1st Gen R53 Cooper S The dreaded idle stall...

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by Msfitoy, May 13, 2012.

  1. Msfitoy

    Msfitoy Member

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    #1 Msfitoy, May 13, 2012
    Last edited: May 13, 2012
    I've searched but can't seem to fine the old threads regarding the cursed R53 unpredicable idle/stall problems...I seem to recall (some) R53 were plagued with this "occasional" low idle behavior that occurs maybe once every other day (for me anyway) when coming to a stop at a light..

    The problem? the idle starts to get strained and gets rough as if struggling to stay alive...the A/F goes way way lean and after a few seconds, it would normally recover to normal as well as the A/f...other times, it would just give up and stall :mad:

    Giving it the gas during idle doesn't always clear it up and finally I would have to let it die and restart where it would be back to normal as if nothing happened...stupid :mad2:

    Did anyone ever figure out why this is happening and was there ever a cure? Annoying as chit...
     
  2. WolfGTI

    WolfGTI Active Member

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    Something to do with emissions and the stock ecu. I forget exactly what it is.

     
  3. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

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    Could be:
    Carbon canister purge at an inopportune moment.
    Start of summer fuel formulation.
    Perfect storm - early stock program, low idle setting, weak fuel pulse regulator diaphragm, failing spark plug wires, dirty injector filter...
     
  4. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Or an old Map and T- MAP sensor.
     
  5. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    Mine was always attributed to starting the cold car in the driveway, driving it a few feet into the garage for the night and then immediately shutting it off w/o getting it warmed up. Next morning it would do the idle stumble almost everytime.
     
  6. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    Mine did similar things for a while.

    For a while, I remember turning the key to run, waiting for the fuel pump to cycle, then turning off, back on and starting to prevent this - which worked. But at some point I stopped doing all that and haven't had problems lately.

    But I don't think that's the same thing Sid is describing.

    I did have some similar behavior as what is described (stumble/stall after warm-up at idle) for a while a year or two ago. I don't 100% recall how I rectified it - I changed a lot of stuff around then - might have been as simple as running a couple of bottles of techron through it. Or might have been fixed when I had Jan bump up my idle a bit due to NVH issues at slow idle. Or SeaFoam treatment. Or bad fuel.

    Whatevs, it hasn't done it in a long time, now.
     
  7. Norm03s

    Norm03s New Member

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    My 03 just did it this morning, it stalled on start up, hasn't happened in a long time. Here's the thing, I have always used 93 octane, the last tank full I thought I would see how it ran on 89 octane. It seemed to run pretty good nothing happened different, mileage about the same. So yesterday afternoon I filled up with 93 octane and it stalled this morning, then on restart it ran fine. ???
     
  8. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    I have something similar and it has been present since new. Tunes by RMW, Mynes nor the latest by George from Greece has been able to fix.

    MINI is warmed up in all cases.

    When approaching a stop if above 3000 RPM and lift of and put MINI in Neutral to drift up to stop RPMs drop to below 400 and engine will often stall.

    If left in gear till RPMs drop to 1000-900 and then placed in Neutral there is no stall.

    This has been going on for so long that I adjust my driving style to prevent stalls.
     
  9. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    :cornut: Thanks Guys. I've finally found 1 quirk that my R56 doesn't have.:lol::lol::lol::lol::Thumbsup:

    Jason
     
  10. Msfitoy

    Msfitoy Member

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    Mine's never stalled on warm up...it's like Nathan's...I didn't see that pattern but will see if your trick works...
     
  11. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    I wonder if it has something to due with a lightweight flywheel and big valve head.
     
  12. Msfitoy

    Msfitoy Member

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    #12 Msfitoy, May 14, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: May 14, 2012
    Good question... but I think the clue is the extreme lean condition (air/fuel gauge reading) during this death period...fuel starvation caused by something intentional within the ECU for what ever reason...if I just shut it down while it's chugging to death and immediately restart it, it acts as if nothing ever happened...like a good slap to the face and the motor got straight...:crazy:
     
  13. Alan

    Alan Active Member

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    When my 2003 R53 does it I can always blip the throttle a few times which always gets the revs back up, and then it settles to a nice idle.

    A habit I learned from the old carburetor days. Slightly clogged idle jet, stuck choke.
     
  14. jiminni

    jiminni Well-Known Member

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    Yea, im used to it. With my stage 4 clutch, that ain't nothin :lol:
     
  15. Norm03s

    Norm03s New Member

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    Same same,I have adjusted to it, not an issue for me.
     
  16. scanner

    scanner New Member

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    my 05 mcsa was not responding well at low rpms/starting to go when light turned green...happened after fill-up with 93 octane gas...I thought it was the ethanol mix for summer...after a week or so it was still finicky when taking off or putting the pedal down quickly......so I did the ECU RESET from the trip odometer and everything got so much better...all's good now...feels very frisky again !
     
  17. WolfGTI

    WolfGTI Active Member

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    Well - since my car has been on the ViPEC ECU - about 5000 miles along now - coming into summer from spring - I have not had the erratic idle then stall.



     

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