Hello all,

I just purchased my new to me 2003 Chili Red Mini Cooper S. It's a big "little" change from my rear wheel drive 2005 Pontiac GTO with a 400hp V8 and 6spd manual.

It's got climate control, the cold weather package, heated sport seats, the dual sunroofs, cruise control and H/K audio, already has chromed aftermarket 17" wheels with BFG KDW2 205/45-17 tires. it handles like it's on rails, I love the 6 spd manual, 58k miles on it. The dealer gets to fix the driver side power door lock. Got that in writing and there are no other problems with it.
I already purchased an Alta V2 CAI with Top and a 15% pulley, Brisk plugs and tensioner stop. It's getting the windows and sunroofs tinted 20% all the way around as I write this. When I get it home today I'll install the pulley and give it an oil change.

 

Very nice ride!!! good luck with it

 

If you are not buying it from a MINI dealer I would be reluctant to have them "fix" the door lock. Easy to break things if you don't know what you're doing.

 

It's a Ford dealer and I was half tempted to tell them to just order the part and I'll install it myself. Seeing as how I have nearly every tool known to man, and was a certified mechanic for 7 years in a past life. But of course, they'll want to troubleshoot it, and basically if they break something they will have to fix that too, so that would be their loss not mine.

Thanks, I appreciate the advise though.

 

The problem I have with your analysis is that an unscrupulous dealer/incompetent mechanic can bury too many problems inside the door. Door lock, window motor, speaker wiring, door brake, panel clips, mirror controls, glass adjustment, etc. I'd rather have them pay for the part, then you pay a MINI mechanic to install it.

 

Congrats! It looks great. Except the fact that all chrome wheels are ugly!

 

Hmm, I wasn't joking when I said I was a certified mechanic. I have only once in over 20 years of car/truck/motorcycle ownership ever had a vehicle I own taken taken to a mechanic, Even when they were under warranty, I did my own work on them. (I was deployed to Poland and stationed in Germany in 2000 and my wife's power steering pump went out, so she took it in to get it fixed). Oops, I forgot about suspension alignments. I don't own my own alignment rack so I do take vehicles in for that particular procedure.

What exactly do you think they would do to the inside of the door, that I would not be able tell that they had done? Maybe break a door panel clip? I can pull the door panel off in less than 5 minutes after I pick the car up and verify the repairs were performed correctly.

 

Jeeesh, there is nothing THAT unique about our cars with respect to this repair..........if the guy is a certified experienced mechanic, and has the trim tools to remove the parts to get to the actuators, what's the deal ?

Get a Bentley Service Manual and go to realoem.com (BMW/MINI Blue Print Site ) and you can see the break down of the parts and assembly....

Great looking MINI by the way, good find ! Congratulations !