[Sunster]

Okay, so I'm man enough to admit it.

I've been driving for upwards of 25 years and let's say I've stalled, or nearly stalled my new, one week old F55 MCSD more times than I've stalled any other car during the entire time I've owned those previous cars. Drama aside, that's stalling it twice and nearly stalling/recovering about four times. Even after such monumental errors, I do consider myself to be a reasonable driver.

After you've stopped giggling, thank you very much, I genuinely want some advice here.

I've already read a couple of threads on the issue and I think it's kind of the same thing. The most noticeable time I stalled the car was on a roundabout - noticeable in terms of outright scary as cars were behind me and heading for me. Not good.

Part of me wondered if it was simply my driving style, but again, I'm struggling to see how I can effortlessly drive cars with such differing handling capabilities as a Ford Focus and a Merc SLK and never stalled either and be so worried about this one.

So I've been playing about with the car today, trying my best to stall it to see exactly what the issue is and if I can recreate the circumstances. I think I may have it, but I could be wrong.

Now, as it's intermittent, I really have struggled getting to the bottom of this but my gut feeling is that it has a greater chance of happening if I need to quickly get away, but at the same time, don't need to keep moving very fast. Such as waiting to get onto a roundabout, or, as happened today, turning right into my driveway across a road with oncoming traffic. In both those instances I needed to move quick, but needed to keep it in first. The sensation I can kind of feel is that I have my foot on the gas and give it a fair amount. As soon as the gas is transferred to accelerate the car and my foot is raised off the clutch it almost feels as if not enough fuel is being transferred thus stalling or nearly stalling the car.

Something else has occasionally happened and I don't know whether this is a safety feature or something to do with the start/stop. I think that on a couple of occasions the car has stalled, or almost has, it has started again of it's own accord, in a split second.

So I'm left wondering what to do. As before when I've had issues I've posted on line before calling the service centre as other people's view certainly help.

So, do let me know, especially if you have a cooper SD, or anything really. Of course, this issue relates to the manual/stick shift. The auto (and I have one of those too) has it's own peculiarities.

Views, even the positive ones with nothing to report, please folk!

 

[jeremybingham]

Cooper petrol here,only stalled it once as the nut behind the wheel slowed to A crawl in top gear to slow for horses and forgot to change down. It started itself! I was very surprised but grateful!

 

[johnan]

After reading such a well constructed post I am sorry I can't be of more help, other than to say as I think you know there have been various posts about stalling issues going back quite a few months, but I am not sure if they applied to diesels.
A diesel should be harder to stall due to its greater low speed torque, but it all depends on how the ECU is set up.
The mini problem database ought to have enough info on stalling issues by now to show yours is not behaving normally, and have a solution, as long as the dealer is willing to accept your "complaint".
Maybe a few more revs on take off might help temporarily!

 

[Sunster]

After reading such a well constructed post I am sorry I can't be of more help, other than to say as I think you know there have been various posts about stalling issues going back quite a few months, but I am not sure if they applied to diesels.
A diesel should be harder to stall due to its greater low speed torque, but it all depends on how the ECU is set up.
The mini problem database ought to have enough info on stalling issues by now to show yours is not behaving normally, and have a solution, as long as the dealer is willing to accept your "complaint".
Maybe a few more revs on take off might help temporarily!

Cheers for the response Johnan. Ironically, I used to start my old SLK in second almost all the time as despite being a petrol was very torquey to the point where first was such short throw it was practically redundant. I though as you that the diesel MCSD would be better at this and I've even had it start off in second several times just to experiment with no issues whatsoever. It does however seem to be more to do with how the ECU is set up.

I've intentionally been pressing much hard on the accelerator pedal than I'm used to; I don't think it's the moving off that's the issue, it's the transfer of fuel thereafter... almost it's that it expects you to accelerate more/harder that the circumstance allows.

Will be ringing the garage in the morn. Two Mini's both with issue straight off the bat. Unlucky, but not insurmountable.

 

[MintMark]

Have you tried it in different driving modes to see if that is a factor?

I've stalled mine (cooper, manual, petrol) by changing up into second gear too early. I'm used to being able to use second any time I'm moving, including slowly, but mini doesn't seem to like that so much.

Don't know if cold weather might be a problem as well.

 

[Mike]

... it has a greater chance of happening if I need to quickly get away, but at the same time, don't need to keep moving very fast. Such as waiting to get onto a roundabout, or, as happened today, turning right into my driveway...

Many years ago when I had an R50 fitted with ASC+T it would appear to almost stall in similar circumstances; in fact it was the traction control cutting power and applying braking. Moving off while making a turn, especially on any kind of slope, had to be done gently otherwise the traction control sensed a problem and immediately intervened. Perhaps a combination of over sensitive DSC/ASC and Stop/Start are contributing to your experiences.

