Mini Says "Engine Fault, Reduced Power" – Reasons and Fixes

If your Mini Cooper is showing some error message on the screen, especially the one connected with the engine power, it's worth having a look and paying attention to that. Whenever it says "Engine Fault", you may start fainting or getting high blood pressure just because of thinking how much it is to repair the engine in the dealership. But things may not be that bad!

Engine fault, reduced power message highlights

• Common reasons:code in the ECU, a potential problem with engine
• How to fix:check the codes, make sure the engine works well
• Possible consequences:potential engine damage
• Priority level:High
• Can you drive?Carefully
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$200-$1,500

Symptoms that accompany the "Engine Fault, Reduced Power" message

Well, the Mini is not one of the most reliable cars out there and it will sometimes throw a message or two to keep you in shape. The "Engine Fault, Reduced Power" is not the most common message you will see in your car though. It means that, most likely, something happened with the fuel supply, exhaust, or electronics in the engine system and the engine is now in limp mode.

The limp mode is the special mapping that seriously limits the power and functions of your car. In most cases, you will be able to drive but you will not like how your Mini drives. The power, acceleration, and speed will be seriously reduced.

Here are some symptoms that may come with this message:

• your engine may make some sounds and vibrate - this is a sign that something is really wrong;
• the message will not only tell you that there is a fault, but it will also inform you of what you may or may not do now;
• if you try driving, you will notice that the power of your Mini is seriously affected;
• also, the engine may idle unevenly because of the issues with electronics and some problems with the limp mode mapping;
• you may notice that the car sounds differently when you drive it, this is yet another sign that the problem may be serious.

But sometimes, you may notice no other symptoms but the message on your dash and limited engine power. Also, this message may stay constantly or go away after you restart the car. This depends on what exactly triggered the message. You should treat it more or less the same as the check engine light in older cars.

Unfortunately, the Mini won't give you any other hints that would help you find out what exactly is wrong with the car. But if you have a good code scanner, you may find out more. Read the error codes and then google those codes to see if you can match the symptoms with the problem you have. But let's have a look at the possible reasons for this message first.

What can trigger the "Engine Fault" message in your Mini?

There are several things that can throw this message. But when we are talking about the Mini, it usually happened with the cars made between 2012 and 2015. Usually, those were turbocharged vehicles. And usually, these problems were quite hard to locate or migrated from one thing to another. This makes the owners pay hundreds for diagnostics and still get no good and precise information.

Here's what you may want to check:

1. Fuel injectors

In Mini cars that use BMW engines fuel injectors are one of the most common things that may need replacement. These injectors may start leaking fuel into cylinders when not needed and this will cause engine knocking and issues with the emissions. Immediately, your engine sensors will catch it and will throw the message. Injectors are hard to diagnose and this can only be done by professionals.

2. Fuel pump

Another unit that can cause various fuel injection issues is the pump. In the majority of Mini vehicles, you will have two pumps. The one in the fuel tank is almost never faulty while the high-pressure fuel pump is going to cause some problems sooner or later. It means the car may have low fuel pressure and will not be able to work at full power.

3. Spark plugs and ignition coils

If your engine control unit registers misfiring, it will throw the "Engine Fault, Reduces Power" message and will use the backup mapping to avoid engine damage. Misfiring means that one or several cylinders don't work at all or just miss some cycles. This may happen because one of the spark plugs just doesn't produce the needed spark. Or the coil is faulty and doesn't send the needed signal to the spark plug.

The only way to deal with this is to replace the faulty unit. Also, the error code in this case will be P0300 or any specific P0301, P0302, etc. This means that one of the cylinders (or several of them) isn't working properly.

4. The turbocharger is faulty

Unfortunately, turbochargers in modern engines don't last as long as engines. They may have issues with oil leaks, some parts may go loose. This will lead to issues with the power and performance of your engine. Once the problem is noticeable for sensors, the engine control unit will throw a code and you will see the "Reduced Power" message on the dash. There is nothing much you can do about the turbo problems on your own, so you should plan your visit to the dealer or shop.

5. Exhaust problems

One more possible issue is the problem with the exhaust system. In all modern cars, the emission system is vitally important and once it malfunctions, you may see all kinds of different error messages and warnings. Your Mini has several sensors that measure the emissions and they will limit the power of your car if something is wrong.

Mini cars often have EGR valves, they all have catalytic converters and oxygen sensors that can go bad and trigger one of these messages. Checking them without professional equipment is not possible.

6. Electronics

One of the engine sensors may have gone bad and now the ECU doesn't get the full information about the work of the engine. This may be the reason why you see the "Engine Fault, Reduced Power" message in your Mini. Also, some of the wires may be damaged and this may also cause this problem.

The ECU in any Mini car gathers information from dozens of different sensors and operates it to give the needed signals to various actuators and solenoids. Also, it uses the information to make sure that everything is working properly. When something is wrong, the ECU may not always detect what, so it may just throw one of the generic codes or messages to draw your attention to the problem.

7. The battery

Low battery voltage makes your Mini go crazy. It may throw almost any random error messages and act as a totally uncontrolled vehicle. So, the battery is always the first thing to check whenever you see error messages and warning lights on the dash of your vehicle.

Can you drive with this issue?

When your Mini tells you that the power is reduced and there is a problem with the engine, you shouldn't ignore that, for sure. Even if you want to ignore the problem, it will actually limit the power of your engine dramatically, so ignoring it isn't an option.

Usually, under the warning message, you will also see a little explanation that will tell you whether you can or can't drive further. You better take it seriously. If your Mini asks you to stop, just stop immediately. Otherwise, you may damage your engine.

But if the warning message says that you can continue driving, just plan your route to the nearest repair shop or dealership. Even if you get rid of this message after a minute or two, it can reappear and leave you stranded just at the wrong moment.

What are the DIY methods to cope with the problem?

Although the likely reason for this message is hard to locate and fix, sometimes you may try to temporarily solve the issue.

Here's what you can do on your own:

• Restart the vehicle. Stop the engine for several minutes and then start it back. The problem may disappear if it was just some glitch with the sensors.
• Disconnect the battery. When you are googling for problems with your smartphone or laptop, the internet tells you to turn it off and on again. With the Mini it may work just like this - disconnect the battery to reset the control units and see if the problem is gone.
• Check the battery voltage. If the voltage is lower than 12.5 volts when the engine is off, you may need a new battery or at least to recharge the old one.
• Get a scanner and read codes. Even a cheap ELM scanner can help you read some codes in the ECU and find out what exactly happened with your car.

Even if after disconnecting the battery you can drive your Mini, it doesn't mean that the problem will not reappear. You will need to go to the specialist and have the car inspected.

Don't ignore the problem and don't drive your Mini for a long time with this message on the dash. This may lead to serious engine damage and other issues that will cost you much more to solve.