So I haven't updated on this car in awhile. It mostly has just been sitting. But I have started to tinker with it again. It still doesn't run right, but it's getting better. I found that the purge valve had fallen off because the bolt that holds it on was missing, and the line that goes to the intake had came off. I put it back and hooked up the line, ran better, but not right. So I ordered a new purge valve and it came in today, so I installed it. I also put a new Mass airflow sensor on it today. I found out something the other night that I didn't like, Right after I got the car, a friend of mine put new valve cover gaskets, coils, and sparkplugs in it. I was out of town at the time and I wasn't able to inspect the parts. I figured those items were good to go. Well I found out he cut the valve cover gasket. He said it was to big, so he cut a piece out of it and put gasket maker on it. I pulled the valve cover off today. The gasket maker was gone, and there was about a 1/4" gap in the gasket. That was probably most of the oil leak it had (drain plug was leaking too). I inspected the valve cover and found it was bad. It's warped, and looks like it got hot, or was way over tightened at some point. The valve cover isn't any good. $200.00 at the parts store. $65.00 on ebay, waiting on that to come in. Really nothing else to change. I'm surprised this car even ran with all the parts I've replaced. 90% of what I've replaced was bad. Here's what's been replaced so far. Engine VVT Variable Valve Timing Control Solenoid VANOS, both of them (one definitely bad, and not the right one for the car). Connector to the exhaust VVT (broken from some asshat trying to plug it into the wrong VVT), Front hood shocks (tired of using a piece of wood), Temperature sensor (probably wasn't bad), Coils and sparkplugs (questionable on there condition, I never saw the old ones), Purge valve (probably bad), Mass airflow sensor (who knows, wasn't very expensive, so why not?) , Oil and filter (it needed it), and waiting on valve cover and gaskets (definitely bad). I also replaced and repaired the gears in the sunroof motor (gears stripped). That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

kenatminimania, I replaced the coolant temperature sensor, I have not replaced the thermostat housing. It just seems like you have to stand back and throw money at these things, and everything is at least a hundred dollars. I'm ready to go back to my Classic Mini. These things aren't easy to figure out. Before I got this car it was at a shop that said they couldn't figure it out.

It 'sounds like' the car is not configuring for cold temp conditions - which leads me to think maybe the temp sensor is defective? It may not be telling the computer to richen up the mixture for cold conditions...  Have you ever replaced the thermostat housing?

According to the bentley manual, here are the definitions, 

F3 - not used
F7 - trailer socket
F15 - automatic transmission control
F43 - rollover protection
F44 - front cigar lighter / rear utility socket

So now I'm thinking it might be the fuel tank purge valve. Of course it's $100.00 plus for the purge valve. I drive a 2016 Ram ProMaster City all over the midwest. It started to stall after a fill up. It would start just fine, but in a few hundred feet it would stall, and be hard to start. Once it started back up it would be fine. I replaced the fuel tank purge valve with another one I had, and the problem went away. I have a new purge valve in the door pocket just in case.

We get the odd misfire on both R56 of our non-S Coopers (2009 & 2012).  I replaced the solenoids on both cars with NO CHANGE to either car, so now I just pretend I don't see the error code on the dash from time to time.  

Sorry - not much help - again !

kenatminimania, I looked at the car today. Removing the oil cap doesn't seem to make any difference. What I did find is when the car warms up, it idles and runs just fine. When it's cold it won't idle. When cold, it starts right up, idles for a few seconds, then dies. Starts right back up, but won't idle. You have to feather the throttle to keep it running. It runs fine above 3000RPM when the engine is cold. Once warmed up, it runs just fine. I haven't checked the fuses. The fuse box cover on the passenger side kick panel was off when I got the car. I'm not sure what some of the fuses do. Here's what the diagram looks like. The fues I'm unsure about are fuse F3, F7, F15, F43, AND F44. Thanks, Dean

I haven't tried starting it without the oil cap, I'll do that. Right now I'm trying to get the sunroof closed. I had the bright idea to see if everything worked, including the sunroof. Good news, it works, bad news, it won't close all the way. I pulled the sunroof motor today and found that the plastic gear is cracked, and some teeth are missing. I ordered a new gear on ebay. Should be here in a few days. When I get the top closed I can park it outside again.

Maybe a vacuum leak or maybe a PCV valve / valve cover issue?

