ISSUE:
Man oh man! Please read Mini owners! Don't make a mistake I almost made. I am hoping this post will help Mini owners because this seems to happen to most first generation models. I have a 2003 Mini Cooper with automatic transmission and very low miles, only 83,000. A few months ago the display read EP where the gear indicator usually appears. I read tons of forums, as well as a small section in the manual about this indicator light and all the responses said it's a transmission issue or a faulty transmission light. Also, I read a lot of Mini Coops were sold with a faulty transmission. I assumed my car was one of those because my car has very low miles and has been well maintained. So, I took it to AAMCO for the free engine light check service. That was a waste of time because they said they couldn't check the transmission but gave me a list of codes and said the estimated cost to fix a transmission would be $2800-$4800.
SOLUTION:
My next step was to sell my car before it was no longer operable. Well, my car is already paid off, so I posted my car on Autotrader. Since I posted the car with transmission issues it was hard for me to sell it. Which, was a good thing in my situation.
REALIZATION:
After a month, one day my car didn't start. I was upset because I was planning on showing it to a potential buyer. Until.... I realized it was the battery! For some reason, the battery indicator light never turned on but just the EP light. Might be because of the first generation model. I wasn't sure if it was truly the battery, until I checked and the original battery was still installed. It was definitely the battery!!! I would have sold my car for dirt cheap and some person would have won the lottery when they realized it just needed a battery replacement.
SPECIAL NOTE
Granted this might be just my situation. However, not many mechanics know what the EP indicator means (nor does Mini Cooper). So, they assume the transmission(and why not it's a $3,000 to $5, 000 service). So, just make sure it isn't the battery before you sell it or pay to replace the transmission to any untrustworthy mechanic, who will just fix something because they are unsure of the issue.
Possible Signs
- Car completely dies out, while stopped
- EP light will appear and then disappear
- When EP light is stable - Don't DRIVE! Your car may be unoperable at any moment!
Hope this helps! Your fellow Mini owner
