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UPDATES

  • 2: I ended up changing the HPFP which I got from eBay for half, the ignition coils, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, and I put in the bypass for the faulty airbag sensor (all thanks to Youtube University - YTU). I am still getting p0087 and p15df on the mini but the misfires are not happening any more. The pickup is good. I will have to test the cold start again in the morning.

  • 1: I was able to get a good look at the side intake tube and the MAF on the upper air intake tube. I checked my ignition coils for loss of power and they all created a loss in performance (but I'll probably switch them out with the spark plugs). The behavior of the car is that on start up it struggles and I am seeing p0087 and P15DF. If I throttle the engine up then it stops struggling and eventually settles down into a smooth rhythm. All restarts and running are good for the rest of the day. Each morning the rough startup begins again. I am considering the High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) may be bad or a blockage in the fuel line or the fuel injectors.

  • Is there any way to clear these parts without buying a new one? The HPFP is especially expensive for this car (~$650).

  • Any new insights based on the new information?

ORIGINAL

I have a 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe with 55275 miles on it. About a week ago, when starting up the engine started having misfires. I have tried thinking through the problem, capturing frames from my BOSCH Bluetooth connector, and recording videos. I have noted the following behaviors:

  • When cold cranking the startup is very rough (most of the misfires happen at this time)
  • After an initial rough start the engine has been running relatively smoothly although it has been getting progressively worse each time I drive it locally
  • I noticed that the plastic air tube going into the side of the engine below the main air filter (on the driver side) seems to have vibrated into a very loose condition near the back rear (I've tried to use my hand to vibrate it back into place but it doesn't seem tight enough to me)
  • I have ordered and received the ignition coils, spark plugs, and oil filter so that I can swap them in after I check the air filter
  • I noticed changes in the engine rpm when I change the amount of air that I use for the internal AC
  • Noted random codes: P0300, P0301, P0302, P0304, P15DF
  • When the car is on the road and stopped at a stop/red light the engine RPM idels at around 700-800RPM.

What I have done to prepare for the solution:

  • Watch videos for other people's assessment of these kinds of problems
  • Gather basic tools necessary to address fire, air, fuel issues
  • Develop a mental picture of the problem and define a plan to address the most obvious potential issues first

I understand that it certainly could turn out to be the high/low pressure fuel pump or a mechanical failure. I would like to know if anyone can offer any insight or tips. I have saved the video of my live data capture over a period of time in the hope that someone can point out anything that I have missed.

Other things I don't know but would likely be helpful:

  • How can I adjust (increase) the engine idle RPM?
  • What other things I should be doing
  • How to adjust spark plugs or at least verify them before installation

Live Engine Videos / Frame Captures / Live Data Captures

P.S. My nearest garage is talking about a $250 fee to look at the problem (not fix it) so that is never going to happen.

Thanks in advance for any assistance or recommendations.

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3 Answers 3

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You stated:

... plastic air tube going into the side of the engine below the main air filter (on the driver side) seems to have vibrated into a very loose condition near the back rear ...

Your Mini has a Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor located in this air intake tube. If it has become lose between the MAF and where the tube meets the throttle body, you have unmetered air going into the engine. This could cause a lean state which could cause random misfires.

To fix this, you need to see why the intake tube isn't fitting correctly. I'd suggest taking it completely off of the vehicle and checking soft parts for damage or possibly rubber pieces being folded over. Once you get a good handle on how this goes together, you can see if you need to replace parts or if it just needs to be put back together correctly.

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  • - Thanks for the advice. I followed this and performed other steps. Now getting new codes (p0087/p15df) but misfires have stopped.
    – Tommie C.
    Commented Feb 10 at 0:22
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Had a very similar problem with my R56. Except, my misfires were more sudden and dramatic. So bad that I had the car towed home.

Turned out to be the ignition coils. As simple as that. Swapped those out and the car ran as smooth as ever.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

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  • Re: Good luck, and let us know how it turns out: Misfires are gone but p15df and p0087 persist. I may open a new question on these. In my case the HPFP cleared the misfires.
    – Tommie C.
    Commented Feb 10 at 0:23
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I have a 2011 R55 and had very similar at about 80,000 miles. As with majorbanzai, it was ignition coils. Super easy to replace and not horribly expensive (at the time I did it anyway). Rather than just replacing the failing coil, I replaced all of them - if one is ready to fail, then they all are in my experience. The sparkplugs are in theory good for 100,000 miles, so if you replace them at the same time is up to you.

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