Mini Clubman petrol engine 2018 - possible malfunction of the exhaust aftertreatment?

Hello, I can understand your annoyance. I had a similar problem with my 2015 Mini Cooper a few years ago. Black smoke when accelerating, strong exhaust smell, thought it was serious at first. But it wasn't that serious. Frankly, it sounds like a faulty catalytic converter to me, which would be the same thing I had on my Mini. That can cause the check engine light to come on and your car to lose power. An exhaust leak could also cause you to notice more exhaust smell. I ended up having to go to a garage and have a new particulate filter fitted, but it wasn't serious and was done pretty quickly. So no need to worry, it shouldn't be too complicated to fix. Hope that helps you a bit. Regards

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Hey, thanks for the answer! That story about the defective particulate filter makes sense. Holy moly, modern car technology can really make you despair. I'm glad to hear that it was solved quickly for you. Do you remember roughly how much you had to pay for it? Did anything come up again after the repair or was that it? Best regards!

(Translated from German)

Hey, I had a similar situation with my old Ford, where the catalytic converter broke down due to ageing. So I can really empathize with you. After I went to the garage, the problem with the malfunctioning exhaust aftertreatment system was fixed - so it didn't tick anymore. It wasn't exactly a bargain in terms of cost, I had to fork out around €1240 to replace the catalytic converter. But hey, since then the car has been like new and I haven't had any more problems. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it works out the same for you! Best regards!

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Hello everyone, your problem with the malfunction of the exhaust aftertreatment made me think of my old VW. I had similar symptoms at just 25000 km. Black smoke, loss of power and the constant feeling that something was wrong. I finally went to the garage and they replaced the catalytic converter. It cost me around €800, but everything was fine again afterwards. As far as I know, mileage can have a big influence on the condition of the exhaust aftertreatment system. After a certain number of kilometers, the performance decreases. It seems that your Mini already has a few kilometers on the clock and it could be that you are having the same problems as me. I would definitely have a look at the catalytic converter. Hopefully that will help you and you'll come out cheaper than me. Good luck and keep us up to date! Regards

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Hey guys, thanks for all your answers and experiences you've shared here. Your input really helped me, so I ended up going to the garage to have the Mini checked. You guys were actually right, the catalytic converter was faulty. The cost was around €850, which wasn't super cheap but definitely better than expected. The good news is, the black smoke and unusual smell are gone after the repair! It seems like they also fixed the exhaust leak, the engine runs much smoother now and I haven't noticed any loss of power. To be honest, everything went faster and smoother than I had feared. The people at the garage were really knowledgeable and helpful, and my Mini is now running like new again! No more indicator lights and the power is back. Let's hope it stays that way. Your tips and experience were really worth their weight in gold and I can only advise anyone with similar symptoms to check the particulate filter straight away. With this in mind, thank you again and have a safe journey at all times! Best regards!

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