09 Mini Cooper S...I hate this thing...won't start

I would start by spraying some brake clean or starting fluid into the air filter and see if it tries to do anything. If it does I would suspect maybe rodent damage to fuel pump wiring since it sat for a while.

I know you dont want to dump more money into it but maybe find a different shop/dealer - a competent one should be able to at least quickly identify if it's a fuel/immobilizer/ etc issue
Yes, spray it with starting fluid, if it runs you know the ignition and related components are functional.
 
they are neat little cars IMO BUT checking forums years ago revealed issues, lots of them + mostly on the turbo'd models my fav + being a BMW product parts are likely $$$$$. glad i never bought one, but good luck + you may need to see a stealer $$$ or at least an indy shop that specializes in them!!
 
Oh boy. Here we go.

I don't know how much "research" you did on fuel pumps for minis, but I guess it wouldn't be much. If you did research, you would have found out that the hpfp you replaced is under warranty for 120k miles through mini. It would have been free. Good job on your "research" .

While you were replacing that hpfp, did you at least see if you're getting fuel to the hpfp? Crack8ng the supply line to the hpfp open would tell you if the lift pump, aka in tank pump was working.

Here's a little hint. Di bmws will idle and drive with a bad hpfp.

Pick up a reader, I recommend Carista for BMW vehicles. Run the codes before you dump anymore cash in it.

If you live close to or in New Hampshire, I'll throw you some cash for that car. Better than you burning it. After you sign over the title, I'll clean the grounds and drive it away.

Be it a BMW, vw, Ford, Chevy, etc, these newer cars ain't for people that can only work on old school cars. It takes more than parts swapping.

Pick up that carista obd2 reader, post your codes, forget about the dumb ass "spray starting fluid" comments you're getting here.
 
To answer a couple of questions...

A independent mechanic shop that specializes in bmw's looked at it and couldn't figure it out.

The closest mini dealership is over 200 miles away.

I have a BMW code reader. It's not throwing any codes.

It's getting fuel and spark. I've had the entire air box apart, I don't suspect rodents.

I plan on taking the valve cover off to see if the timing chain guides are broken. Compression and leak down test came back fine so I doubt I'll find anything there.

Found that some people have luck getting the fuse box in the passenger foot well rebuilt. Found a company that does that so that'll be the last bit of money I spend on it. It's got some weird electrical gremlins which is the only reason I'm considering this.
 
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It's getting fuel and spark. I've had the entire air box apart, I don't suspect rodents.

I plan on taking the valve cover off to see if the timing chain guides are broken. Compression and leak down test came back fine so I doubt I'll find anything there.

If it's getting fuel and spark, the only thing missing is compression...right?
 
To answer a couple of questions...

A independent mechanic shop that specializes in bmw's looked at it and couldn't figure it out.

The closest mini dealership is over 200 miles away.

I have a BMW code reader. It's not throwing any codes.

It's getting fuel and spark. I've had the entire air box apart, I don't suspect rodents.

I plan on taking the valve cover off to see if the timing chain guides are broken. Compression and leak down test came back fine so I doubt I'll find anything there.

Found that some people have luck getting the fuse box in the passenger foot well rebuilt. Found a company that does that so that'll be the last bit of money I spend on it. It's got some weird electrical gremlins which is the only reason I'm considering this.
You really should try giving the car a spritz of whatever in the air intake stream, just past the air filter, while cranking, just to see if the engine will try to fire up, even just for a few moments.

Unless you have a crap ton of other modules reporting no coms status with the ecu that you're not telling us about, you should stop finding new ways to waste money. No one on here should follow the GHT car "repair" process.

Here's a wild question that I haven't seen anyone ask yet:
Do you even hear the fuel pump prime when you first turn the Ignition to the ON position?
 
You really should try giving the car a spritz of whatever in the air intake stream, just past the air filter, while cranking, just to see if the engine will try to fire up, even just for a few moments.

Unless you have a crap ton of other modules reporting no coms status with the ecu that you're not telling us about, you should stop finding new ways to waste money. No one on here should follow the GHT car "repair" process.

Here's a wild question that I haven't seen anyone ask yet:
Do you even hear the fuel pump prime when you first turn the Ignition to the ON position?

Yes on the fuel pump prime. I've shot fuel out of every orifice that I could find while cranking it.

As I stated in the first post, I sent the key, the ecu, and the cas module out for testing and they installed it in their parts car and it fired right up. So that's not the issue.

I'll try the starting fluid when I'm off next week and report back.

I really don't even want the car. I just want it out of my driveway. My dad committed suicide, it was his car, and I'm getting really tired of seeing that daily reminder just sitting there in the driveway everyday when I walk out of the house.
 
Yes on the fuel pump prime. I've shot fuel out of every orifice that I could find while cranking it.

As I stated in the first post, I sent the key, the ecu, and the cas module out for testing and they installed it in their parts car and it fired right up. So that's not the issue.

I'll try the starting fluid when I'm off next week and report back.

