Hi everyone. Need some help from the MINI community. Ive got an 03 CVT, and I know I need the left strut tower replaced. Thing is, Im going on a 10 hour drive to North Carolina in the near future. At the mileage my car is at (roughly 45K) my options for preparing are the full blown maintenance II ($720) which I can not afford at this time, especially since I need the tower replaced, or the Oil and Safety ($350). The "saftey" part of that is what I want to be paying for, you know, like a check up before I go.

My question is - is Oil and "Safety" more like a glorified $350 oil change (anyone have any experiences they would like to share?) Should I forgo the Oil and Safety and wait to save for the Maintenance II?

Thanks!

 

Interesting, sounds like a way for the dealer to make money. Since the car is out of warranty I would'nt bring it to the dealer. Do you know of a good shop you can bring it to?
Have them do a oil change, check the brakes, do a general walk thru and you will be fine . What part of the country are you from? P.S. Minis really do not need tune-ups, unless you feel something is amiss. Also why do you think the strut tower is bad?

 

All right, I know my terminology is off - maybe not the tower - but something is "mushrooming." I already had the other side fixed. And unfortunately I do not know of anywhere else to take it...I live in Northern/Central New Jersey.

I tend to be cynical so I was thinking $350 oil change myself...although supposedly that does include a full safety inspection. Thanks! Keep the thoughts coming...

 

If the "top" of the tower is mushrooming it can be beaten down, then purchase a M7 STB, this will help with future problems. One step further would be to also add camber plates on the inside of the tower. M7 is a vendor, they have a link here, hope this helps .

M7 Strut Tower Brace
If you are concerned about strut tower mushrooming and looking for improved handing, then the M7 Strut Tower Brace (STB) is the answer. This is the ONLY strut tower brace on the market that features anti-mushrooming technology. [ read more ]

 

Or, purchase the M7 Strut Tower Reinforcement Plates, to prevent future mushrooming. They just bolt onto the towers, once you have eliminated the mushrooming. They are aluminum plate and are machined to fit exactly.

 

Wow, thanks guys. That thing looks like a DIY and I will definitely look into it. I always wondered what those things were for.

Any more thoughts on the Oil and Safety? I thought of a place nearby I can call, and Ill do so tomorrow to see if they work on MINIs.

And just for the record, I feel like every time I talk to the dealer I hear something different about what service should be done when, oil and safety vs maintenance II, etc. Has anyone else ever felt like this?

 

For the extra $70.00 why not get the STB? It comes with the strut bar. Buy the plates seperatly, then your stuck, they dont sell the bar seperatly at this time.

 

Even if M7 sold the bar separately, you couldn't use it with the Strut Reinforcement Plates, since the plates don't have the machined recesses or threaded holes to accept the bar.

If M7 wanted to reduce the number of parts they make/stock, as well as provide an upgrade path for customers, they could discontinue the current Strut Reinforcement Plates, and just start selling the Strut Tower Brace endplates separately for the same price. They could use a plastic insert to fill the recessed area and the bolt holes for cosmetic purposes. Then, if the owner wanted to upgrade to the full STB later, they would just need to buy the bar portion, pop the cosmetic plugs out of the plates, and bolt in the bar.

 

Whoa...Im sure if I had some visuals I could figure out what you guys are talking about! Im a beginner MINI enthusiast and hope to take care of a lot of my MINIs issues via DIY -

You mentioned that the mushrooming portion can be "beaten down" - can I do this myself? And will it take care of that awful scraping noise when give the wheel a full turn?

Thanks!

 

Now that does not sound right . You may need to have that checked out. Check my post earlier, it has a link to M7 about the strut bar and the plates, with pics . PS. you might want to start a thread in the Suspension forum, you will get many more opinions on how to make the repairs.

 

For some people, $70 more is an expense. I guess one must determine if he drives so aggressively that he might need a strut bar on a Cooper, too. I can understand the need for one on an MCS, though. On the otherhand, I have the plates only on my MC and on my MCS, and do not feel the bar is all that necessary, even though my MCS goes regularly to HPDEs and both cars have seen the Dragon.

 

I have the SRP's on my Mini instead of the bar. Only because including the bar would push me into a different autocross class. Eventually, I'll change that, but if you autocross, you have to keep such things in mind when you mod your car.

 

Could you not have bought the STB and then just take bar off when you compete?

 

Then why bother to have it at all? That's when I would want it the most!

I mod for very, very specific reasons, and just being a little quicker on twisties isn't a reason for me.

 

Ok, I don't think i'm getting you? You said you have the SRP's "the plates" installed only because you cannot have the STB "the Bar" when you autocross, correct? What i'm trying to say is, one can purchase the STB, "the plates and the bar", then one can remove the bar when they compete, then put the bar back on for normal driving. Would this not work? How did this thread get so far off .

 

Yes this thread got way far off! But I LOVE it! Haha. Anyway thanks for the advice. Ive got an appointment to get an estimate from an independent mechanic. *fingers crossed* And you know what's butt? That the strut tower thing isnt covered under warranty. So butt.