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 Troubleshooting help-- engine stalls at temp

 Created by: adrock
Orig. Posting Date User Name Edit Date
Nov 19, 2019 09:03AM adrock  
Nov 9, 2019 01:42PM adrock  
Nov 9, 2019 05:24AM Dan Moffet  
Nov 8, 2019 12:53PM adrock Edited: Nov 8, 2019 02:28PM 
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 Posted: Nov 19, 2019 09:03AM
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Member since:Nov 8, 2019
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Following up in case anyone is interested or if helpful to anyone else on the forum experiencing similar symptoms.  I installed the replacement vacuum hose between the ECU and fuel vapor trap and now she's back on the road.  Still detecting some hiccups on acceleration at times, but she had been off the road for a little while and after running some fresh gas and injector cleaner through it, seemed to be improving.  Will take her out a few more times to confirm or see if I still have some troubleshooting to do, but at least now she will hold idle after coming up to temp.

 Posted: Nov 9, 2019 01:42PM
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Dan,
Thank you so much for your feedback.  Much appreciated!

I did some more poking around today and think I have isolated the problem.  Unfortunately, it looks like it was probably self induced too.  One of the vacuum lines I had recently replaced must have been improperly run to where it was contacting something hot.  The tube melted and completely separated.  The connections looked good on both ends but I overlooked that the tube itself was no longer intact.  Ordered a new one from MiniMania today.  Will be a little more mindful of where I run it this time and hopefully this resolves my issue.  If not, I'll take a look at the TPS next.

Thanks again for taking time to respond!

-Adam

 Posted: Nov 9, 2019 05:24AM
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CA
I don't know about Mini injection systems, but it might have something to do with throttle position sensing. The computer regulates fuel based on how much you have opened the throttle. When cold, it keeps the engine going by modulating air flow. When it warms up it let's you control air. At that stage the throttle may close to the point the computer thinks it has shut completely, and cuts off the fuel supply. It might be your throttle control is out of adjustment or the position sender is worn or out of adjustment. (I had a very similar problem on a non-Mini fuel injected vehicle... hard to brake for traffic lights while holding the clutch down and keeping revs up.)

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Nov 8, 2019 12:53PM
 Edited:  Nov 8, 2019 02:28PM
Total posts: 3
Last post: Nov 19, 2019
Member since:Nov 8, 2019
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Hello,

First time posting to the forum, so I'll begin with a brief introduction.  My name is Adam, hailing from Texas.  I am the owner of a 1996 Mini Cooper "Blue Star Edition" (1275, SPI).  My father imported the car and was active on the forum for a period of time before handing the car down to me a few years back.  I know he learned a lot from this forum, so hoping to get a little assistance from the community here as well as I'm having a problem with the car but running short of ideas.

Symptoms:
Car fires up fine, no hesitation, sounds smooth and healthy at idle.
It idles fine for as long as I let it.
Once it is up to temperature, if I give it some revs and then let off, it bottoms out.  As the RPMs come down, they just keep going down until the engine dies.  Sometimes it falls straight off, other times it may chug for a second or two as it gets below normal idle.  If I'm quick on the gas, I can bring it back to life but when I let off again, it bottoms out again.  If I let it die, I cannot re-crank it until after it sits for a while and engine goes cold.  I let it sit for the summer as it was just too hot to go out and fiddle with it, but this past weekend after sitting a while, it cranked up immediately but the same pattern repeated.

What's been done already:
Alternator is new from earlier this year (unrelated charging issue, resolved).  Before it got too hot to be out in the garage this summer, I did locate 3 faulty vacuum lines and replaced them all.  The 3 I found/replaced are:  Air Filter to Hot Air Valve (PHP10027), Air Filter to Manifold (PHP10043), and Fuel Trap to ECU (MLH10026).  Basically all of them had cracked fittings so I thought this was my culprit.  No such luck.  Perhaps I'm missing another tube somewhere?  Most recently I replaced the fuel filter, believing it had never been replaced and possibly engine was getting enough gas at idle but being starved for fuel when revved, causing it to then bottom out?  Have not tested the fuel pump itself, but after replacing the fuel filter, the lines were obviously drained in the process yet it fired up immediately after that fix, so have to believe the fuel pump is ok or else I'd expect it to be hesitant to fire up if the lines were not pressurizing sufficiently.  

Looking for some advice on where I might look next.  It has me a little baffled that I can let it idle for 20+ minutes flawlessly, rev it up with no issue, but can't let my foot off the gas once I put it on the first time.  Hoping I can learn from the experts here!


Thanks in advance,
Adam