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Mini One R56 2007 idling problem when engine is warm

29K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  ryonski 
#1 ·
Hello,

I bought a Mini One R56 2007 a few weeks ago and after a couple of days the engine light came on (this was the day after filling up with Tesco unleaded 95) - I noticed the idling was a bit erratic at first, then it started to cut out when arriving at a stop, which was a bit hairy at times, especially at roundabouts.

From cold the idle is solid at around 800rpm, but once the engine gets to a certain temperature, after driving for about 10 minutes, it starts to hesitate and usually cuts out when stopping.

I took it to the mechanic who checked the codes and decided to change the spark plugs, coils, oil, oil filter and the air filter for good measure.

Then on my way home, after about 10-15 minutes driving, the same problem occurred and the engine light was soon back on, so I took it back the next day.

The mechanic checked again and this time said the front lambda sensor was the problem. So I got it replaced, but once again, on my way home after 10-15 minutes the same problem and the light back on.

The mechanic now seems to be running out of ideas, he thinks it might be something to do with the VANOS but he is not sure.

Anyone had a similar experience or could suggest a fix? :confused:


Thanks
 
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#2 ·
Hello again, I just heard from my local mechanic, who said he had a chat with a BMW specialist and the conclusion was this:

Because the engine oil was very low, VANOS failed. He said he can try and clean them to see if it cures the issue (hopefully), otherwise replacement will be required.
And if replaced, some cars require ECU updates (to be done at BMW main dealer).

Does anyone here believe that replacing the VANOS is likely to solve my problem?

Please note, the last Error code showing (after fitting a new lambda sensor) was 283D.

Considering the car now has 44k miles and was last serviced by the previous owner (including an oil change) 8 months ago at 39k miles... would the low level of oil be something else to worry about at this stage?

Any suggestions much appreciated.
 
#4 ·
if its been run 8 months and not checked the oil levels its probably not done it any good if the mechanic found it was very low, you should check it weekly to keep it up on the high mark on the dipstick.
Not checking the oil regularly has ruined many a MINI engine.
 
#5 ·
thanks for the tip, I will certainly bear that in mind.

I have noticed this morning on my way to work, that when the idle starts playing up and eventually dies out, if I eject the key fob and reinsert it before restarting, the problem goes away for a while.

Whereas if i just restart by pressing the one touch start button (without ejecting the key fob) the erratic idling persists.

So I am guessing the engine reaching a certain temperature is not the catalyst?!...

Any advice much appreciated.
 
#7 ·
I thought the problem had gone away by itself, as it has been behaving for the past week. When i took it to the mechanic last Saturday he couldn't get hold of the correct Vanos so he did not replace them in the end, but he didn't seem convinced that this would fix the problem anyway. When I suggested it could perhaps have something to do with the timing he inspected it and at first said it looked fine, but then on closer inspection of the timing chain where it meets the solenoid, he said it would need replacing because of something to do with it not being able to create the correct oil pressure. I wasn't convinced with this explanation, but I said I would bring it back on Monday. As I had no problems over the weekend I called it off.

Now the funny thing is that the problem seems to occur only in relatively cold weather. Last week was unusually warm for this time of the year, normally above 10c. And no problems at all. Today the temparature dropped down to 3c and that's when the problem came back.

In fact the first time the problem occurred in the beginning of December was when the temperature had dropped to similar levels.

If it's caused by low temperatures then what could it be?
 
#8 ·
Hmmm. I have been looking into mine over the passed week
checking;
Oil level
Cylinder head for carbon
Idle control valve for carbon
Plugs and wiring
Plugged the computer onto it everything seems to be reading correctly apart from a lambda sensor which does not seem to be within tolerance. I have spoke to a few friends who say the coolant temperature sensor is the most common with these symptoms.
I am looking again tomorrow and will let you know if I find anything else
 
#9 ·
Yesterday I unplugged the coolant temp sensor and the bank 1 first O2 sensor and took it on a run hoping that if there was a fault with any of these sensors it would default and not cut out but this was not the case as the car still cuts out at traffic lights. I then noticed that the air inlet into the air box was loose/worn. I tapped around the pipe to tighten the seal and road tested it now runs without cutting out. Maybe a coincidence? Whilst on road test an engine warning came on storing a fault code of p0014 which points to the vanos as you mentioned earlier. I removed the solonoids finding a little bit of dirt on one of the filters cleaned and refitted but made no difference. I ran out of light but I am going to swap the solonoids and see if the fault changes to the p0015 (other side I beleive) if not I will investigate the vanos seals ect
 
#11 ·
No would be the honest answer. I swapped the two solenoids and the car started first time but was still not 100% responsive on the accelerator. Once turned off it took a few more revolutions to fire up, maybe its a solenoid fault?.
I am abit stuck atm and looking for advice/guidance.
Can anyone find a link to checking the timing? or replacing the vanos seals as I am unable to find one myself. Any help is much appreciated.
 
#12 ·
Have been to another mechanic yesterday who has quite a good reputation and specialises in German cars. He advised me that the idling problem and loss of power and emissions light are caused by low oil and/or by faulty vanos. He said the oil was 1 ltr. shy, even though I had an oil change two weeks ago and also he said that when the oil drops the vanos is often the first thing to flag up. So for now it looks like I will need to keep topping up the oil every other week and keeping my fingers crossed that the vanos is not already damaged. Otherwise will have to replace the exhaust vanos, cam cover gasket and tensioner and is going to cost me anothe £710.

He said that a lot of these engines tend to burn a lot of oil, especially if the previous owner has allowed it to run down. If this is the case then what else should i do at this stage?

Thanks for your advice.
 
#14 ·
Hi, I was wondering if you've had any luck with your minis? I am having the same issues with my 2007 cooper, local BMW specialist has swapped over and replaced a faulty vanos solenoid valve with no luck! Not sure what the next step is, feeling a little confused as I have no warning lights when the engine cuts out. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
#15 ·
Have been topping up the oil religiously (about 1/2 lt for every 200-250 miles) whilst driving to work (10 miles each way) and for the past 3 weeks it seems to have cured the vanos problem, insofar that the emission light (indicating faulty vanos w/OBCD) has not turned back on.

So if anyone is experiencing similar problems, make sure you check your oil, before paying lots of money for unnecessary parts that your mechanic will be more than happy to replace.

If anyone has any suggestions on what could be causing excessive oil consumption - I would very much appreciate it.

In my case a bit of white smoke comes out from the exhaust when idling, but nothing major.
 
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