Being gifted 2009 Mini Cooper s

[Macsimone]

My adult daughter bought the 2009 s used in 2014. Carfax showed it was clean. It ran well and she regularly maintained it. In 2019 she bought a Mercedes suv and parked the car. She moved to another city and does not need or want the mini. Her son tried to start it up three weeks ago. Battery was dead, but AAA go it started. Check engine light was on. It was not on when my daughter stopped using it in July 2019. Her son drove it a few days. It was hard starting. Engine would stall, it would pop (maybe he meant backfire). After mini’s reluctance to wake up, it would run fine. The check engine light didn’t go off. Took it to mini dealership where they supposedly changed plugs and some or maybe all the injectors, timing belt was also changed. Check engine light went out for a couple of days. Back to mini service dept for more analysis. Service advisor says carbon build up is the problem and we can blast the N14 motor for $1300. Daughter says no and tells her son the car is his. He takes on the challenge and finds an indy shop that will walnut blast the motor for just $800. My grandson gets it done. No check engine light for two or three days then it lights up. Back to indy shop. We think the problem maybe the injectors. My grandson say no mas. Here comes grandfather, “You guys are not going to junk that beauty are you? “Why? You want it?”, as they both add LOL to their text messages. I say, “Sure, why not? Let’s keep ole Zippy Joy in the family. I will drive through two states to get her.”

I am leaving in the morning.

Hoping you Mini forum members may have positive suggestions. I have heard all kinds of negative suggestions from my dear wife. A wife seldom with wrong opinions. I’m hard headed and seldom admit mama was right till the machine is no longer recognizable as its original self. So, I’m hoping you ready to share with this retired old fart what he can try to get the check engine light to go out? Please don’t suggest disconnecting the back light wire. I tried that a few car generations ago and the end result was not pretty.

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[crazy4trains]

So, what happened? Did you get the car and get it revived?