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
I have a 2003 mini cooper s with 143 miles on it and it has the EP light on some times it will turn on and off but now is stable but i seen the one of my battery terminals is loosen might that be the problem please help
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! This exact thing happened to me today. I have a 2006 with 58,000 miles. Two weeks ago, I paid $1200.00 for service & repairs. This past Thursday, my car was dogging...didn't want to shift for a few seconds or so, but then was fine. Later that day or the next morning, the "service engine" indicator came on. Yesterday, I noticed the EP indicator. Today, I had to get jump started. I am so glad I found your post. Thank you for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteFix your problem or the light came back?
DeleteThank yu I own a 2002 model and it started showing the EP light and it slows down on its own even if I try to accelerate
ReplyDeleteOMG! I'm So glad I saw this! My EP light and SES light came on right after I accidentally drove it a block with the E brake on. Then I found a post on how to reset the light, it worked, light turned off, and so did the EP. However the next day, I tried to start my car and nothing. It took the tries before it started. I had been having really odd electrical issues the week prior also, like my radio not turning off with the car, or my windshield wipers turning on when I started the car. Those issues would come and go. Now,today, as I said I had trouble getting it to start,but once I did I don't have an issue after that BUT out of no where ,heading down the street it sounds as if my exhaust fell off! I turned the car off. Gave it about 45mins and when I started it again,it made the same sound. Wouldn't you know it, half way home however,the noise went away and all was Normal (except the EP and SES light). So, this gives me hope that I can just replace the battery. Fingers crossed
ReplyDeleteYeap... have a 2006 Mini Cooper S.... EP came on.. car did tried to start next day. Took to get battery checked... dead battery. Let's see what happens next.
ReplyDeleteMy car is doing the same thing! I don't think it's my battery because I am also getting very high revs with almost no power. I had my catalytic converter changed about a week ago and it was fine for a few days (it's been driven twice since the change) and now my car is back to a horrible squealing sound and a high pitch hum with the embarrassingly low power to go with it. 😞 I am going to the mechanic tomorrow so hopefully they can figure it out. Mines a 2004 mini with about 160000 miles on it so I may just attempt to chop it in.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know what they tell you mine is doing the same even went as far as my paddle shifters quit working and wouldn't come out of second
DeletePlease let me know what they're doing also I have issue
DeleteThe EP indicator came on the other day on my Cooper S 2005. I changed the battery but the EP was still displayed. I drove it to my local Mini centre and they wanted £150 to run a diagnostic check. I thought I would go to a local independent. When I got back into the car as I left Mini, the EP warning sign had gone and it was back to normal.
ReplyDeleteSpooky!!
I was somewhat relieved
Thanks for the post. Had the EP/low revving problem with my 2006 MINI. It had the original battery (in 2017). Replaced the battery with a new charged one, and the car started operating normally right away, and 'EP' disappeared after 2 or 3 mins of driving. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteMechanic Servicing Perth, Accredited Log Book Service. Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Mini, Porsche & VW Specialists. Servicing German cars in Perth since 1999
ReplyDeletemini repair
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ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! I had the same "EP" problem with my 2006 MINI, still with 11 years old original battery.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I've read this post, today I was at the garage to let the battery checked. It was on 38% performance, with big risk to fail completely in the very next future.
After replacing the battery against a new one and clearing the error log the CVT is back to normal function.
This post might have saved me a lot of money. Thnks again!
Today, I had to get jump started
ReplyDeleteI've gotta mini cooper 2006- low mileage, auto.
ReplyDeleteNot sure exactly but it seems that when i go over 50mph the EP alert appears. This happened last week, and the RAC did a diagnostic- ihe guy said he couldnt detect any probs with it, and the EP just reset with his diagnostics stuff. Anyway today driving over 50mph, the EP light came on again.. it seems to drive OK- low revs though- i think.
Any help?
Thank you for this post I too 2006 & EP light is also on. (My mechanic suggestef to get rid of it..sell it....) I've already put in 6,000. Including a new battery etc... At this point EP light is still on.
ReplyDeletePlease help
ReplyDeleteTiene que ser la bataria origuinal? Yo e estado a punto dencomprar un mini 2003 con ese problema tiene ep y nomas llega a 40millas y no entra cambio. Me dicen que dejaron las lucen encendidas y descargo lanpila y cuando lo encendieron apareciero ep
ReplyDeleteHi i am also driving an R50 2005 mini cooper auto transmission fails to shift gears and starts reving very high at low speed. The battery is new only 6 months old the diagnostics keep telling me unknown code p1178. Can someone who has had this problem before and solved it let us know how he/she did it coz nothing is helping here
ReplyDeleteSearch YouTube for MJR Performance, video is called mini cvt fix. He shows how to delete the adaptations (software) in the ecm (computer) that controls the transmission. Then you use the shifter as the mouse to reprogram the ecm. If a new battery doesn't fix your car then try this video before costly transmission repairs.
ReplyDeleteSo my EP light popped on while sitting in my car playing the radio and charging my phone in standby mode. So i found this forum on Google well I had already replaced my battery prior less than a year ago and they said my alternator might be going since I have a 2003 mini automatic. All I did was turn off radio, stop charging phone, and went for a little cruise in the parking lot and the EP light went away. So just in case its because your taxing the battery too much here's my two cents. Lets see if it starts later.
ReplyDeleteHave min Cooper 2004 mileage 89000km some times it displays EP indicator but according to my fellow friends above does it means it's thefault of the battery or help me on this
ReplyDeleteWho can help me with this one ck engine lite on ep is on still drives fine now my tire lite and malfunction lite goes on ep goes off now the car wont shift now my brake lite and abs lite flickers on and off my temperature gauge goes to hot then goes down to normal. I had my transmission rebuilt a year and a half ago.i guess my battery is still good no problem starting it's my second one. Need advice
ReplyDeleteSorry 2006s 74000 miles
ReplyDeleteWe took ours to the garage for the EP light on and the car stalling out. The garage told us that the transmission just needed flushed! Wow, this might help other Mini Cooper owners!
ReplyDeletei got my mini cooper 2003 model from copart getting to house i discover that the transmission got broken under, i bought a new transmission but still showing EP, the transmission is not sellecting nomal,i was advise to buy cvt transmission rotaional sensor, pls help thanks
ReplyDeleteI am having CVT issues to I just put a charger on my battery. First it was going into R only... changed battery and did a hard reset before putting new battery in positive cable to Negative cable, then put battery in ... EP mode Guessing the hard reset drained the battery more to re-juice everything up. See if the charge does the trick. I will let you know. I still need to recalibrate the clutch so hopefully this works.
ReplyDeleteI have mini s2006 change oil filter and solenoid valve
ReplyDeleteNow ep light shift hard in drive and reverse