Going back to something I was asking about earlier in this thread......

Does anyone have a good drawing showing exactly where the crankcase vents into the intake.?

HHH

 

Bad gas, call them on it. Get it in writing, send it to the gasoline company (hope you have gas receipts) then have them pay the bill (if you are stuck with the bill) threatening a lawsuit. I'm sure things will get resolved quickly after that. One of those two companies is lying. Its a shame we have to bring in lawyers to protect us from corporate greed.

 

Does anyone have an email address for something above MINIUSA? Like, for example, the the UK MINI corporate headquarters?

We need to start an email campaign at a level where something can be accomplished. (MINIUSA refers you back to the local dealership, & that's where it stops.) We need to register our problem(s) with them while letting them know this is "only the 1st step." Legal action would be the next step. The people who got MINI to replace the exhaust tips (insignificant problem in my opinion) probably had to resort to a law suite. But, it really shouldn't have to escelate to that level if they take care of the problem.

If someone can find a good email address, I'll be happy to lead the charge. We like our MCS. We would like for MINI to find a "fix" for the problem. We just don't want to have to have to fight with the local service dept. the next time #4 intake carbons up. Life's too short.

HHH

 

HHH, have you checked MINI2 site for this issue and maybe contact info? The participants are mostly Brits and other Europeans.

 

MINIUSA should have options other than referring you back to the local dealer. I know there's a regional system in place, because a regional representative sometimes has to be brought in to determine warranty eligibility when the local dealer can't make the call.

For instance, I have a tiny bit of wear on my convertible top. The dealer said it wasn't bad enough for them to be able to warranty a top replacement, but they told me that if I wanted to, I could have them call in a regional rep, and if they judged the wear to be bad enough then the dealer would replace the top.

 

Ok got my MINI back 2 days, they cleared the check engine codes said it was bad gas again, with 15% alcohol, I signed the ticket but made notes on their copy saying I didn't agree with their findings. Finished off the so called bad tank of gas, filled upped with Shell 93 octane. Drove about 100 hundred miles on the new tank. So today I go out in 30 degree weather and the car is hard to start miss-firing and I get a check engine light.
Can anyone suggest what I can do? Should I file a complaint with MINI USA? This will be the third time in the past 30 days that this has happened the two previous times they blamed it on bad gas. Of course it only does this when it is cold outside.

 

Thanks for the lead. I joined MINI2 &, among other interesting threads, found this:

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-f...r-4300rpm.html

Very interesting!

HHH

 

just for the record....worst it's ever been. "Sounds" like a bad engine problem. Very loud clatter which lasted about 3 minutes, which seems like forever under these conditions. Car had been off for about 12 hours and the ambient temp was around 50 degrees F...so not that long and not that cold. I plan on calling dealership tommorrow....not expecting much.

 

Somehow we need to take this problem above the dealership level. They seem to be spring loaded to the "it's not our problem; it's your fault" position.

HHH

 

If you think a dealer is blowing you off and blaming "bad gas" because it's an easy way for them to dodge responsibility, either use the directions I posted earlier in this thread to test the ethanol content of your gas or get an ethanol test kit like this one.

You really can't lose - either you'll have proof to stick in the dealer's face and force them address the issue (if your gas really is fine), or you'll know for certain that the dealer's right, and you can start shopping elsewhere for gas.

 

Newbie here, I'll try to keep short..Been driving for 42 yrs. and No Bad Gas issues in any autos or motorbikes..Allways run in midrange of powerband..Autos last 250-300K..and I expect my MC will go 200K..Gotta say BMW is full of it!...Poor/lack of quality control...I'm considering Mini....But?

 

I forgot to mention I drive 04 TDI direct inject...many of us Tdi drivers install a crankcase vent oil trap ( mann-Provent ) to reduce crankcase oil mist (vapor) and condensation from entering back into intake tract to reduce sludge accumulation in the intake manifold... Mini 's #4 cyl. might be affected this way?

 

The point I want to make with MINI is that even if I were burning bad gas (which I'm not & never have), it couldn't be causing the carbon build-up in the intake because the gas is directly injected into the combustion chamber.

BTW, when I was butting heads with the service dept., they tested my gas & said it was fine. I thought their test was rather pointless. It told them that that single tank was O.K. How about the 50+ tanks prior?

