This AM the idle dropped, almost stalling the car, when i engaged the clutch after backing out of my driveway. This was the morning after the CD31 fix :evil:

 

I have the same problem. Mine only happens when the AC is on it scoldest settign and running on high. This would not effect most the teh country right now, but it is still 90 here is S. Florida!

 

>This AM the idle dropped, almost stalling the car, when i engaged the clutch
>after backing out of my driveway. This was the morning after the CD31 fix


"when i engaged the clutch " - you are giving it gas, yes? before you're engaging the clutch, yes?

I'm at 500 miles and I have had no issues. But maybe I expect different things. On a powerful V8 I expect to ease off the clutch in an uphill situation without having to touch the gas and not have the car stall. WIth this little 4 cyl. I fully expect to give it some gas before to get to 1.5k to 2k and then feather in the clutch - then mash throttle. :smile:

So, maybe I would experience the same 'issue' that you do and maybe I wouldn't.

What are your expectations and actual experience?

-Dave

 

I back out of the driveway on to the street. I let off the accelerator, and step on the brake as I engage the clutch to put the car in 1st. The engine sputters. I step on the accelerator to revive the engine. I get the rpms up to an appropriate level (1500 or so) as i let off the clutch to begin driving.

 

Now correct me if I am wrong, As i understand what you are saying is the idle in Neutral is to low and the MINI wants to stall? Tell dealer to increase idle rpms.

 

Yes, it drops when in neutral.

 

Mine did the same thing the first day after the fix was applied - I thought it hadn't done anything. It hasn't done it since then though. I've read that the software is adaptive, so wait a few tries/days to see if it gets better.
Mine really did! I'm very happy with it now. It is much smoother all around and feels stronger.

Lee

 

I agree that it appears the software is adaptive. In more ways than one, also.

My MC had this exact problem, sometime when I came to a stop & was taking it out of gear, the RPMs would drop a little too low..and the engine would stumble a little and come close to stalling before smoothing out..

I had the software upgraded to CD31 on monday, and on the drive home I was running the AC on high, and it did the same darn thing.. but since then it DOES seem to be idling a little better, and I hope over the next week it will gradually improve more as the new software adjusts.

A few FYIs :

-- this is a complete software re-load, :, not just a patch upgrade or fix!!! If you got your ECU tweaked, don't do this!

-- the service dept CANNOT just "increase" the idle .. it is all computer-driven.

-- general performance/acceleration seemed to DECREASE slightly (comparable to when my MC was brand new, < 100 mi on the odo), since I got the CD31 upgrade (at 2400 mi). I have put on about 100 mi since, and it seems to be improving back to normal (like post-break-in). Adapting, I sincerely hope! I was a little worried at first after I picked it up, because I HAD noticed an improvement in mid-range acceleration when I added the Rogue Engineering exhaust. If the new software compensated for my RE exhaust to negate any improvement, I would be seriously irritated!!

I think what is really happening is that the original software had adapted to my driving/acceleration habits and modifications, and the "reload" basically reset it back to factory default i.e. "blank slate" settings... and now it has to RE-Adapt.

 

Just how many days did it take for the software to "adapt"? Day two and the problem still exists. If it does not get sorted out by next week, I am going back to the dealer.

 

good question... I think the 'Adapting' is a gradual thing.

after three days. I still notice that the RPMs drop a little low on a few occasions,
and I haven't yet been in extreme stop-and-go traffic since the CD31 install.

Other people have reported that the CD31 upgrade did fix the issue for their MINIs, so I am going to give it a little more time.

 

My car is running a bit better overall, but will really know in the summer. Can't wait til they make a cooper with a real 100 % bmw originated engine..... :smile:

 

>>My car is running a bit better overall, but will really know in the summer. Can't wait til they make a cooper with a real 100 % bmw originated engine..... :smile:

...and raise the price by 8 or 10 large!?!

 

>>Just how many days did it take for the software to "adapt"? Day two and the problem still exists. If it does not get sorted out by next week, I am going back to the dealer.

(((for some additional information, please see the thread "anyone else having problems with the 3.1 update. I had the update 3 days and about 300 miles ago-- the car was a joy to drive before the update. There was a little low RPM on return to idle, but this was minor. The car was quick, responsive, took off over 4000rpm, and got over 30mpg since day one. Since the 'fix' I'm getting 23mpg!!!, the car is a little smoother, but lackluster, sluggish. I have to leadfoot to get going-- and the idle still dips low when I come to a stop. Also the engine sounds a little louder at idle--kinda like when the timing is too retarded (in the old days). I'm sorry I ever had this stupid fix done!! Also why is there so much variability in performance across minis?? I think our dealers and MINI need to come up with some answers. The service manager at MINI in Columbus is out ill for several days, and he is the person who could get something done on this. I spoke with the substitute who knew little about the MINI, and then spoke with the tech, who told me to wait a week for it to adjust, and to call MINI. I called MINI and they said my complaint about the 3.1 was the first, and they would sent it 'to corporate.'
After driving today, that's not good enough. Something is wrong, and I'm gonna start fussing until I get some answers and someone to take a fresh look at my MC. If this is the way it's gonna run-- I won't keep it for long-- now, it runs like any other car-- if I wanted this, I could bought a corrola....
grrrrr!!!
Steve--- 'lookin for da mahn; I need a fix bad-- what I got was a bad fix!!'

 

My car seems to be adapting as well. Say I started with a 40 degree cold start in the morning, it sputtered some. Next time I do that, its fine. Drop to 35 degrees and it does it again. I guess I'll just have to go down the spectrum of Ohio Winter temperatures. You shouldn't be worried. Just give it some gas and feather the clutch if its bothering you too much, once you go about 1/4 mile it should be all cleared up.

 

My Cooper CVT is going in tomorrow morning to receive the DME engine software update. I have never had any "Cold Start" issues but I do have two "mild" issues that I am hoping will be resolved once the update gets installed:

* Car threatens to quit (Near Stall) during the first 1 to 3 minutes of driving when the engine is cold (Car has either being parked overnight or for more than 3 or 4 hours at work) and while it is warming up to normal operating engine temperature. The engine RPM's idle suddenly drops to about 500 and then it quickly recovers. There are no dashboard warning lights or anything it just happens. The near stall happens regardless of having the A/C on or off. This is pretty annoying but once the engine warms up the car drives fine the rest of the time.

* Engine idle speed feels a bit rough.

Car has just about 1,270 miles ( We just ended the 1,250 mile break in period yesterday).

Does anyone here own a Cooper CVT with similar issues and has had success solving these after the CD#31 update???

BTW, our MINI was built during the first week of August 2002 and it appears that it doesn't have CD#31 installed from factory.

 

I have the exact same problem on my CVT, but am not familiar with these "updates" being tossed about. It always chugs at the first stop sign after a night in the garage, and stalled completely once.

Should I be toting it in to the dealer for something? I figured I just wasn't letting it warm up enough (it is getting colder these days--my "below 37 degrees" alarm actually alarmed me the first time it went off. No mention of this feature in the owner's manual; I had to e-mail MINI to hear about it).

Any tips are appreciated. How are we supposed to know there are software updates and how to get them? Do they contact you? No such stuff on a Corolla!

 

>>>>My car is running a bit better overall, but will really know in the summer. Can't wait til they make a cooper with a real 100 % bmw originated engine..... :smile:
>>
>>...and raise the price by 8 or 10 large!?!