van pick up at shlep oops Pep Boys or AutoZone.
You can find out what all the R and now F codes mean with this article in the Motoring Alliance Library. R / F Code, What is it and What do they Signify
Well after a trip to autozone this morning I was told my car has no codes and they do not rent compression testers. They were all to willing to sell me one, starting at 49.99. On a side note, the car drove wondfully today!
Interesting, I borrowed one from them in Dallas back in the day. Odd. Maybe it was Advanced Auto Parts that I got it from.
Yeah, Autozone rents things Advanced Auto doesn't and vice versa...it can be quite confusing...I have never rented a compression tester but I recall Advanced renting them.
Update: Was given the name of a local shop, Best Motor Werks. They pulled off a code 0234, charge air pressure. fault at 2946. They tested intake pressure readings at idle with no issues. Called DT to see if it had something to do with the bypass again and they said no. So, sounds like it might be a faulty tmap, what do you all think? Sean
I think you can reset your ECU through the dash. I have instructions somewhere if you can't find them online.