13 replies to this topic

[shedonwheels]

I posted a while back about a few problems I had been having with my mini, thought all was fixed but the problems are now back.

Quite often when I stop at a junction and depress the clutch the revs on my car fly up to over 3000 and stay that high. The only way I can get the revs to lower down again is my raising the clutch almost to biting point. They stay high when I am in neutral.

Also, if I attempt to pull away quickly, eg at a roundabout/junction and so lift up my clutch and put my foot down on the gas quite quickly my mini hesitates and sort of stutters out. It doesn't recover unless I lift my foot up and then down on the throttle again. When this happens the mini also makes a strange noise, hard to describe but a sort of groaning.

When the revs aren't flying up really high and I am sat at idle the mini very rarely idles below about 1300 rpm.

I've had the stepper motor taken out and everything flushed through and cleaned by a local garage. This didn't change a thing. Someone has also had a quick look at the throttle cable to check it isn't getting stuck and they seem to think it's fine.

Took it to be diagnosed and faults were found with coolant temp and also air temp sensors. These were both replaced and the car ran great for all of two days until the above problems came back again. Took it back to be re-diagnosed and no faults were found? yet after being on the diag machine it drove perfectly for a day then the problems came back. (as they did when just the fault codes were cleared on the original test).

This leads me to believe I still have an issue with a sensor.

Can anyone help? I am getting fed up because currently driving through town every day is extremely hard work, I am having to use my clutch at the very last minute when stopping, hold my car at biting point when sat in a queue (I can hardly ever just sit in neutral due to the high revs) and nurse my car away from junctions.

edit:forgot to say its an mpi, low miles but was sat around for last two years. Have changed spark plugs since had it but thats it. Due for service this month.

Edited by shedonwheels, 15 January 2009 - 08:47 PM.

[Sprocket]

Dont take me the wrong way, but it sounds like the garage you used doesnt know what they are doing with these modern fuel injection systems even with the tools for the job!

The diagnostic unit is not the be all and end all of the problem, its not the magic wonder tool that will tell you what the problem is. It is simply another tool used to help diagnose the fault, that diagnosis is down to the human who is using the tools.




Edit: After all that I realised its an MPi

MPi is real tricky as some can vouch for. Ha sthe cam sensor been replaced?

Edited by Sprocket, 15 January 2009 - 09:51 PM.

[shedonwheels]

Not had the cam sensor changed. Just the air temp sensor and the coolant temp sensor.

to be honest the first garage I took it to to be diagnosed at were very pleasant but a bit useless. It was the first time they'd plugged in to a mini, then once the fault codes were found they couldn't even find the sensors, not even after referring to my Haynes Manual! I'm afraid I'm not very clear on how the diagnostic machines work but it seemed that once they cleared the fault codes whilst plugged into my ecu the car ran fine again. So I went ahead and replaced the two sensors that had showed faults.

Another point is that this garage ran an emissions test on my car whilst it was plugged in, the emissions were very bad but mid-way through the test the diagnostic man pressed the button to clear the codes and then my emissions were very good. So I am not sure what bad emissions is a sign of? Maybe an air leak somewhere? wouldnt have thought air temp or coolant temp would effect emissions that much?

The second garage I took the mini to was actually 'Rover'(now Renault), I assumed they would have the proper diagnostic kit. I drove down to them in a very high revving rough mini and they took the car out into the service area(out of my sight) did the test and then told me no faults were present. I then drove home in a perfect smooth mini with no problems? I am suspicious!

Baring in mind I didn't pay for either of these diagnostic tests do you think it would be worth me trying to find someone who actually knows what they are doing and getting another diagnosis?!

[Sprocket]

Find a Network 500 agent near you. The one near me quote £50 to look at it and diagnose the problem. If you left the car with them for the repair, they would refund the diagnostic fee and gaurantee the repair at their quoted price for said repair. If it still not right, they would fix it for no extra charge.

I wish more garages were like that!!

This sounds like an intermitant fault, that causes the ECU to adapt around the fault best it can. the fault disapears, then the ECU is reset, adaptive parameters are reset and the engine will run fine untill the problem re apears.

The MPi's for some reason have problems with the looms. the common joints in the loom for several wires tend to suffer corrosion or breakages. Seeing as the air and coolant temp sensors seam to be flagging up a fault, but infact are not faulty, I would maybe investigate the sensor ground wires - Pink/ Black wires. there is a common point buried deep in the loom. Have a search there are others that had loom faults.

Either way, its going to take some one who knows what they are doing or to persist with the tools they have to get to the bottom of the problem. Simply resetting the faults and giving you the car back saying there is nothing wrong with the car is not what you are looking for.

Remember that the earliest of these cars are now 12 years old and the latest 8 years old. They are not new cars, and if the government had their way would all be on the scrap heap as their life span has expired. cars are only ever built to last 10 years. you are now experiencing the life expectancy of the car unfortunately.

