Hi all.

I'm new here. I currently drive a 1999.5 VW Jetta with 199,347 miles on it. I found a 2003 R50 5 speed with 85,000 miles for $2800. It has a little damage in the rear bumper cover where someone backed into it. It also has a little damage on the drivers side A-Panel here the owner turned the tire on their other car into the Mini. It's a Pepper White with black leather interior car. It does not have heated seats. Ivan replace the A-Panel and rear bumper cover with salvage parts the same color and hopefully not be too noticeable, but what ELSE should I look for? What noises, other than the timing chain tensioner, should I listen for? What about the clutch? How stiff are they usually? Anything to check on the clutch? It also has a broken hatch hinge. He had the replacement hinges.

Thanks in advance, I'm looking forward to your recommendations!

Zach

 

The 5 speed Midland tranny was used up till the start of the 2005 model year...
They tend to fail on cars driven hard....so listen for odd sounds, etc...
Check the coolant level...thermostat housing/gasket failures are common...
Timing chain tensioner is really only an issue on gen2 (2007+) cars...they can fail on gen1 tritec cars, but not epidemic like on the next generation motor...
Lower control arm bushings tend to go....
And listen to how it runs...all mini's need premium fuel (usually 1 point above midgrade in my area)...folks sometimes use cheaper 87...can be OK for a bit, but valves get hot, soft, and wear...misfires start, and you need a valve job.....
Make sure the PS pump works...it DOES have an extended warrenty...but covers the pump and fan, but NOT the hoses or rack...

 

Welcome to the forum, I think you find all the answers here although I think sometimes the search function doesn't work so well. Spend some time looking through this forum, don't be put off by so many old post dates since this model is over 12 years old most things on it were sorted out years ago. 2003 was a nice build, popular on the race track.

You mentioned the clutch specifically, so I will offer that lubing the clutch cable and flushing the clutch fluid is a relatively quick and easy job - either yourself or a shop can do it for not much money. It will feel like a brand new clutch when those are done.

 

Which cable? Are you talking about the shifter?

 

Yes, I am pretty sure that model is like mine in that it has a cable running to the transmission as a part of the shifter mechanism. I think the clutch on your model shares fluid with the brakes,(my 2008 is), so both are flushed at the same time.

 

Well, I bought it. I found a paintless dent removal guy who quoted me $350 to fix the A-Panel, drivers door and rear bumper. The transmission makes a whine under acceleration and deceleration. I normally would've passed on it, but I got it for $2200 with 85k on it. The interior is leather and in great shape. The hatch hinge needs replaced but the car came with two new ones. I'm going to replace the transmission fluid and see if it helps any with the noise. I figure if the transmission needs rebuilt or replaced I could sell it as a parts car and get my $2200 back.
About the hatch... The previous owner wasn't very mechanically inclined. When I went to look at it he had both struts still attached. The right side was pushed out an inch or so and he had the hatch held closed with a tie down strap. I removed the strut on that side and was able to get the hatch closed. The hood/hatch light in the speedometer stays lit. Any ideas?

Also, the check engine light is on. It comes back with a 0455 Evap code. The gas cap light came on briefly then went out. Is there a way to clear the check engine light?

 

Another thing... The drivers side door doesn't lock or unlock with either the dash switch or key fob. The pass side does. Any ideas what I can check?

 

No such thing as a "cheap mini"....
Sounds like your tranny is bad...
And it goes on from there....bad boot hinges...shame, basic lubing by the prior owner would have prevented that...you might want to check your coolant level too...just a guess...wonder how many issues the car has...ouch!!
Any cheap $45 odb2 reader should clear the light when fixed?!..but guess you could read the code so you should own one....never seen many read only units.....
And that " gas cap light"...lol...you are sophisicated enough to pull a code, but call it a gas cap light?! It can mean anything...it usually flashes during a misfire... Might want to check for codes again...remember what I said about needing 90+ octane but many folks use 87...burns valves out....

 

Well, I was sophisticated enough to go to an auto parts store and have THEM pull the code. I don't have an obd reader, but theirs read 0455 Evap code. State law says they're not allowed to clear the code anymore. I called it a gas cap light instead of "check filler cap". Better? I figured for $2200 I could sell it as a parts car. The coolant is clean and full. The engine is quiet and runs well. I can put new hinges on it. Anyone have any idea about the interior light or drivers door?

 

Didn't mean to come off sounding like I was making fun of you...
We just get lots of trolls...and many of them are vw/suburu folks....
I would suggest you take the door card off...the interior panel...a few diy's around, but you basicly look at the bottom edge of the door...and a couple screw/bolts come out, then take the ones out that are recessed in the handles on the inside....mine is a 2005+ "refresh" so slightly different...but pretty easy...then look around...
I'm thinking the prior owner had a boden cable issue, and hooked the new unit up wrong or used a cheap eBay copy....heck might not be connected right...
Could compare it to the right side...
Realoem.com is a great side for skematics and estimates for OEM part costs if you poke around...
The coolant check was cause many cars have a leaky thermostat gasket...easy fix, but many owners never look...and result is an overheat and head gasket....so I'd keep an eye on it for a few weeks.

 

It did come across a little "looking down your nose-ish", but I've been married for ten years. You don't scare me! Back to the car. I swapped relays for the washer pump. I now have front washer sprayers. The hatch hinges would've been SOOO much easier without the little plastic....finger rippers...for lack of a better term right where you need to get your fingers to remove the 13mm nut from the back of the hinge. After getting everything squared up and tight I can close the hatch. This takes care of two OTHER annoyances. The "hood/hatch" open light in the speedo, (correct terms? Lol) and the interior light staying on for 16 minutes. Apparently I wasn't able to shut it all the way with the busted hinge. Now I just need to get the door lock working (not a big deal, really), the check engine light on the tach shut off, and the transmission noise sorted out. Other than that the car's a ball to drive. I can't imagine an S...

All kidding aside, I appreciate the help.