My smart is in the shop. It stayed overnight, since they can't figure out what it is- though not for trying. I resisted posting, just to wait it out, but maybe someone out there has some helpful ideas.
What happens: driving normally, mostly using auto-mode, when the engine light comes on, then rapidly, the car starts running VERY roughly, as if on one cylinder, and sounding like a 30 year old (badly running) Vespa. Then the light sometimes starts to flash.. then usually, I pull over turn off, restart a minute later and it's fine.. till it happens a day or so later.
1- It's *not* the loose gas cap issue. They also don't think it's valve related. It's still on its first tank and has gone 164 miles, all driven softly in break-in fashion.
2- This actually happened on the day-of-purchase test drive, before I took it home. The dealer was super cool, but horrified -kept it for the afternoon and eventually found one loose wire that wasn't tightened down.
3- Took it in yesterday just as a precaution (the light wasn't on, but figured they could read the code) and after the tech dropped me off and headed back to the shop, it did it for him (does that EVER happen that the mechanic actually gets to 'enjoy' the symptoms?)
4- They had it all day, they think it's the injector, but they switched it, and it's still doing it. They're also checking all the wiring. I'm posting to see if there are any other ideas out there..
The main suspect is water in the gas. Coincidently, the tanker truck was filling the station's tanks at the same time and the theory is that the process stirred or kicked up some water or other debris which ended up in the MINI tanks and caused all of the problems. 
Linear Mode
