Hi,
I have a 2008 Mini Cooper S. Three weeks ago the engine light came on. It was the code for cylinder 3 misfire. The dealership said it was bad gas. They tested it and said it had 15% ethanol in it. Last Thursday the light came on again. The service advisor told me it may be the gas again. She said they will "start from scratch" and let me know. I have been using gas from a top tier station so I am not convinced it is the gas. Does anyone have any ideas of what i should ask them or what the problem could be?
Thanks,
April

 

Maybe I heard incorrectly, but I thought that I heard an episode of White Roof Radio in which they talked about some common problems. And I THOUGHT that they mentioned the fact that corrosion can build up in the distributor cap at the cylinder 3 position, more so than for the other cylinders. It might be because the number 3 cylinder position on the distributor cap is at the rear where there may be more water thrown from the road, or some such thing. I'm no mechanic, but it is at least worth looking in to. Clean where the plug wire connects to the cap. Again, just a thought.

 

On gen1 cars the #3 connector on the ignation coil does corrode faster...ethonal actually has a higher octane rating than gas, but a lower btu/energy content. Since it is under warrenty, let the dealer trouble shoot it, and continue to use good preminum gas.

 

Thank you all for the info. I will keep this in mind.

 

I thought by law no gas sold in the US can exceed 10% ethanol content? I know it's law that it has to be posted at the pump, in clear lettering, and Ive never seen it over 10%.

April dont let the dealer stonewall U into guilt playing Jedi mind games, making U think it was your fault. some've tried to pull this nonsense with the high pressure fuel pump failures that bites 2G S's and Justas. That's why I save all my gas rec., all top tier, but then my dealer's not a horse's **** like some are. JB

 

Unless a cosolvent is used to keep the ethonol in solution, it can, and does seperate. Gas stations, due to the tax credits, and price of ethonal have an incentive to " overblend ". Gas should not have more than 10% ethonal...but like I said...there are some incentives to try to blend in a bit more....and it can seperate out since most locations don't use a cosolvent to keep the ethonl in solution.
Just because the sign is top tier does not mean the owner is 100% legit!!

 

...what's a distributor cap? Is that next to the carburetor?

 

 

The OP has a R56 so no distributor cap only 4 coils. It's an MCS so it could be the notorious HPFP or carbon buildup from the lousy PCV design which dumps most of the oil vapor/sludge on cylinders 3 & 4. Bad gas my @ss

 

That was for 1st generation...

 

I bet this is yet another carbon buildup problem like Oxy said. God bless Seafoam.

Drive in the city mostly? Don't get to let your MINI tear up the road wide open throttle a lot?

 

I have a 2008 Mini Cooper S and had a misfire issue a while back. Turn out to be a bad spark plug wire (#4 cyl) that was arcing.

Hoopty

 

I have a misfire also but mine is a bit weird if my car is parked there is misfire but while I'm driving a weird sound like clicking appears.

I took it to the dealer they changed the hpfp but it did not solve the problem and And now the changing the coils.

What do you think?

 

If the dealer says bad gas again, Google MINI Cooper, Brazil. Then ask the dealer how BMW can sell MINI's in Brazil were the minimum ethanol content is 25%.