R56 Stalls When Cold! - MINI2

LimitLess · #1 (**permalink**) May 10th, 2008, 03:54 PM

Hey if anyone can help out, that would be great. I purchased a new cooper S Oct. 29 2007 in Edmonton Alberta Canada. It was awsome! I had no complaints and felt as though I had made a good purchase. Less that a month later, the temp. dropped below zero and the problems started.
Every morning when I went to work, I would start my car to let it warm up. Start it, lock the door, and proceed inside the house. I would make it to the front of the car and the idle would drop to around 300RPM. It sounded like crap, popping and sputtering, and finally stall. It would do this everytime untill I held my foot on the gas to about 3000RPM for 5-10 min. What a pain!!! A couple of times, the throttle would actually be useless, and not even do a thing. The check engine light would come on in yellow and sometimes red. The dealer told me that they knew about the problem and mini canada was trying to fix it. But then the second time I talked with them, they told me that mini canada did not really care because it is only happening to a select few cooper S cars. They tried replacing the valve cover gasket???? don't see how that would help, it didn't.
The last time it was in for a week, and they couldn't get it to do it for them so they gave it back. And when I went to pick it up, I heard the brakes grinding when I backed out of the stall, so I got out to take a look. The Front And Rear discs were worn down with a huge lip on the top and bottom! I only have 19000kms! This isn't normal is it?
Also, my turbo has cut out about 3 times on the highway but nothing can be done about it because it rarely happens. The crome on the shifter is wore right off, but they are replacing it. Now did I get a lemon? Is all this stuff normal? What are the laws in Canada for a POS?

Also, Mini Canada just told me they will be working on a fix over the summer, and hope to have it fixed by next winter. They said "Its warm out now, you shouldn't have a problem anymore". But it happened again this morning!!! Every time it gets a little bit chilly in the morning it will happen.

Please Help!!

Sorry so long

jasonite · #2 (**permalink**) May 14th, 2008, 04:15 PM

Got my '07 MCS in December and also had the stalling issue on several of the colder mornings. Like you, had to start the car and then quickly give it gas to keep the revs high and then get the car going to prevent stalling - though I don't think the check engine light ever came on.

Is your MCS one of the ones that also has the cold start noise? Mine sounds like a tractor on the colder days - not sure, but I think that's the "cold start noise" others have posted about?

LimitLess · #3 (**permalink**) May 14th, 2008, 07:22 PM

Yeah mine is pretty noisy in the cold. How cold does it have to be to stall? mine will do it at +2!!!

jasonite · #4 (**permalink**) May 14th, 2008, 09:54 PM

Is that +2C? I think mine may have spluttered a little around 20F (-7C ) but don't think it actually stalled until the mornings got below 10F (-12C) - and we didn't have too many of those this winter.

Mini_Gal · #5 (**permalink**) Jan 1st, 2010, 03:55 AM

Hi there,

Over the past 3 weeks my car R56 Cooper S 2008 has started to not want to start. It's progressively getting worse where on Xmas eve it wouldn't start at all. The engine was missing and it sounded like it was running on 3 cylinders and then stalled. When I restarted it I saw a huge puff of blue smoke so obviously oil got into where it shouldn't have!

It's done it again several more times and it's not cold here, the other day it was over 38 degrees c so not cold more like bloody hot!

We have checked the air filter which is a bit dirty but not enough to cause it to stall, checked plugs all seem ok. No engine warning lights have come on so don't know!

Going to call the dealer on Monday and see what they say.

So far my run with this car has been a bit disappointing but then the only car that was bullet proof and boring was my Honda... :-( Might go Jap for my next car as I am really frustrated with my Mini and only have one dealer in Adelaide makes it hard..they really don't seem to care until you stamp and make a scene and no-one likes to have to do that. What is it these days? Does customer service stop when they sell the car? Is it then care factor ZERO???