I have just gotten my 02 MCS back from the dealer after having the entire wiring harness replaced due to a long term problem with the power steering. Today I start to run it through the gears pretty hard and after I have redlined in 1st when I get to 5000rpm (exactly) the engine cuts out, service enging light, asc, and eml lights come on. the engine is barely running, just limping along. Cut the engine off and it starts fine but the process repeats.


The dealer, which is 150 miles away for me, says it might be a supercharger wastegate problem and have it towed in. If it is a problem from the wiring harness they will pay but if not I get the bill as I have 50,600 miles.

Tonight I have fiddled with the car and if I take off the air cleaner box and start the engine the Sevice engine light will go off but as soon as I go to 5k in second bingo same thing.

Anybody else had this problem and if so, How much did it cost?

 

Mods? Sounds much more like an overboost (higher RPM, consistant code PM). Go to autozone and see what codes you're throwing then we'll know a lot more.

BTW: Be sure to remind your dealer that there is no "wastegate" on a MINI there is a bypass valve but still that would reduce not kill power (basicly makes it a heavy Cooper)

 

no mods other that cold air intake, which i took off tonight just to see.

Autozone?, they have a fault reader that will work? I was going to buy one from BMP or somebody.

 

????????supercharger wastegate????

 

Anything OBDII will get SES light codes. Autozone will read for free, I bought a unit that reads codes just fine, from Autozone; but I'm starting to get to the point where I want to do more logging and possible manipulation. However I digeress OBDII works.

Yes S/C wastegate: That SA is quite glad he wasn't on the phone with me.

 

LOTS of us have had this and it most assuredly is the supercharger bypass valve (only turbos have waste gates). They know this and clearly it has been bad longer than the last 600 miles. Ask to speak to your regional rep as this is a common problem that I believe is so common that they should check our cars for it when it comes in for service. Most people don't push it that hard but the fact is that it is stuck open and although you may be getting a bit better gas mileage, you are not getting the benefit of the supercharger.

Again, this is so common a problem they shouldn't give you a problem with only 600 miles over the warranty and especially since they recently finished fixing it. It is definetely not a wiring problem and if you can't get anywhere with them it will be MUCH cheaper to have it replaced elsewhere.

Rich

 

Thanks for all the input. First, I was talking to the service rep while I wastrying to limp the car back home and he may have said bypass not wastegate, I have alot of buddies with turbo porsche's and "wastegate" is said all the time so that might have been what my brain heard but not what was said.

I will get the codes read today and go from there. Thanks for all the help, this forum is like having a friend who is a mini mechanic!! I will update when I find the problem.

 

Replacing the bypass valve yourself isn't that difficult either and you can buy one with a stiffer spring from Detroit Tuned.

 

ok, the fault code is P1688 which for my car built in 7/02 is a throttle response code. Dild I mention that when I took the air filter off it would clear the ses light? After checking the code I drove the car at high revs and got the ses to come back and verified the P1688 again. We cleared the code with the machine but now the car drives like the throttle has a mind of it's own. Throttle is eratic, going from 600 to 2000 at idle, flucuates at speed, and the brakes are effected.

Does this sound like a vacuum problem? I am more than willing to order the bypass but do you think that would cause all this? Remember I just had a wiring harness replaced. I am going to take it apart tonight and check all the connections.

 

Yes, quite a good choice considering the age of your car (and mine).
I did this mod and have really liked it.

Paul

 

Ok, we have another reason for this behavior and a fault code of p1688. I went ahead and ordered the Detroit Tuner Bypass valve after reading 8 pages of another thread. I began to take off the old bypass valve and discovered that the torx screws that hold boot/gasket/whatever on one side of the intercooler were loose. Realigned the boot and tightened and back t full boost the ses light cleared itself. I knew it was too coincedental for this to appear just after the dealer had been all in the engine. I think I am glad that I am no longer in warrenty, those hacks will no longer being messing with my stuff. Time before last they left three bolts off the intercooler cover assembley!

I will go ahead and install the DEtroit tuner bypass as it apears to be a good upgrade anyway. Thanks for all the help!!

 

Glad its all sorted out. Interestingly enough this is the second time that I've heard of a dealer having a massive screw up within the last week.

 

I went to test a '03 MCS with my son today.
During the test diive it threw a code. It is showing a CES code and I just happened to have my reader with me...
P1688.

It wasn't showingas we started the test, and the first time we reved the car at about 4500 rpm it stumbled and went into slow / maybe limp mode and the Power Stering also stopped working.
I reset the code and after a bit (we were ready to leave) the car not only seemed to start OK but the PS was also again working.

So we took another test drive and again at 4500 rpm it stumbled and again had a code of P1688
AND again the PS didn't work

Aa many have done I changed my bypass valve when I had a 1688 code and all was good... and it looks like almost ALL others with that code have been fixed with a new valve or even fixing IC BOOT issues.

Does limp mode shut off the PS ???

If so this may still be an option to buy with a known fix.

Any input greatly apreciated.

 

Does anyone have pics of the setup? Just wondering

 

What do you want a pic of ?

I have pics of a BAD valve

 

Here as a pic of the BAD valve I took off my car.

This was CLOSED position.