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JohannesWag

Mini check engine light, loss of power, engine jerks and the check engine light is on

Shaking while idling

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Check engine light on

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Unsteady engine

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Loss of engine power

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Car won't start

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Black smoke from exhaust on acceleration

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Stalling while idling

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Poor fuel economy

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Jerking on acceleration

Hey everyone, my 2015 Mini Cooper (petrol engine, 217654 km) has recently started to give me problems. The following symptoms have occurred: - Black smoke from the exhaust when accelerating - Check engine light comes on - Loss of power - Smooth engine running - Jerking when accelerating - Car won't start - High fuel consumption - Engine dies when idling - Shaking when idling My guess: Ignition coil defective or misfiring. Recently had a bad experience at a garage and am now a bit skeptical. Has anyone had similar problems? What was your experience of diagnosing and repairing such symptoms? Thanks for your help!

(Translated from German)

4 comment(s)


TommyLang

Hey, had similar problems with my 2018 Mini Clubman. In my case, the engine control unit was actually defective. The symptoms were almost identical: black smoke, check engine light, loss of power, jerky engine running and high fuel consumption. The engine control unit was read out in the workshop and many error codes were discovered. It turned out that the electronics had partially failed, causing various sensors and actuators to receive incorrect signals. In the end, the control unit was replaced. This was a serious problem, as the control unit is the "brain" of the engine. If you have similar symptoms, I would have the engine control unit checked if I were you. A competent workshop should be able to determine this quickly. Good luck!

(Translated from German)

JohannesWag (Author)

Hey, thanks for your tip! The engine control unit sounds pretty serious. Do you happen to remember how much the repair cost you? And has anything else happened since then or is your Mini now running smoothly again? Thanks again and best regards!

(Translated from German)

TommyLang

Hey, sure, I can tell you! So, after I went to the garage, they actually found that the ignition coil was defective and there were misfires. That was then all fixed. However, the biggest chunk was really the engine control unit. That cost me almost exactly €1000. Since then, my Mini has been running like a champ again and I've had no further problems. Hope this helps you! Good luck and best wishes!

(Translated from German)

JohannesWag (Author)

Hey everyone, thanks for the quick replies! After reading your comments, I decided to go to the mechanic, even though I was a bit skeptical. So, off to my trusted garage. Once there, I described the symptoms to the mechanic and he first read out the engine control unit. Lo and behold, there were various error codes. It turned out that there were actually several problems: the ignition coil was broken and the engine control unit was also faulty. The mechanic replaced both and recalibrated some sensors. All in all, it cost me just under 1100€. Now my Mini is running like clockwork again and my worries are gone for the time being. I hope it stays that way! Thanks again for your tips and experience! Best regards!

(Translated from German)

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