alexanderjohnson29
Mini Cooper ECU Issues
Summary of the thread
A 2009 Mini Cooper was experiencing reduced engine power and an error indicating a defective engine control unit (ECU). The suspected cause was the main relay, which can commonly lead to ECU issues. After replacing the main relay and resetting the system, the problem was resolved, restoring the vehicle's performance.
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4 comment(s)
alexanderjohnson29 (community.author)
Yeah, even with a specific ECU error, a bad ground can cause all sorts of weirdness in vehicle electronics. But if you're getting a consistent ECU error and experiencing reduced power, the relay is a likely culprit. Given the age of your Mini I'd just take it to the workshop and ask them to have a look.
friedhelmknight1
Interesting. I did check the battery voltage, seemed fine. Grounds looked okay, but I didn't do a proper continuity test. The error code specifically pointed to the ECU though, and the reduced engine power is pretty consistent. Could a bad ground still cause those symptoms, even with a specific ECU error?
alexanderjohnson29 (community.author)
It was indeed the main relay! Apparently, that's a fairly common culprit for ECU freakouts. New relay installed, a quick system reset, and she's purring like a kitten again. Total damage: 120€. Thanks for the insight – saved me a lot of potential headache!
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MINI
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COOPER
friedhelmknight1
Sounds familiar. I had a similar issue with my old Opel, though the symptoms were slightly different. Turned out to be a dodgy crankshaft position sensor messing with the computer module. Did you check the basics like battery voltage and grounds before diving into the ECU?