Thanks to the earthquake swarm near our house on Sunday I took Monday and Tuesday off to meet repairmen and clean up the house (the broken glass was already gone but lots of rooms had fallen furniture etc to put back). Monday I drove the MINI to meet Teri for lunch and after 10 minutes of stop/start driving at the traffic lights the car started to struggle at idle.
Turning into the car park I did my usual putting the car into neutral (possibly a bad habit) and as I did the revs went to zero, all the lights came on and the engine quit. I coasted into a spot and cursed a while. The car started up fine but quit again once it was idling.
Some lunch and I decided to take it to the nearby Pep Boys for some diagnosis. To get there I determined I would leave off the a/c (it was only 108F) and would not allow the car to idle when stopped. A few California stops later and I was there but they couldn’t help because there were no codes – the engine was no longer stalling when idle.
So I drove it home via some back roads where I wouldn’t have to stop much, a/c off, windows down. The car didn’t once come close to stalling though I think I sweated through my clothes, the car seats and into the earth beneath us.
It drove just fine today to San Diego but then it isn’t mo-fo hot here like it is there. I am hoping the car will last until the new MINI comes but I have my doubts. Part of me says to just sell it to a dealer right now, be done with it.
Which brings me to the other stalling: I still don’t have a production date for the new MINI. Arghhh!! The factory started back up this week so I am hoping I’ll get one soon but it has now been three weeks and a day and my baby isn’t even an apple in it’s father’s eye.
From day one my 2004 MCS never did like the any temp over 80º or it went it to rough idle, stalling. I just spent the weekend out in Phoenix with Mark, Teresa and GP/George. It was a minimum 105, everyday, the ABARTH never even sputtered even when I stopped in Palm Springs to get gas it was 111º. Up to 29mpg running at 75-95-120 mph in desert heat. Loving the car, now if I could just get it to handle like a MINI…;-)
Mine has always been ok (except the a/c has never worked right and is uninhabitable in our summer hear) until now. Guess I’ll just keep an eye on it and get the revs up when needed.
Glad you are enjoying the ABARTH, got passed by one the other day, always looks good.
Could have been as simple as a bit of dirt in the gas?
This sounds remarkably like the same problem I have with my car of late. For no reason about once a week she will stall with the a/c running. This is a new feature after the a/c was replaced.
I asked my guy and he said I should try cleaning my throttle body. I don’t see how that can make a difference, but I do have a date with a can of WD-40 and carb cleaner this weekend to give it a try.
I haven’t heard anything about any further delays out of Oxford either. Keep in mind that sometimes the communications can get behind with customers. There is a chance that your new MINI is already built and waiting for a ride to the States. (he says with his fingers and eyes crossed).
Oh, and.
If memory serves, your current MINI is an R52. The next one *will* get better MPG. I can practically guarantee it.
The MF JCW Roadster than we drove from NY to LA was getting 30+ MPG…
…at sustained speeds over 80MPH
…with the top down
…with the A/C running
Just to throw that out there.
Interesting, db, I had my a/c “refreshed” recently too. For now I am putting it down to the high heat and humidity we have been enjoying, fingers crossed that it doesn’t continue much longer. Summer has to end soon!!
My MA says he is pretty confident my car will be in production “within a week”, though this is the same guy who said “48 hours”……