matty
Border raider.
Ok I admit i am in the mire deep or deeper than i wanted to be lets put it that way.
I bought a non running 2010 Diesel MINI, Yes Mini... Why? I hear you shout. Three reasons it was there and it is a diesel and i was being silly AGAIN!.
The Story.
A woman bought car from main dealer 2013 with 45K miles on it .
It ran great just sevicing tyres and brakes belts etc, the friday night before christmass she drives home parks car on driveway. christmas happened and new year Husband goes to work 4th january and in under 1 hour is back home, no work until february . So He immediately booked 10 days in Spain.
Back home Ice covered Mini and she jumps in It wont start nearly started but just did not manage it.
Husband Tries Jumping it off with Range rover and still no start.
they ring my mate who has a car trailer. He charged then £20 to transport the Mini to a Local repair shop Thinking its Just a battery or something simple.
Two weeks went by , My mate gets a phone call from a rather irate Mini owning woman, " Do you Buy scrap cars" Yes They agree a Price £400, and she tells him its his call around pick up the documents and pay her. This done he goes next morning collects the Mini from the garage, discovers there is £180 to pay for Four hours diagnostic time. . Mate rings the woman she Said she would Be there in a moment.
Mate loads the mini, woman turns up, and sets about the Proprietor Wanting details of what he had done in the four hours. He apparently was vague to say n the least and in the end waved the diagnostic bill and beckoned her off the premises never to return. This she whole heatedly agreed to and my mate jumped in his truck left them arguing.
My mini purchase.
That same morning I saw the car parked at my mates house and asked the details and how much would buy it? I got the above story . Jumped in tried it and it was indeed so close to starting i decided to have a gamble and agreed £500, delivered that day. 1 hour latter its back at the farm.
The Car, the gory details so far.
Next morning bright and early i set too looking round this mini, red tidy bodywork no dents or rust just slight lacquer peel(roof) but only minor, interior mint no tears holes never been smoked it clean car.
Good tyres about a 3rd worn , Tried again to start it listening for the Lift pump in the tank and i swear i heard it pump even click out under the hood. Clutch down press button its annoyingly near to running but Basically NO show.
Battery got low put it on charge, wile i started looking under the bonnet and took engine covers off and removed injector wires checked each injector and all without exception showed 0.5 ohms so all four electrically at least should be ok. Checked the fuel pressure regulator it again was showing as good and same with the Crank sensor and Can sensor. Looked good to me without the proper details from a workshop manual, i was fairly happy with my basic multimeeter test so far.
Went back in workshop a few hours later Battery showing 13.1 volts Good , jumped in car key in pushed it home and AHH! Could hear no pump in tank , Thinking i must have upset something i went over what i had done again No all good.
Back in turned it on again it ran but then stopped. Before it built low pressure side up to cut off point.
I have No Power to Pump wiring but fuel gauge terninals have power, so not sure if its intermitant wiring issue or the pump itself blown a fuse/ relay faulty etc.
High pressure pump fuse ok, But relay in diesel injector fuse panel no power . so i thought ECU or possible immobilizer issue.
Took ECU to another friend who maps and puts tunes VWs/ skoda diesels, he did what he termed a basic function test it looked ok but said he could check that ecu no further with his gear (no idea why) and he stripped the back off for a vissual, said it was dry no obviously blown components and sealed it back up and charged me nothing, said you brought me enough work over the years good luck with it i think its fine.
That was this morning, and i just came in from doing what i should have done earlier thats Scanned for codes. Guess WHAT? Nothing. No codes.
So its time to rethink gather my thoughts and attack it from a different angle.
Mechanical. OK i got the power to tank pump issue to solve so Check each and every fuse in the whole car, Then its anoying. . Minds working overtime is it a high presure pump long term falliure been grinding mettal particles into the uinjection rail back into tank clogging injectors and siezing the electric tank pump into the deal.
Is it The ubiquitous problematic N47 BMW diesel engines timing chain tensioner lost its oil/ tension over the long cold christmass break and she jumps in spins it over and it jumped a tooth on the chain?
If your still reading this nightmare i might need prayers for sure certainly moral support and please please please offer any insight you might have to help a silly old git who bought a BMW diesel engined MINI and really shuda known better. Its not like i was born yesterday, but i sure as hell act like it at times.