[cooperdan]

i had a few similar issues with my spi and found a small black vacum pipe that goes to the ecu was hanging out...stuck it back in happy days mini is running sweeeet

[shedonwheels]

Either way, its going to take some one who knows what they are doing or to persist with the tools they have to get to the bottom of the problem. Simply resetting the faults and giving you the car back saying there is nothing wrong with the car is not what you are looking for.

Remember that the earliest of these cars are now 12 years old and the latest 8 years old. They are not new cars, and if the government had their way would all be on the scrap heap as their life span has expired. cars are only ever built to last 10 years. you are now experiencing the life expectancy of the car unfortunately.

I may have possibly managed to find a decent garage but I will look up a network 500 agent if this doesn't work out. Thankyou!
Also, I am starting to wish I had bought an older non injection mini with less electrical shenanigans to deal with. I understand your point about the my mini's age beginning to show (it will be 10yrs old in nov) and agree totally. I am just a little peeved because I gave up a fairly old but reliable and hasslefree pug 205 and bought myself an mpi in order to 'upgrade' a little. I guess minis will be minis.

i had a few similar issues with my spi and found a small black vacum pipe that goes to the ecu was hanging out...stuck it back in happy days mini is running sweeeet

thankyou for the heads up I'll get a friend (fella's dad who is a retired mechanic) to check this out for me asap. Or may have a look tomorrow myself with the help of my Haynes bible to locate it.

[shedonwheels]

Just a little update on this-

We finally got the mini plugged into a diag. machine at a decent garage yesterday. They found no electrical faults but diagnosed the problem as a sticking throttle body valve flap thing (sorry-not much of an engine brain me!). My boyfriend's dad took the min for a blast up the road with no airbox on (loud!) and as soon as the revs stuck he pulled over and pressed in the flap in the middle of the throttle body and the revs went straight back down again.

So today my throttle body was taken apart and all the bits sorted and cleaned. Problem solved!! Car is lovely to drive again, I'd forgotten what it was like to drive before it had this problem!

May need a new throttle body in the near future but for the time being I am happy as can be and enjoying driving my mini again after having such a horrible few months with it!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions

[Bean]

Hi, Amy!
Just a quick question - Sorry it's not really related... I was just wondering which garage you took your Mini to?

[shedonwheels]

Hi, Amy!
Just a quick question - Sorry it's not really related... I was just wondering which garage you took your Mini to?

Hey bean!

For the one with the machine who diagnosed everything I'm not sure how you spell it but I think its something like Denver Hall?! i can find out for you though

Then the garage who cleaned the throttle body was Saffrons Cross which is Ed's dad's (Mick Wells). Thats at Bodenham and I think 'Denver Hall' is near there!

hope everythings all right? x

[sirweste]

The sticking throttle bodie is a common problem. The hot air from the exhaust deforms the shape of it and it fails to operate correctly. Rover used the same item on other cars and it was replaced by a metal version because of the problems - the mini was never lucky/important enough to recieve this improved metal one! If you do replace it, the recommended item is made by Burlem, and is cheapest direct

[nicksuth]

I recently bought a replacement alloy throttle body and found they were cheaper from Minispares/Minisport than direct from Bureln/SU and if you're a TMF member you get the extra 7.5% discount from Minispares. Bought mine from Minisport as Minispares were out of stock!!!

[shedonwheels]

I recently bought a replacement alloy throttle body and found they were cheaper from Minispares/Minisport than direct from Bureln/SU and if you're a TMF member you get the extra 7.5% discount from Minispares. Bought mine from Minisport as Minispares were out of stock!!!

Will remember that thanks! i think older non rover minis had metal ones didn't they? and then rover used plastic

[Bean]

Hi, Amy!
Just a quick question - Sorry it's not really related... I was just wondering which garage you took your Mini to?

Hey bean!

For the one with the machine who diagnosed everything I'm not sure how you spell it but I think its something like Denver Hall?! i can find out for you though

Then the garage who cleaned the throttle body was Saffrons Cross which is Ed's dad's (Mick Wells). Thats at Bodenham and I think 'Denver Hall' is near there!

hope everythings all right? x

Woah! I thought Saffron's closed down! Oh well!
Everything's well thanks - Thanks for the info! It's just nice to know if there's a local mini-friendly garage anywhere, lol.

There's also a place down (Oh god, I've forgotten the name of the trading estate......) but in between Pizza Hut and the little tiny bridge!! Down Perseverance Road? Hereford MOT Centre? That used to be the Mini and Metro centre. Same people, different name - I've never taken my mini there, but I've popped in and asked for advice and they seem very friendly!

[smorg]

sounds like it could be the exhaust sensor aswell