The EML Light on Mini Cooper: Why Is It On? Reasons and Fixes

The EML (engine management light) on a MINI Cooper is the same as a CEL (check engine light) or MIL (malfunction indicator light) on other cars. And just like other warning lights that come on in vehicle dashboards, you'd want to quickly find out what's causing it, fix the problem, and perform a reset.

EML light highlights

• Common reasons:engine management system issues, electronic problems
• How to fix:check the codes, take the car in for inspection
• Possible consequences:badissues with electronics
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$200-$550

Causes of the EML Coming On in a Mini Cooper's Dashboard

1) Engine Problems

As mentioned earlier, the engine management light on your MINI Cooper may most likely indicate an issue with the engine. This is especially true if the vehicle is decelerating or slowing down on its own.

• Wrong Fuel-Air Ratio

The O2 (oxygen) sensor may detect that your Cooper is running on fuel that's too lean or rich (running rich or running lean). The fuel mixture is lean if there's a higher ratio of air to fuel than required. A rich air-fuel mixture means there's a lower concentration of air to fuel than necessary.

Running rich will cause poor fuel economy and decreased engine efficiency. On the other hand, running lean will cause the vehicle to jerk.

A wrong fuel-air ratio may be caused by bad sensors, fuel system problems, exhaust system issues, environmental factors, etc. Trace the culprit to strike a balance for optimal fuel combustion.

• Bad Sensors

An O2 sensor may be giving wrong signals about the air quantity because of a defect. Also, an air filter issue may damage the MAF (mass airflow) sensor, thereby ultimately leading to the illumination of the EML. The air filter may be wrongly installed, clogged, broken, or absent.

An MAF sensor is installed in the air filter housing or air intake duct or air filter housing to track air density as it goes into the engine intake. An oxygen sensor, on the other hand, tracks how much unburned oxygen is present in the exhaust as the processed gas goes out of your car.

The two sensors described above should be located and changed if they're defective. Faulty air filters need to be swapped out as well.

• Defective Fuel Pump

A damaged or worn-out fuel pump will lead to inadequate power to run your MINI. This will make the ECU reduce the fuel supply to protect the engine. A half-engine light may come on to tell you this. We've elaborated more on this in another section.

• ECU Malfunction

The EML may come on when your car is refusing to start and it may as a result of an ECU problem. One highly likely symptom may be an engine misfire. There should be many codes logged into your MINI's computer because of this. Scan the car with a scan tool to see them and fix the fault. You may have to swap out the unit.

• Bad Spark Plugs or Spark Plug Wires

You'll eventually need new spark plugs or spark plug wires after using your Cooper for a long period. The spark plugs produce a spark that lights up the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder, making your engine start and operate. Defective spark plugs or spark plug wires can bring about the following:

1) Engine misfire

2) Unnecessary increase in fuel consumption

3) Reduction in vehicle performance

4) Engine failure

Change the bad parts with standard or improved aftermarket replacements. But make sure that they're compatible with your MINI Cooper.

• Loose, Absent, Broken, or Poorly Placed Gas Cap

Fuel pressure can be reduced because of a damaged, absent, poorly positioned, or loose gas cap. The gas cap issue will cause the release of fuel vapors, increase emissions, and lead to poor fuel economy. Check the gas cap and/or install a new one.

2) Emissions Problems

Some engine problems may cause emissions issues. But there are cases where emissions issues occur without being triggered by faults in your engine.

• Bad Catalytic Converter

This fault is more likely to happen in higher-mileage vehicles, so take note of your Cooper's mileage. Failing or clogged catalytic converters will adversely affect the performance of the vehicle and its fuel economy.

3) Other Scenarios Depending on the Kind of EML Coming On

• Half-engine Light

A half-engine light showing on your MINI Cooper usually indicates an issue with the fuel pump. It may be illuminating as "half yellow and half black".

Your car may not have adequate fuel to produce optimal power, but you may be able to drive the vehicle at low speed. Check the fuel pump and see if it needs to be swapped out.

Note: The half EML could also illuminate to indicate a faulty catalytic converter, gas cap, mass airflow sensor, or oxygen sensor.

• Intermittent Engine Light

Ensure that you observe your vehicle's performance in this case by driving for a few minutes. It may be that a unit is about to fail and your vehicle may not start if you put it off.

• Constantly On Engine Light

This usually means that your Cooper's OBD system has detected a fault that needs to be fixed. A unit has definitely failed and needs urgent attention. The car may enter "limp mode" to manage the situation with minimal risks until the problem is dealt with.

• Flashing/Blinking Engine Light

This shouldn't be mistaken for an intermittent alert or the light occasionally flickering. A flashing EML is pointing to a major issue that needs you to STOP the car as soon as you can or is convenient.

Choosing Whether or Not To Deal with the EML the DIY Way

Since the EML can be triggered by just about anything, it's not worth your time trying to find out the cause of the alert DIY style sometimes. That's especially when your investigation gets prolonged after a few diagnoses or the OBD2 scan doesn't read any code.

You can help yourself by scanning the car with an OBD2 scan tool at least, if you have one. You'll be able to know if the fault can be fixed the DIY way or if it requires the touch of a "pro". For example, a loose gas cap or open fuel door is a minor issue that can be repaired without being an expert.

Nonetheless, as stated earlier the scan results may not show any code at the end of the OBD2 diagnosis. This should make your decision to proceed with DIY diagnoses/physical checks or not easier or rational.

Resetting the EML with a Scan Tool

You should be able to reset the EML by utilizing a sophisticated OBD2 scanning device. This is what the professional auto repairer will use while working on your MINI Cooper. But unless the issue that triggered the EML to come on is rectified, the light will return.

Try to get a MINI Cooper-compatible scan tool to save costs and time or avoid trips to the mechanic's auto repair shop. Some of them are not too expensive. However, you could just settle for an affordable standard code reader to only get the codes and know what's wrong with the car.

Try not to go for the substandard and cheap code readers or scanning devices because they can cause certain problems while being used. For example; hooking up a substandard tool may blow the instrument cluster fuse (same one for the rev counter and speedo) in the vehicle.

You could simply reset the engine light by driving for some time after fixing the problem that was triggering it to illuminate. But you can try the methods below if you aren't that lucky.

• Restart the vehicle - Rotate the ignition key to "on" and "off" two times and start the car.
• Use a diagnostic scanner - There may be a function for resetting the light on the device.
• Disconnect and reconnect the battery - 10 to 15 minutes.

Conclusion

The best thing to do when the engine management light comes on in your MINI Cooper's dash is to hire a professional mechanic in your area. If possible, you could take the vehicle to a reputable auto repair shop that's far away from your locality. This is because trying to resolve the problem on your own can be tedious or a waste of time.

Driving with the EML light on can lead to engine damage or further damage from the level it has already gotten to. Get the vehicle examined quickly as you should do with other warning/indicator lights that may be pointing to a serious problem. Thankfully, your MINI Cooper will most likely slow down on its own to minimize the risks.