I bought a non running 2010 Diesel MINI, Yes Mini... Why? I hear you shout. Three reasons it was there and it is a diesel and i was being silly AGAIN!.
The Story.
A woman bought car from main dealer 2013 with 45K miles on it .
It ran great just sevicing tyres and brakes belts etc, the friday night before christmass she drives home parks car on driveway. christmas happened and new year Husband goes to work 4th january and in under 1 hour is back home, no work until february . So He immediately booked 10 days in Spain.
Back home Ice covered Mini and she jumps in It wont start nearly started but just did not manage it.
Husband Tries Jumping it off with Range rover and still no start.
they ring my mate who has a car trailer. He charged then £20 to transport the Mini to a Local repair shop Thinking its Just a battery or something simple.
Two weeks went by , My mate gets a phone call from a rather irate Mini owning woman, " Do you Buy scrap cars" Yes They agree a Price £400, and she tells him its his call around pick up the documents and pay her. This done he goes next morning collects the Mini from the garage, discovers there is £180 to pay for Four hours diagnostic time. . Mate rings the woman she Said she would Be there in a moment.
Mate loads the mini, woman turns up, and sets about the Proprietor Wanting details of what he had done in the four hours. He apparently was vague to say n the least and in the end waved the diagnostic bill and beckoned her off the premises never to return. This she whole heatedly agreed to and my mate jumped in his truck left them arguing.
My mini purchase.
That same morning I saw the car parked at my mates house and asked the details and how much would buy it? I got the above story . Jumped in tried it and it was indeed so close to starting i decided to have a gamble and agreed £500, delivered that day. 1 hour latter its back at the farm.
The Car, the gory details so far.
Next morning bright and early i set too looking round this mini, red tidy bodywork no dents or rust just slight lacquer peel(roof) but only minor, interior mint no tears holes never been smoked it clean car.
Good tyres about a 3rd worn , Tried again to start it listening for the Lift pump in the tank and i swear i heard it pump even click out under the hood. Clutch down press button its annoyingly near to running but Basically NO show.
Battery got low put it on charge, wile i started looking under the bonnet and took engine covers off and removed injector wires checked each injector and all without exception showed 0.5 ohms so all four electrically at least should be ok. Checked the fuel pressure regulator it again was showing as good and same with the Crank sensor and Can sensor. Looked good to me without the proper details from a workshop manual, i was fairly happy with my basic multimeeter test so far.
Went back in workshop a few hours later Battery showing 13.1 volts Good , jumped in car key in pushed it home and AHH! Could hear no pump in tank , Thinking i must have upset something i went over what i had done again No all good.
Back in turned it on again it ran but then stopped. Before it built low pressure side up to cut off point.
I have No Power to Pump wiring but fuel gauge terninals have power, so not sure if its intermitant wiring issue or the pump itself blown a fuse/ relay faulty etc.
High pressure pump fuse ok, But relay in diesel injector fuse panel no power . so i thought ECU or possible immobilizer issue.
Took ECU to another friend who maps and puts tunes VWs/ skoda diesels, he did what he termed a basic function test it looked ok but said he could check that ecu no further with his gear (no idea why) and he stripped the back off for a vissual, said it was dry no obviously blown components and sealed it back up and charged me nothing, said you brought me enough work over the years good luck with it i think its fine.
That was this morning, and i just came in from doing what i should have done earlier thats Scanned for codes. Guess WHAT? Nothing. No codes.

So its time to rethink gather my thoughts and attack it from a different angle.
Mechanical. OK i got the power to tank pump issue to solve so Check each and every fuse in the whole car, Then its anoying. . Minds working overtime is it a high presure pump long term falliure been grinding mettal particles into the uinjection rail back into tank clogging injectors and siezing the electric tank pump into the deal.
Is it The ubiquitous problematic N47 BMW diesel engines timing chain tensioner lost its oil/ tension over the long cold christmass break and she jumps in spins it over and it jumped a tooth on the chain?
If your still reading this nightmare i might need prayers for sure certainly moral support and please please please offer any insight you might have to help a silly old git who bought a BMW diesel engined MINI and really shuda known better. Its not like i was born yesterday, but i sure as hell act like it at times.

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