14 replies to this topic

[minimissions]

Hi i have 94 mini cooper and this problem has been geting worst as time goes on, basically it jumps, kagaeroos down the road then will drive ok and then goes all flat that bk round in a circle its all over the place. I have been told vacum hoses, but i cant see how that would make it use £15 of fuel in a 30miles trip its a jokes to be honest. Someone please just have the anwser. I hate people telling me all sorts and not geting to the point its my daily driver and just want the answer so i can order some parts if needed etc

Sorry for a moan!
But could really do with some help here and i the car is doing my head in

[benb12]

Third time you have posted this problem. I'm afraid noone "just has the answer", as is the way with these faults it is a process of elimination. So, did you check the vacuum pipes, are the elbows split? Does the exhaust leak at all?

[PaulF]

this thread sprocket made is very helpful http://www.theminifo...showtopic=20533 read it and see if you can work it out

[minisilverbullet]

Writing frankly your tone is not becoming of someone seeking help and advice! And to demand an answer, the way you have may deter some from posting. This being said, it is obvious that you at the end of your tether with this!

As i recall I told you to check the vacumm pipes; I am sorry if this caused you so much angst! It is a very easy check and should take less than five minutes, A broken, cracked or missing vacuum pipe can play havoc on the SPI, so I thought best to eliminate such a simple check!!!

In this post, so you can get your answer. I would recommend stating all the symptoms with the car. in your previous posts they have ranged from:
- Oil spitting form the exhaust
- Sticking throttle
- Broken temp gauge
- "jumping around all over"
- Burning lots of oil

To get to the bottom of this, we need to know everything and opening 4/5 threads doesn't help. I see that Sprocket and Rocketengineer (who seem to know the most about the SPI) have had a pop in your other threads, but you haven't responded to them.

My advice - would be to get the car to a mini garage or mini friendly garage who has the correct diagnostic / code reading kit! They will be able to help you out in no time at all.

[LukeMoss]

I had the exact same problem on my SPI and it also used loads of fuel like quarter of a tank over a 2 mile journey, turned out to be a broken vacuum pipe coming from a little black box behind the air filter (anyone else know what its technical name is?), sorry but i cant think of the name of it to save my life :/ 2 pipes coming off it though, its not a matter of how could a tiny thing cause so much fuelling but the truth of it is that it can be the simplest of things which cause the biggest problems, thats what i find anyway

[Knuckles]

I had the exact same problem on my SPI and it also used loads of fuel like quarter of a tank over a 2 mile journey, turned out to be a broken vacuum pipe coming from a little black box behind the air filter (anyone else know what its technical name is?), sorry but i cant think of the name of it to save my life :/ 2 pipes coming off it though, its not a matter of how could a tiny thing cause so much fuelling but the truth of it is that it can be the simplest of things which cause the biggest problems, thats what i find anyway

the little black box is called a fuel trap or known also as the maf sensor for the ecu.
I got a new one from mini spares for about £3.50 genuine rover part too.
My fuel consumption was very rich like you are expierancing. I simply took the k&n induction kit off and reffited the original airbox with new vac pipes to the inlet and a new fuel trap.

a new fuel filter always helps any fuel consumption issues.

[LukeMoss]

Thank you veryy much that's the name I couldn't remember so yeah check that

[icklemini]

"I have been told vacum hoses, but i cant see how that would make it use £15 of fuel in a 30miles trip its a jokes to be honest. "

'because with the vacuum hoses split (MAP pipes), the ECU is receiving the signal that there is no vacuum in the inlet manifold and fuels accordingly - ie mega rich as the only time you should get close to atmospheric pressure in the inlet is when the throttle is wide open!

Can also be the engine coolant temperature sensor, or the water pipes around it. - is the temperature gauge reading right in the middle of the gauge?

"Someone please just have the anwser."

Yeah will tell you exactly what it is from here... just tell me the next winning lottery ticket numbers first lol.
Seriously there are a number of known problems, and that is all you will get here.

"I hate people telling me all sorts and not geting to the point its my daily driver and just want the answer so i can order some parts if needed"

Well may i suggest you take your car to be diagnosed by a professional?

Edited by icklemini, 28 December 2010 - 07:32 PM.

[icklemini]

the little black box is called a fuel trap or known also as the maf sensor for the ecu.

Yep the little black box is a fuel trap to stop anything nasty finding its way to the MAP sensor which is in the ECU itself
the little black box is not a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow), or the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor.
by the way no Spi or mpi was fitted with a MAF sensor...

[Knuckles]

Yep the little black box is a fuel trap to stop anything nasty finding its way to the MAP sensor which is in the ECU itself
the little black box is not a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow), or the MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) sensor.
by the way no Spi or mpi was fitted with a MAF sensor...

it was a mistake me calling it a maf sensor - i meant map sensor.

in the haynes manual on page 4B.7 at bottom right its reads

13.36 removing the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor fuel trap

so its name is the map sensor fuel trap.

[RayBoogs]

The best bet in your case, if you don't like people just suggesting things over the internet, as thats all we can do as we can see or hear the car, I would get it to your nearest mini friendly garage with a SPi code reader and get it sorted, as this will be the only way to get it sorted quick!

Failing that, you are going to have to have to do it by process of elimination, starting with vacuum pipes, and working your way through all the sensors, the main ones for an SPi running rich being the coolant temp sensor, throttle position sensor and the MAP sensor.

[icklemini]

so its name is the map sensor fuel trap.

Yes, thats correct.. thats what i said

where you stated

the little black box is called a fuel trap or known also as the maf sensor for the ecu.

you make it sound that the little box is the MAP sensor... it isnt

[Knuckles]

you make it sound that the little box is the MAP sensor... it isnt

my bad

got there in the end

[minimissions]

Ok before i even got the chance to look at the vacum pipes the car has now broke down. and was recovered home the other night. The car will now start, run for 10 second very lumpy then splutter to a stop and has trouble starting again. Would that still be vacum pipes or does that sound more serious, the bloke that collected the car said it might be the injection.????

[benb12]

Please just check the vaccuum pipes and tell us what you found! I suggested this in your other thread about 2 months ago. It's not hard to check. Noone can tell you what the problem is until you've narrowed it down.