HHH

 

Ok Round Three.....After a dreadful weekend of horrible starts I video taped me trying to start my MINI this morning,it was 15 degrees and took about 7 minutes before it was smooth enough to be driven, the check engine light came on each time I tried to start it (17 times) . Drove to work, about 55 mile trip, all highway miles so I had time to really run though the power band. Ran fine after about 15 minutes into the drive. Had the same issue at lunch, but taped the experience again. In a fit of rage I went directly to the MINI dealer, got a hold of the service manager explained my troubles in his office, brought the tech in who diagnosed the bad batches of gas who admitted the bad gas normally doesn't register a check engine light yet the last visit had 7 instances of check engine light. Service Manager admitted that they (BMW)have had a rash of "bad gas" in the region this winter and may have overlooked the real problem with my hard starts. They are keeping it over night again and will try to replicate the starting issues in the morning when it is supposed to be 20 degrees. I mentioned my tape but they did appear to be interested. Wish me luck I will post the results once I hear back from them. FYI my MINI is a MCS with 49000 miles.

 

Doesn't a mfr. date of 5/2007 make it a 2006 model? Is this the right forum (I'm not sure where the breakpoint is)?

 

I've been following a similar thread on the mostly UK/European site, MINI2 (click on my link in #132 above). A guy in the UK just got his engine & turbo replaced. There is some suspicion there that the problem may be linked to a small oil leak in the turbo. Very interesting. It does sound like their service departments may be a little more open to the idea that there might actually be a problem rather than the "bad gas" mantra we are hearing.

HHH

 

Some of the experts out there have the exact dates, I'm sure, but I think the '06 line shut down well before the end of '06 to make the line ready for the new '07s. I think '07 (new body style & BMW/Peugeot turbo) was made in March. So, 5/2007 should be well into the cycle of '07s. That's for the coupes....the converts didn't change until the next year, right?

HHH

 

That's odd; normally when a turbo has lubricating oil that gets past it's seals, the car will smoke pretty badly (if you've ever had a leaking valve guide in a cylinder head, you know what I'm talking about). The MazdaSpeed cars have this problem because a seal goes bad in the turbo and pulls oil into the turbo, which blows it into the cylinders and burns it. Here, this video shows the smoke created:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlFV3skMQRI

I wouldn't think that carbon build-up on the pistons would be caused by oil from the turbo, otherwise you would see the smoke from the burning oil. Besides, whenever I got carbon build-up on my spark plugs, it was a good indicator that my fuel mixture was running too rich. Just my 0.02 cents, I really don't know that much about the Prince engines.

 

Redirecting it back to my original concern......

We have experienced carbon build-up in the intake. The dealership tried to blame it on "bad gas". How is this possible when the gas is injected directly into the combustion chamber? What could be the cause?

HHH

(BTW, I had an old V12 Ferrari with slightly worn valve guides. It created quite a blue cloud, but it was fun to drive.)

 

Some of you may have read this already, but I'll post it anyway:

http://www.autospeednet.com/sites/3d...ewterm/3681/0/

 

Oh, ok, I guess I just didn't read close enough. So, there's carbon built-up in the intake runners, or on the top of valves, or on the bottom of the valves (valve face, in the combustion chamber)?

If it was in the actual intake runners or intake plenum on a DI engine, then I would be less likely to believe the bad gas story. Crankcase vapor may be introduced into the intake runners somewhere (emissions system), but excessive alcohol in the gas shouldn't build up carbon deposits. Water condensation I could possibly see, but carbon build up in the intake itself just doesn't sound right.

 

Exactly.

In my case (& I think some of the others) there was more build-up going into#4, which makes me wonder if the crankcase vent (or something else) comes in around there. I would really like to see a detailed drawing of the intake system.

HHH

 

I put in a bottle of Techron, also, at 6600 miles & my Mini is really running smooth, just like the first day I got it. I'm a believer.

 

I agree. Techron is great stuff. I just wish there were some way to get it into my intake. Let's see.....maybe I could install a small atomizing nozzle downstream of my air filter. Just kidding, but I wish there were some way to use it to clean out the carbon in my intake.

HHH

 

Poof, wished granted: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...15&hg=11&fg=15

Looks like the crankcase vent hose goes in at the base of the intake manifold.

Disclaimer: I selected the USA, 01/2008 build date R56 S model; you may need to select your year/build month to get a more accurate picture.