100% Free

No Scanner Needed

Carly logo

alexanderjohnson29

Mini Cooper ECU Issues

Alright, I'm pulling my hair out here. My 2009 Mini Cooper is throwing a tantrum. Reduced engine power, and the error memory is screaming about a defective engine control unit. I've been digging around, and I'm suspecting the main relay is to blame. Anyone else run into this sort of automotive electronics gremlin before? Any tips before I start tearing into the ECU repair?

4 comment(s)

friedhelmknight1

Sounds familiar. I had a similar issue with my old Opel, though the symptoms were slightly different. Turned out to be a dodgy crankshaft position sensor messing with the computer module. Did you check the basics like battery voltage and grounds before diving into the ECU?

alexanderjohnson29 (Author)

Yeah, even with a specific ECU error, a bad ground can cause all sorts of weirdness in vehicle electronics. But if you're getting a consistent ECU error and experiencing reduced power, the relay is a likely culprit. Given the age of your Mini I'd just take it to the workshop and ask them to have a look.

friedhelmknight1

Interesting. I did check the battery voltage, seemed fine. Grounds looked okay, but I didn't do a proper continuity test. The error code specifically pointed to the ECU though, and the reduced engine power is pretty consistent. Could a bad ground still cause those symptoms, even with a specific ECU error?

alexanderjohnson29 (Author)

It was indeed the main relay! Apparently, that's a fairly common culprit for ECU freakouts. New relay installed, a quick system reset, and she's purring like a kitten again. Total damage: 120€. Thanks for the insight – saved me a lot of potential headache!

Join the discussion now: