7 replies to this topic

[Dan6061]

Having problems with the Mini. Basically, the battery kept cutting out when I was driving, usually when I stop at junctions is it's favourite time to die! After a jump start, it's ok.
It did it on my way home earlier, dropped down the gears to the T junction, get to 1st to have a look to go, and it just died. Then when I try to start it it's just 'wurwur.... wurwur... wurr wur...' nothing. But then I left it a minute, tried again, and it fired up!?

I charged the battery up last night, put it in this morning and it fired up. Although the battery light on the dash did come on. New battery time?

Also, it's running very rough, when it finally fired up earlier the exhaust was kicking out a fair bit of white smoke, and it didn't sound right? When I revved it, it was very slow, and finally picked up.
When I pulled away earlier, I had my foot down in 1st, and it was hardly moving!? Makes a strange 'pommpommpomm' noise when I'm driving, not a clue what that could be.

It's a 1275Spi, though I'd keep it in this section incase it's not the injection system causing the problems...

[Ethel]

White smoke sounds like a headgasket. Have you checked the radiator level? Your charge light coming on means the alternator is producing less volts than the battery (or more, unlikely by the sounds of it).

[mini_matt_106]

sounds classic head gassket failure to me! compression test if you feel the need, or just do th change! lol chech the batery earth strap is all clean and nice and tight too as i cudnt start mine the other night due to this but yes head gassket!!

[Dan6061]

Head gasket was changed a while back, along with the thermostat. Although the old head gasket was fine anyway! When the thermostat died, it started chucking out a lot of smoke, and the car died. Then we took the head and gasket off, had a good look at it, and it was all fine, then decided to put the new one on anyway after a good clean etc. Then changed the thermostat and it was fine after that.

[dklawson]

Your head gasket may have looked fine when you replaced it, but did you check the head for flatness while you had it off?

[mini_matt_106]

reali does sound like what my car was like when head gassket went, had to give it full beans at traffic light just to keep it running, then pulling offwas a nightmare! HG had gone between 3&4 but people came up with lots of ideas to what it could be, points and condensor being the main thing blamed!
does sound like an odd problem though, wheres dan????? he'll know!

[daemonchild]

Also, it's running very rough, when it finally fired up earlier the exhaust was kicking out a fair bit of white smoke,

Smoke or steam?

Incidentally, have you got a good set of earth straps?

[Dan6061]

That's a point... the smoke wasn't thick, and it was pretty cold out, but there was a fair bit coming out the exhaust.
Don't think we checked if the head was flat or not...

EDIT: Also, it wasn't smoking when I was driving home, only after it cut out, and fired up again, it chucked out some smoke and sounded rough, then once I got moving it looked fine.

EDIT2: Just had a read about through the problems pages, and I'm prettry sure it's only running 3 cylinders, and it's popping back through the air filter?
How can I check that the spark plugs are good? I did change them a few months back, and how do I check the HT leads are ok too?

Thanks!

Edited by Dan6061, 07 April 2009 - 10:31 AM.