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I drove mini cooper R56 for a very short distance for about 4 minutes, the whole car died completely. The battery was working fine, everything else seemed fine but the car died altogether.

Observations: All electronics systems seem dead, no light when I open the door, no unlocking by key FOB, no sparking when battery is jumped (eventhough battery is fine, tested several times, which indicates open loop)

Prior Issues: The car was hissing while acceleration due to spark plugs being worn out and I have already had them purchased but didnt get chance to replace.

To be honest this have happened once in the past but all electronics came back to life after 4 hours automatically but I couldnt diagnose what has happened.

Question: Could ECU have shut down all the electronics as a safety measure? Or could this be due to some electric trip somewhere in the circuit or could this be BCM?

Update: Found someone else also experiencing exactly similar issue in Mini Forum, but unfortunately no valid solution so far.

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  • Please explain what you mean by "...key getting stuck..." Does the car have a physical key? Could it no longer be inserted, or removed, or turned from one position to another?
    – DavidSupportsMonica
    Jul 30, 2020 at 14:24
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    If the car's electrical system had turned off, then I'd expect that the key release action would fail for lack of electricity. This is consistent with a total power failure, but does not explain why the failure occurred. If the car has an OBD or EOBD onboard diagnostic port, you should start by having the codes read, as there may be an electronic record that will assist the diagnosis. Your thought of a theft system issue is a reasonable one,
    – DavidSupportsMonica
    Jul 30, 2020 at 14:46
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    I would suggest you have an issue with the power connection at the battery or where those leads land (body or power delivery). I've seen it many times where the main power will get lost then come back after some time. This could be due to corrosion or a lose connection. Check your battery cable ends for corrosion as well as if there is any bulging in the cables themselves. Just a thought, because it's a long shot.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Jul 30, 2020 at 14:50
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    You checked the battery connections at the battery, but you should also check all the big-wire connections at the other end of each cable, where the cables connect to the car's ground and to the starter. It is possible, 'tho unlikely, that one of the cables has an intermittent internal failure.
    – DavidSupportsMonica
    Jul 30, 2020 at 14:58
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    Your course of action sounds prudent to me. I wouldn't want to risk getting stranded either.
    – DavidSupportsMonica
    Jul 30, 2020 at 17:01

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Tested by auto electrician. POWER DISTRIBUTION BOX CONTROL MODULE was bad that takes the power from the battery and passes on. Not sure how exactly is this module different from the fuse box next to wheel well.

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