Mike

 

[Sunster]

Thanks for the responses MintMark and Mike.

There's definitely something awry. Should have mentioned that when it has stalled it's done so pretty spectacularly. Of course stalling is always a bit of a judder (if I remember it rightly on previous cars... like I say, I really didn't do it often at all until now). On the Mini it's a real thump which worried me more. I'm not actually sure of the mechanics of stalling (about to google it), but I almost get the impression that something is intervening when it shouldn't which may give credence to what Mike has been saying.

The times when it's happened the engine has been relatively warm, though the outside temperature is hovering around the 1-3 degrees round here at the mo. As for all the technology... well, you'd hope they all worked together rather than hindered the drive.

The irony is that with only 300 miles chalked up I'm really trying not to rev the car high in any gear, but at the same time I really can't put myself or my very precious passengers in danger.

Tomorrow I'm going to drive journeys exclusively in green and sport mode to see if there's any difference there.

Will keep you posted.

 

[fatherfork]

Sport mode may help with your fuel to clutch ratio, but it might not solve the root issue.

I have one idea. When you come to a stop, do you put it in neutral and let the clutch out until right before setting off again? Sometimes I did this and would catch the car right in the middle of an auto off and it would confuse the car a bit. It always started back up right away, but I could see how it might behave differently on a diesel. I've since stopped doing this.

Try driving around for a few days without the auto off feature enabled to see if it has anything to do with your issues. Something else you might try is never letting your foot off the clutch when coming to a quick stop/start situation.

All the above is predicated on the notion that you put the car in neutral and let the clutch out when coming to a stop, of course. If you don't, it must be something else.

 

[Sunster]

Thanks fatherfork,

The times this has happened I hadn't used the start/stop/into neutral function... mainly because I forgot about the procedure after coming straight from a cooper auto where simply pressing your foot on the break would activate the function.

Just done a very boring drive in reasonably heavy traffic followed by clear roads for an hour in green mode. The car behaved itself. As did I. It's like an ice rink out there.

Will try the same again this afternoon but in sport mode.

Thanks for all the comments so far.

 

[rumblestrip]

In all 4 of my manual MINIs (that includes the my curreunt F56) I've had a tendency to stall more often than I'd expect.

I've driven many different brands of car over the years what with personal cars, company cars, hire cars, loaners and so on and if memory serves me well the MNI is the most likely one to get stalled on a hurried pull-away. Or rather what would have been a hurried pull-away

I don't know what the correct term is but MINI clutches don't seem to slip enough; they're either engaged or not. OK, that is an exaggeration but I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

The remedy, on take off, is to set the revs higher than you'd guess is necessary and then slip the clutch like crazy.

Also I need to get onto the habit of staying in 1st for a bit longer than feels natural. Low revs in 2nd doesn't seem to be advisable despite the high torque in the current 3-cylinder petrol engine.

Derek

 

[jeremybingham]

Hmmm not with you on any of these issues. I agreed the Cooper isn't quite so happy at low revs heavy load as a Cooper s but I've never felt any mini I've had was prone to stalling and we are on our 4th between us. Quite the opposite with the Cooper s in fact. I think a visit to the dealer is needed . How many revs are we talking about?

We've just bought a dacia duster1.6 petrol 4x4. 1st is low for off roading so the hAndbook says on roads pull off in second. Now that's weird! I never slip the clutch more than necessary in it or our minis though? Try pulling off with as few revs as poss from the flat . How low can you go? Ill do the same when I'm driving but a diesel should pull off virtually from tick over.

 

[Sunster]

Hi folks,

So a few days later, I've tried in green and sport mode and not had any issues. However, I am driving differently than I would normally - paying a lot more attention to giving it gas when pulling off and generally being more attentive. At the moment I haven't had much chance to drive normally anyway as the roads here have gotten icy so everyone is driving slowly... finding my daily school run is taking twice a long.

I'm still feeling there may be an issue, but will drive for another while before I take it in.

JB - I've tried giving it no gas at all, safe in the driveway, and the thing pulls off fine - actually, it practically shoots off. In fact, I really had to struggle to get it to stall this way!

I'm going to give it a week and see what happens.

 

[Chathamgirl]

I've noticed mine stalling alot recently in the cold morning weather. It does restart again though, thanks to the stop and go.

 

[rumblestrip]

Hi folks,

So a few days later, I've tried in green and sport mode and not had any issues. However, I am driving differently than I would normally - paying a lot more attention to giving it gas when pulling off and generally being more attentive.

I'm making the effort to concentrate more when pulling away and it's working for me too. Just setting the gas a bit higher is all that's needed. And I follow this with not changing up to second too early.. which I tend to do. I drove diesel Citroens for about 10 years and I think this programmed me to take advantage of the high torque at low revs.

Derek