Does it idle any different with the oil cap removed?

Don't know about the burnt valve. I have a bore scope and will be taking a look. I replaced the engine temperature sensor and it runs better, no popping through the intake now. What it does now is starts right up idles for a few seconds, then stalls. Starts right back up, but you have to feather the throttle to keep it running. Once it revs up to about 3 grand it runs good. I really haven't spent much time looking at the car. Oh and now the sunroof is stuck open. I really need to stick to older cars.

burnt valve? just a wild guess...

Haven't messed with the MINI much. I did wire up the VVT sensor that had the busted clip. Car starts and sounds good, other than it pops through the intake. I put a code reader on it today and it gives me code P0300, random cylinder misfire. I'll look into that tomorrow.

ve9aa, I much prefer working on older stuff, but this hasn't been bad. Had hoped to work on it this week, but now it looks like I will be in Des Moines tomorrow, Wright City MO. Tuesday, Chicago Wednesday, Peoria on Thursday, and probably back to Wright City on Friday. Didn't plan on all that, but whatever. Hoping to wire up the sensor over the weekend.

We get misfire codes on our 2009 MINI and 2012 MINIs (non-S) all-the-time. 

One (2009) got so bad it had a hard time going up a hill on the highway.  I bought a coil (the car has 4, one sticks in each spark plug hole) and replaced it and problem solved.

The other (2012) has 1 bad oil seal on the plug (valve cover o-ring_) and it gets oil sitting down in there on one spark plug.

Both cars idle perfectly however.  I just haven't got around to replacing the valve cover gasket and o-rings.

We also had another code prevalent on both cars and it was related to some solenoid in/on/near the top/back of the head..sorry
it's been a few years, but I replaced it and it made zero difference.

Sometimes these OBD-II codes are just not correct !

(I much prefer working on my 1987 vintage machine)

Not much help......

So, here's what I found today. I bought a compression gauge that fits the spark plug hole. Starting with #1 130, #2 135, #3 90, #4 145. #3 is concerning, but I'm not to concerned about it at this point. What I am concerned about is I pulled the VVT sensors again, and they are two different sensors. The intake sensor says "made in China" on it, the exhaust sensor doesn't say anything on it. The real problem is that the exhaust sensor plug in is different than the plug. The plug was broken and I had to put a zip tie on it to hold it onto the sensor. What I didn't see the first time is that the plug won't go in far enough to let the wires connect. So the front sensor was never making contact, even though it looked like it was. So I'm going to get at least one sensor, and I need to replace the sensor plug. Probably going to a Pick n Pull that has a wrecked MINI and cut the plug off, and maybe take both sensors if I can. So whoever worked in this before I got it replaced at least one sensor, and broke the connector because it didn't fit. Probably won't get to do anymore on it until I get a sensor, and repair the plug.

Kenatminimania, My buddy read the codes when I was out of town. The only one I remember him saying is a cylinder 3 miss fire. I need to get a compression gage that will fit the MINI sparkplug holes, mine won't fit. I'll check the compression. If that's ok, I'll put it back together and check the codes again.

Are there any fault codes recorded in the computer via the OBD port?

Well I cleaned the VVT sensors today, didn't really help. It will idle now, but still doesn't run right until 3000 RPM. I'm going to pull the sparkplugs tomorrow and do a compression check. It runs good, and sounds good above 3000 RPM. I found VVT sensors on eBay pretty cheap. I wonder if they're any good? They're like $60.00 apiece at the parts store, and probably just the same as the eBay ones.

My mechanic friend and I help each other out. He's younger and likes the newer stuff, I do the older stuff, as well as any fabrication we need. He has a Lexus with a 1000HP J2 motor in it. It's a street car. Single turbo. It's crazy fast. I'll look at the MINI tomorrow. I was in Sioux Fall South Dakota for two days.

Engines are so finicky. So many components that contribute to one issue. Each alone may be cheap, but if not repaired or replaced, they can bring down the rest of the engine in a hard way. Hopefully none of the small problems have dug in too deep to create larger ones. Sounds like you're on the right path. And if your mechanic friend works for beer, that makes it better on your wallet. 

I read about the VVT solenoid, and watched a youtube video of a guy replacing his. Pretty simple, but pricey. The Dorman one was about $70.00. I'm hoping I can keep the cost to get it running right to less than $500.00.