MCS02. ah yes there is a lot of reading for sure. I changed the timing chain and did a compression check which all looked fine. The misfire is less than it was so I think bad fuel and an electrical issue happened at the same time. The night before the rally I added the fuel and bled the clutch which had me moving the harness as I worked on the slave cylinder. Maybe and just a maybe the harness was about to go due to the solid engine mounts and I broke/moved something? Anyway I have a working harness and a new crank sensor to fit. The ECU is coming back so I hope next week the Mini will be running. Looking at all I've done I think we are close!
There's a couple more things that come to mind that i don't remember being discussed here. The knock sensor and the alternator. I imagine both could be possible suspects. It was a totally different engine but some guy at another forum had problems with how the engine ran and it turned out to be a busted voltage stabilizer.
I have a volt meter which stays at a steady 14V and does not flicker when the fault kicks in. I've also run the engine with the knock sensor plug off. Thanks for the suggestions.
The ECU guys just emailed me to say the key is on the way out! They sent me a video to show the EWS and key not communicating for a split second while the engine is running. Another item to add to the list! I still love my Mini.....love/hate thing.
I wonder if that might actually be related. I have no idea how that would impact ECU / engine behavior... But I think your issue is too consistent and repeatable
Those VW diesels do well in rallies as do the Abarth 500....but to fly the flag(currently half mast) I'll stick with the Mini. I did think the key could be the issue but I think this explains from time to time the engine misses a beat. Like when I was going to work the engine would loss power for a second and then ran as normal. The basic key from Emini parts is around $50 so I'm going to order one as my key is completely beat up and held together with electric tape
2:30am on the to the airport for round 4 of misfire mystery. I've already had interest from Hollywood for a movie lol.
I'm skeptical as well. I thought the EWS only matters while starting the car. http://www.bmw-planet.com/diagrams/release/us/zinfo/SCM0897FB466135001.htm
The fun begins again! I got here lunch time on Saturday but any thoughts of working on the Mini Sunday were over when my checked bag didn't show up until Sunday! The bag was delivered in the afternoon so meanwhile I took off the old engine harness. The bag arrived so I compared my harness to the Ebay version.....drat they sent me an automatic harness!! checking the plugs of the new harness which has everything I have but 2 extra plugs which I presume are to the auto box. I traced the wires back to the round plug on the air filter box which has more pin than mine. I cut all the wires and removed plugs/wires and pins. The only other issue is the knock sensor I have has 2 wires , the new harness has 3. So I need to follow the wires and figure out how the fix it. When I bought the harness they said it was for a 2004 manual but having to wait another 4 weeks to return it and get the manual version is not something I want to do. Just another small set back which I'm getting used too!
I'm thinking you need to start taking more of those siestas with mucha cerveza fria to help ease the pains of frustration. True, it won't solve your ongoing MINI problems, but asi es la vida. In the meantime, :fingerscrossed:
My mistake on the knock sensor plug, it was the reverse light switch. I think this is an auto harness because the extra plugs are off the wires that run at the back of the engine and contained the reverse light. Anyway no worries because once I sat down and investigated what went where I found the re-wire was super simple. I compared plugs and found 11 on the round plug, 4 on the ECU plug and 1 on the power plug that I did not have on my harness. All these wires ran back to the ones I had cut. I just removed them and the 2 wires going to the reverse light I removed too because I have manual reverse light switch. The new harness looks in better shape then my old one so I hope this is going to be the cure.
on the MCS, the manual harness also has a reverse position switch plug that's missing on the auto harness... Oops - posted before I saw you figured that out
raining every night so no time to work. Plus my arm has an infection from a cut I got last time I was here. On anti-biotic this week....no wine or beer.
I don't smoke but I'm being driven to it! LOL everything looked better with alcohol! It's funny because my right arm looks like pop eyes arm !