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Mini Countryman engine control malfunction

My 2016 Mini Countryman diesel has decided it no longer wants to play ball. Engine control malfunction warning popped up, and now it won't even start. No amount of sweet-talking or pleading seems to help. Could bad cable connections of the battery really be the culprit, or am I looking at a full-blown engine software meltdown or even ECU failure?

4 comment(s)

Engine light, eh? And it won't start? Sounds familiar. I had something similar happen with my Countryman. Did you notice any engine surge beforehand? Could be a fuel injection issue. Have you checked the simple things first, like the battery terminals? Is everything clean and tight?

Engine surge, huh? I hadn't noticed anything like that, but I'm not always the most observant. The battery terminals looked okay, but maybe I should double-check. When you say 'similar,' are we talking 'identical symptoms, same fix' similar? Or just vaguely in the same ballpark?

Well, 'identical' might be pushing it, but the symptoms were damn close. Engine light, refusal to start, general feeling of impending doom. I'd definitely give those battery connections a proper going-over. If that doesn't do it, honestly, I'd bite the bullet and get it to a workshop. Could save you a fortune in the long run. These things can be tricky, and you don't want to risk making it worse.

It was dodgy cable connections at the battery. Cleaned them up, tightened everything, and she's purring again. Cost me 155€ at the workshop, but better than a full ECU failure. Thanks for the input.

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