I really don't even want the car. I just want it out of my driveway. My dad committed suicide, it was his car, and I'm getting really tired of seeing that daily reminder just sitting there in the driveway everyday when I walk out of the house.
Do not donate it but sell it as is. I have bought cars with issues like that in decent shape otherwise lots of times.
 
they are neat little cars IMO BUT checking forums years ago revealed issues, lots of them + mostly on the turbo'd models my fav + being a BMW product parts are likely $$$$$. glad i never bought one, but good luck + you may need to see a stealer $$$ or at least an indy shop that specializes in them!!
Finally! A concise and articulate post from a Certified BITOG Expert- someone who has never owned, driven or sat in the vehicle being discussed.
 
So I just tried to hit it with starting fluid and still nothing. Went in on the cold side charge pipe, that was the closest I could get to the throttle body.

Now the scanner won’t even connect to it. None of the lights work, the windows don’t work, pretty much everything electrical either isn’t working or is messed up. The battery was also completely dead, like zero. I dunno, I think I’m done with it. Copart will give me $700 for it and come pick it up.
 
Oh boy. Here we go.

I don't know how much "research" you did on fuel pumps for minis, but I guess it wouldn't be much. If you did research, you would have found out that the hpfp you replaced is under warranty for 120k miles through mini. It would have been free. Good job on your "research" .

While you were replacing that hpfp, did you at least see if you're getting fuel to the hpfp? Crack8ng the supply line to the hpfp open would tell you if the lift pump, aka in tank pump was working.

Here's a little hint. Di bmws will idle and drive with a bad hpfp.

Pick up a reader, I recommend Carista for BMW vehicles. Run the codes before you dump anymore cash in it.

If you live close to or in New Hampshire, I'll throw you some cash for that car. Better than you burning it. After you sign over the title, I'll clean the grounds and drive it away.

Be it a BMW, vw, Ford, Chevy, etc, these newer cars ain't for people that can only work on old school cars. It takes more than parts swapping.

Pick up that carista obd2 reader, post your codes, forget about the dumb ass "spray starting fluid" comments you're getting here.
Not sure how the starting fluid comments are "dumb ass", when he had already posted there are no codes previously. If it burped with the fluid at least gives you a direction to look.

I think you have it backwards with the fuel pump comment as well - D.I. will not start and run with the high pressure pump failed as those injectors need like 600+psi to even spray any fuel. They will idle with a bad low pressure pump however as the high press pump will make enough suction to siphon from the tank even without the low pressure pump installed.

They absolutely would not have replaced the pump for free if it was working, you can read the pressure on a data list and they would have probably charged at least an hour shop time to do that. (And its an '09 so past the 10 year window anyways, great research there)
 
Not sure how the starting fluid comments are "dumb ass", when he had already posted there are no codes previously. If it burped with the fluid at least gives you a direction to look.

I think you have it backwards with the fuel pump comment as well - D.I. will not start and run with the high pressure pump failed as those injectors need like 600+psi to even spray any fuel. They will idle with a bad low pressure pump however as the high press pump will make enough suction to siphon from the tank even without the low pressure pump installed.

They absolutely would not have replaced the pump for free if it was working, you can read the pressure on a data list and they would have probably charged at least an hour shop time to do that. (And its an '09 so past the 10 year window anyways, great research there)
As I said, BMW will fire and idle with a bad hpfp. Been there, done that. Yes, mini will replace the di pump if under 120k miles. I've had it done last year on a 08. It had 90k on it to be exact. No, the hpfp will no siphon from the tank. Not if the lift pump is bad.

Yes, the hit it with starting fluid is a stooooooopid idea pushed by people stuck in the carb days. Look at the intake manifold runner design. Know how it works. A bit of carbon holding a intake valve open a bit, it's a recipe for disaster that can get someone hurt.

Only safe way to hit it with a bit of something to crank it over is if someone cranks it a few seconds blBWFORE you even touch the nozzle on that car. But very briefly.

Seen plenty of manifolds blown due to such advice.

Verify spark, get back to me.
 
As I said, BMW will fire and idle with a bad hpfp. Been there, done that. Yes, mini will replace the di pump if under 120k miles. I've had it done last year on a 08. It had 90k on it to be exact. No, the hpfp will no siphon from the tank. Not if the lift pump is bad.

Yes, the hit it with starting fluid is a stooooooopid idea pushed by people stuck in the carb days. Look at the intake manifold runner design. Know how it works. A bit of carbon holding a intake valve open a bit, it's a recipe for disaster that can get someone hurt.

Only safe way to hit it with a bit of something to crank it over is if someone cranks it a few seconds blBWFORE you even touch the nozzle on that car. But very briefly.

Seen plenty of manifolds blown due to such advice.

Verify spark, get back to me.
He's already said it had spark....

And yesa high pressure pump will siphon from the tank, I do recalls on the low pressure pumps a few times a week, they'll run all day with the low pressure pump connector unplugged

If there's enough carbon to hang a valve open that would have been obvious on the compression test
 
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